يَسْـَٔلُكَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ
عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ فَقَدْ
سَأَلُوا۟ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ
فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ
ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟
ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ
ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا
مُوسَىٰ سُلْطَـٰنًا مُّبِينًا
وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ ٱلطُّورَ
بِمِيثَـٰقِهِمْ وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟
ٱلْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ
لَا تَعْدُوا۟ فِى ٱلسَّبْتِ وَأَخَذْنَا
مِنْهُم مِّيثَـٰقًا غَلِيظًا
The People of the Scripture (Jews)
ask you to cause a book to
descend upon them from heaven.
Indeed, they asked Musa for
even greater than that,
when they said: “Show us
Allah in public,” but they were
struck with a bolt of lightning
for their wickedness. Then
they worshipped the calf even
after Al-Bayyinat had come
to them.
(Even) so We forgave them.
And We gave Musa a clear
proof of authority. And for
their covenant, We raised over
them the mount and (on
the other occasion) We said:
“Enter the gate prostrating
(or bowing) with humility;”
and We commanded them:
“Transgress not on the Sabbath
(Saturday).” And We took from
them a firm covenant.
The Stubbornness of the Jews
Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, As-Suddi and Qatadah said that the Jews asked the Messenger of Allah to cause a book to come down to them from heaven, just as the Tawrah was sent down to Musa. Ibn Jurayj said that the Jews asked the Messenger to cause books to come down to them addressed to so-and-so among them, testifying to the truth of what he was sent with. The Jews only asked for this because of their stubbornness, defiance, rejection and disbelief. The disbelievers of Quraysh also asked for similar things from the Prophet, as is mentioned in Surat Al-Isra’,
وَقَالُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى
تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الاٌّرْضِ يَنْبُوعًا
And they say: “We shall not believe in you, until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us (Al-Isra 90)
Allah said,
فَقَدْ سَأَلُواْ مُوسَى أَكْبَرَ
مِن ذلِكَ فَقَالُواْ أَرِنَا اللَّهِ
جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّـعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ
Indeed, they asked Musa for even greater than that, when they said, “Show us Allah in public,” but they were struck with a bolt of lightning for their wickedness.
injustice, transgression, defiance and rebellion. This part was explained in Surat Al-Baqarah,
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـمُوسَى لَن نُّؤْمِنَ
لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً
فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّـعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ
تَنظُرُونَ ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـكُم مِّن بَعْدِ
مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
And (remember) when you said: “O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly.” But you were struck by a bolt of lightning while you were looking. Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be grateful. (Al-Baqarah 55,56)
Allah’s statement,
ثُمَّ اتَّخَذُواْ الْعِجْلَ
مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ
Then they worshipped the calf even after Al-Bayyinat had come to them
meaning, after they witnessed the tremendous miracles and unequivocal proofs at the hand of Musa in Egypt. They also witnessed the demise of their enemy, Fir`awn and his soldiers, when they all drowned in the sea. Yet soon after, when they passed by a people who were worshipping idols, they said to Musa,
اجْعَلْ لَّنَآ إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ
Make for us a god as they have gods
Allah explains the story of the Jews worshipping the calf in Surat Al-A`raf and Surah Ta Ha after Musa went to meet with his Lord. When Musa returned, Allah decreed that in order for the Jews to earn accepted repentance, then those who did not worship the calf would have to kill those who worshipped it. They complied with this command, and Allah resurrected them afterwards. Allah said here,
فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذلِكَ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى سُلْطَـناً مُّبِيناً
(Even) so We forgave them. And We gave Musa a clear proof of authority.
Allah then said,
وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَـقِهِمْ
And for their covenant, We raised over them the mount
This was when they refrained from implementing the rulings of the Tawrah and refused what Musa brought them from Allah. So Allah raised the mountain above their heads and they were ordered to prostrate, which they did. Even so, they were looking above when they were prostrating for fear that the mountain might fall on them,
وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ
كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ
بِهِمْ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ
And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): “Hold firmly to what We have given you.”
Allah then said,
وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّداً
and We said, “Enter the gate prostrating (or bowing) with humility;”
meaning that they also defied this command in word and action. They were commanded to enter Bayt Al-Quds (in Jerusalem) while bowing and saying “Hittah”, meaning: `O Allah! take from us our sin of abandoning Jihad.’ This was the cause of their wandering in the desert of Tih for forty years. Yet, they entered the House while crawling on their rear ends and saying `Hintah (a wheat grain) in Sha`rah (the hair)’.
وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ لاَ تَعْدُواْ فِى السَّبْتِ
and We commanded them, “Transgress not the Sabbath (Saturday).”
meaning, We commanded them to honor the Sabbath and honor what Allah prohibited them on that day.
وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُمْ مِّيثَـقاً غَلِيظاً
And We took from them a firm covenant
meaning, strong covenant. They rebelled, transgressed and committed what Allah prohibited by using deceit and trickery, as is mentioned in Surat Al-A`raf
وَسْئَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ
And ask them about the town that was by the sea
فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مَّيثَـقَهُمْ
وَكُفْرِهِم بَـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ
الاٌّنْبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ
قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَلْ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ
عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ
إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً – وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ
عَلَى مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ
عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ
وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ
اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ
مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ
إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ
يَقِيناً – بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً