Ta Ha — Verse 90

Harun prohibits them from worship of Calf and the Persistence of the Children of Israel in doing so Allah, the Exalted, informs of Harun's attempt to prohibit them from worshipping the calf and his telling them that this was only a test for them. He told them that their Lord was the Most Beneficent, Who created everything and decreed for everything its just measure. He is the Owner of the Mighty Throne, the One Who does whatever He wants. فَاتَّبِعُونِى وَأَطِيعُواْ أَمْرِى (so follow me and obey my order.) Meaning, "Follow me in that which I am commanding you with and leave that which I forbid you from." قَالُواْ لَن نَّبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَـكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَى (They said: "We will not stop worshipping it, until Musa returns to us.") meaning, "We will not cease in our worship of this calf until we hear what Musa has to say about it." So they opposed Harun in this matter and they fought against him, nearly killing him.

And Aaron had certainly said to them beforehand that is before the return of Moses ‘O my people you are only being tested thereby! But truly your Lord is the Compassionate One so follow me in worship of Him and obey my command’ therein.

ولقد قال هارون لبني إسرائيل من قبل رجوع موسى إليهم: يا قوم إنما اختُبرتم بهذا العجل؛ ليظهر المؤمن منكم من الكافر، وإن ربكم الرحمن لا غيره فاتبعوني فيما أدعوكم إليه من عبادة الله، وأطيعوا أمري في اتباع شرعه.

يخبر تعالى عما كان من نهي هارون لهم عن عبادتهم العجل وإخباره إياهم إنما هذا فتنة لكم وإن ربكم الرحمن الذي خلق كل شيء فقدره تقديرا ذو العرش المجيد الفعال لما يريد "فاتبعونى وأطيعوا أمري " أي فيما آمركم به واتركوا ما أنهاكم عنه.

ثم بين - سبحانه - موقف هارون - عليه السلام - من هؤلاء الجاهلين الذين عبدوا العجل ، فقال - تعالى - : ( وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ . . . ) .جملة : ( وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِن قَبْلُ . . . ) قسمية مؤكدة لما قبلها .أى : والله لقد نصح هارون - عليه السلام - عبدة العجل من قومه ، قبل رجوع موسى إليهم ، فقال لهم مستعطفا : ( . . . ياقوم إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُمْ بِهِ . . . ) أى : يا قوم إن ضلالكم وكفركم إنما هو بسبب عبادتكم العجل ، فالمضير فى ( بِهِ ) يعود إلى العجل .( وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرحمن ) هو وحده المستحق للعبادة والطاعة .وجمع - سبحانه - بين لفظى الرب والرحمن ، لجذبهم نحو الحق ، واستمالتهم نحوه ، وللتنبيه على أنهم متى تابوا قبل الله توبتهم ، لأنه - سبحانه - هو الرحمن الرحيم .والفاء فى قوله : ( فاتبعوني وأطيعوا أَمْرِي ) لترتيب ما بعدها على ما قبلها .أى : وما دام الأمر كذلك فاتبعونى وأطيعوا أمرى ، فى الثبات على الحق ، وفى نبذ عبادة العجل ، وفى المحافظة على ما عاهدكم عليه موسى - عليه السلام - .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : أَفَلا يَرَوْنَ أَلا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلا وَلا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلا نَفْعًا (89)يقول تعالى ذكره موبخا عبدة العجل، والقائلين له هَذَا إِلَهُكُمْ وَإِلَهُ مُوسَى فَنَسِيَ وعابهم بذلك، وسفه أحلامهم بما فعلوا ونالوا منه: أفلا يرون أن العجل الذي زعموا أنه إلههم وإله موسى لا يكلمهم، وإن كلَّموه لم يرد عليهم جوابا، ولا يقدر على ضرّ ولا نفع، فكيف يكون ما كانت هذه صفته إلها؟ كما حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم. قال: ثنا عيسى " ح " وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء، جميعا عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد ( أَلا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلا ) العجل.حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيج، عن مجاهد ( أَفَلا يَرَوْنَ أَلا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلا ) قال: العجل.حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قال الله ( أَفَلا يَرَوْنَ أَلا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ ) ذلك العجل الذي اتخذوه ( قَوْلا وَلا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلا نَفْعًا ).

( ولقد قال لهم هارون من قبل ) من قبل رجوع موسى ، ( ياقوم إنما فتنتم به ) ابتليتم بالعجل ، ( وإن ربكم الرحمن فاتبعوني ) على ديني في عبادة الله ، ( وأطيعوا أمري ) في ترك عبادة العجل .

وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِنْ قَبْلُ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنْتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِي (90) الجملة في موضع الحال من ضمير { أفلا يرون } [ طه : 89 ] على كلا الاحتمالين ، أي كيف لا يستدلّون على عدم استحقاق العجل الإلهيّة ، بأنه لا يرجع إليهم قولاً ولا يملك لهم ضرّاً ولا نفعاً فيقلعون عن عبادة العجل ، وتلك دلالة عقلية ، في حال أنّ هارون قد وعظهم ونبههم إلى ذلك إذ ذكّرهم بأنه فتنة فتنهم بها السامريّ ، وأن ربّهم هو الرحمان لا ما لا يملك لهم نفعاً فضلاً عن الرحمة ، وأمرهم بأن يتبعوا أمره ، وتلك دلالة سمعيّة .وتأكيد الخبر بحرف التحقيق ولام القسم لتحقيق إبطال ما في كتاب اليهود من أن هارون هو الذي صنَع لهم العِجل ، وأنه لم ينكر عليهم عبادته . وغاية الأمر أنه كان يستهزىء بهم في نفسه ، وذلك إفك عظيم في كتابهم .والمضاف إليه ( قبلُ ) محذوف دل عليه المقام ، أي من قبللِ أن يرجعَ إليهم موسى وينكر عليهم .وافتتاح خطابه ب { يا قوم تمهيد لمقام النصيحة . ومعنى إنَّمَا فُتِنْتُم بِه } : ما هو إلاّ فتنة لكم وليس ربّاً ، وإن ربّكم الرحمان الذي يرحمكم في سائر الأحوال ، فأجابوه بأنّهم لا يزالون عاكفين على عبادته حتى يرجع موسى فيصرّح لهم بأن ذلك العجل ليس هو ربّهم .

أي: إن اتخاذهم العجل، ليسوا معذورين فيه، فإنه وإن كانت عرضت لهم الشبهة في أصل عبادته، فإن هارون قد نهاهم عنه، وأخبرهم أنه فتنة، وأن ربهم الرحمن، الذي منه النعم الظاهرة والباطنة، الدافع للنقم وأنه أمرهم أن يتبعوه، ويعتزلوا العجل

قوله تعالى : ولقد قال لهم هارون من قبل أي من قبل أن يأتي موسى ويرجع إليهم يا قوم إنما فتنتم أي ابتليتم وأضللتم به ؛ أي بالعجل . وإن ربكم الرحمن لا العجل . فاتبعوني في عبادته . وأطيعوا أمري لا أمر السامري . أو فاتبعوني في مسيري إلى موسى ودعوا العجل .

After the departure of Moses, Aaron, entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the community, tried to guide his people, but he did not have as much influence over them as Moses did. So they did not desist from their wrongful practice of calf-worship, in spite of Aaron advising them against it. When Aaron’s insistence increased, they expressed their determination to continue. They pointed out that it would be for Moses to take a decision in this matter on his return. Had Aaron acted with sternness, it would have had no effect, because his supporters were few in number. He, therefore, preferred for the time being, to adopt a policy of patience, rather than launch himself on a futile course of action; in the meantime he prayed to God for the reformation of his people.

Commentary When the Bani Isra'il were smitten with the mischief of calf-worship Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) as the deputy of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) remonstrated with them but to no avail. They split into three factions. Those who remained loyal to Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) and refused to be misled by Samiri and who numbered, according to Qurtubi, twelve thousand. The second faction adopted calf-worship with the reservation that if Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ، on his return, forbade them they would give it up. The third faction consisted of zealots who believed that Sayyidna Musa علیہ السلام would approve of their action and would himself join them in calf-worship but even if he did not, they themselves would never give up their new faith. When Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) returned to his people he rebuked them for the mischief they had caused (as related in the earlier verses). Then he turned to Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) and in a rage seized him by his beard and the hair of his head. He asked him that when the unbelief (کُفر) of the Bani Isra'il had become obvious, why he did not follow him to the Tur mountain and why he disobeyed his orders. مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَ‌أَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّوا ﴿92﴾ أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِ (What did prevent you from following me when you saw them going astray. - 20:92-93) One meaning of ittiba' (following) referred to in this verse is that when Sayyidna Haran (علیہ السلام) discovered that the Bani Isra'il had strayed from the righteous path, and were beyond recall, he should have abandoned them and joined Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) at the Tur mountain. The other meaning of the word 'follow', as adopted by some commentators is that when the Bani Isra'il had forsaken the True Faith, Sayyidna Haran (علیہ السلام) should have fought them as Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) would have done had he been present there. In any case Sayyidna Musa blamed Sayyidna Haran (علیہ السلام) that he should either have fought the Bani Isra'il or should have parted company with them and joined Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) at the Tur mountain, and that his continuing to live with them was an unwise act. Sayyidna Haran (علیہ السلام) addressed him as يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ (0 my mother's son! ) which implied a plea not to judge him too harshly. His excuse was that if he had fought the Bani Isra'il or abandoned them with his twelve thousand men, it would have caused discord and strife among them. He said that he had understood the parting advice of Sayyidna Musa اخْلُفْنِي فِي قَوْمِي وَأَصْلِحْ (Take my place among my people and keep things right - 7:142) to mean that he should maintain harmony among the people and prevent differences at all cost. Besides, he said, he had hoped that when he (Sayyidna Musa علیہ السلام) would return, he would be able to handle the situation satisfactorily. A further excuse which he offered and which is reported elsewhere in the Qur'an was: إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي (7:150) which means that the Bani Isra'il have taken me as weak because of the small number of my supporters and were about to kill me. Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) did not press the matter any further with his brother. He then turned to Samiri and asked him to explain his conduct in this whole affair. Qur'an-does not indicate whether he accepted the excuses offered by Sayyidna Haran (علیہ السلام) or whether he considered the latter's mistake as one of ijtihad (assessment) and dropped the matter. Differences between two prophets when the opinions of both could be right In this affair the considered opinion of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ، by way of ijtihad was that in the situation as it took shape Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) should have totally dissociated himself from the Bani Isra'il by removing himself and his followers from their company, and that by continuing to stay with them he had compromised his position. On the other hand Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) felt, by way of ijtihad, that such an action would have caused a permanent split among the Bani Isra'il and divided them into factions, and since there was hope that they would see the error of their way when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) returned, he thought it wise to adopt a conciliatory attitude towards them. The purpose of both the prophets was a strict adherence to the commands of Allah and to ensure that the Bani Isra'il remained steadfast in the observance of the True Faith and in their belief in the Oneness of Allah. Where they differed, however, was the manner in which these objectives could be achieved whether to make a complete break with the dissidents or to bear with them in the hope those things would improve ultimately. Both these views have merit and it is not possible to pass a firm and final judgment on them. The differences among the jurists based on ijtihad are of a similar nature and those holding different opinions cannot be charged of having broken any religious laws. As regards Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) seizing his brother by the hairs, it only shows his anger and frustration with the situation which had developed during his absence, but on hearing his explanation, he prayed to Allah to forgive them both.

(And Aaron indeed had told them beforehand) before the return of Moses (pbuh) to them: (O my people! Ye are but being seduced therewith) you have been tried with the lowing sound and the worship of the calf, (for lo! your Lord is the Beneficent, so follow me) regarding His religion (and obey my order) obey my saying and advice.