Ta Ha — Verse 95

How As-Samiri made the Calf Musa said to As-Samiri, "What caused you to do what you did What presented such an idea to you causing you to do this" Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "As-Samiri was a man from the people of Bajarma, a people who worshipped cows. He still had the love of cow worshipping in his soul. However, he acted as though he had accepted Islam with the Children of Israel. His name was Musa bin Zafar." Qatadah said, "He was from the village of Samarra." قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُواْ بِهِ ((Samiri) said: "I saw what they saw not.") This means, "I saw Jibril when he came to destroy Fir`awn." فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ (so I took a handful (Qabdah) from the print of the messenger) This means from the hoof print of his (Jibril's) horse. This is what is well-known with many of the scholars of Tafsir, rather most of them. Mujahid said, فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ (so I took a handful (Qabdah) from the print of the messenger) "From under the hoof of Jibril's horse." He also said, "The word Qabdah means a palmful, and it is also that which is grasped by the tips of the fingers." Mujahid said, "As-Samiri threw what was in his hand onto the jewelry of the Children of Israel and it became molded into the body of a calf, which made a light moaning sound. The wind that blew into it was the cause of its sound." Thus, he said, فَنَبَذْتُهَا (and I threw it.) This means, "I threw it along with those who were throwing (jewelry)." وَكَذلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِى نَفْسِى (Thus my inner self suggested to me.) This means that his soul considered it something good and it was pleasing to his self. The Punishment of As-Samiri and the burning of the Calf Thereupon, قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِى الْحَيَوةِ أَن تَقُولَ لاَ مِسَاسَ ((Musa) said: "Then go away! And verily, your (punishment) in this life will be that you will say: `Touch me not."') This means, "Just as you took and touched what was not your right to take and touch of the messenger's foot print, such is your punishment in this life, that you will say, `Do not touch (me)."' This means, "You will not touch the people and they will not touch you." وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِداً (and verily, you have a promise) This means on the Day of Resurrection. لَّن تُخْلَفَهُ (that will not fail.) you will have no way to escape it. Qatadah said, أَن تَقُولَ لاَ مِسَاسَ (that you will say: `Touch me not.') "This is referring to a punishment for them and their remnants (i.e. those who have their disease) today still say `Do not touch."' Concerning Allah's statement, وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِداً لَّن تُخْلَفَهُ (and verily, you have a promise that will not fail.) Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Abu Nahik said, "You will not be absent from it." وَانظُرْ إِلَى إِلَـهِكَ (And look at your god) that which you worshipped, الَّذِى ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفاً (to which you have been devoted.) that which you established worship of, which was the calf. إِنَّمَآ إِلَـهُكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَسِعَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْماً (Your God is only Allah, there is no God but Him. He has full knowledge of all things.) Musa was saying to them, "This is not your god. Your God is only Allah, the One Whom there is no true God except Him. Worship is not befitting to anyone except Him. For everything is in need of Him and everything is His servant. Concerning the statement, وَسِعَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْماً (He has full knowledge of all things.) The word `Ilm (knowledge) is in the accusative case for distinction. It means that He is the All-Knower of everything. أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمَا ((Allah) surrounds all things in (His) knowledge. ) 65:12 And He says, وَأَحْصَى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عَدَداً (And (He) keeps count of all things.) 72:28 Therefore, لاَ يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ (Not even the weight of a speck of dust escapes His knowledge.) 34:3 He also says, وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّحَبَّةٍ فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ مُّبِينٍ (Not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.) 6:59 And He says, وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِى كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ (And no moving creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit. All is in a Clear Book.) 11:6 The Ayat that mention this are numerous.

He said ‘And what have you to say what was the motive for doing what you did O Samaritan?’

قال موسى للسامري: فما شأنك يا سامري؟ وما الذي دعاك إلى ما فعلته؟

يقول موسى عليه السلام للسامري ما حملك على ما صنعت وما الذي عرض لك حتى فعلت ما فعلت قال محمد بن إسحاق عن حكيم بن جبير عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس قال: كان السامري رجلا من أهل باجرما وكان من قوم يعبدون البقر وكان حب عبادة البقر في نفسه وكان قد أظهر الإسلام مع بني إسرائيل وكان اسمه موسى بن ظفر وفى رواية عن ابن عباس أنه كان من كرمان وقال قتادة كان من قرية سامرا.

وقد حكى - سبحانه - ذلك فى قوله - تعالى - : ( قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكَ ياسامري . . . ) .أى : قال موسى - عليه السلام - للسامرى : ( مَا خَطْبُكَ ) أى : ما شأنك ، وما الأمر العظيم الذى جعلك تفعل ما فعلت؟ مصدر خطب يخطب - كقعد يقعد - ومنه قولهم : هذا خطب يسير أو جلل ، وجمعه خطوب . وخصه بعضهم بما له خطر من الأمور ، وأصله : الأمر العظيم الذى يكثر فيه التخاطب والتشاور ، ويخطب الخطيب الناس من أجله .

وقوله ( قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلا بِرَأْسِي ) وفي هذا الكلام متروك، ترك ذكره استغناء بدلالة الكلام عليه، وهو: ثم أخذ موسى بلحية أخيه هارون ورأسه يجرّه إليه، فقال هارون ( يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلا بِرَأْسِي ).وقوله ( إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي ) فاختلف أهل العلم في صفة التفريق بينهم، الذي خشيه هارون، فقال بعضهم: كان هارون خاف أن يسير بمن أطاعه، وأقام على دينه في أثر موسى، ويخلف عبدة العجل، وقد قَالُوا له لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَى فيقول له موسى (فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي) بسيرك بطائفة، وتركك منهم طائفة وراءك.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال ابن زيد، في قول الله تعالى ( ما منعك إذ رأيتهم ضلوا ألا تتبعني أفعصيت أمري ) قَالَ (...... خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي) قال: خشيت أن يتبعني بعضهم ويتخلف بعضهم.وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: خشيت أن نقتتل فيقتل بعضنا بعضا.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج ( إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي ) قال: كنا نكون فرقتين فيقتل بعضنا بعضا حتى نتفانى.قال أبو جعفر: وأولى القولين في ذلك بالصواب، القول الذي قاله ابن عباس من أن موسى عذل أخاه هارون على تركه اتباع أمره بمن اتبعه من أهل الإيمان، فقال له هارون: إني خشيت أن تقول، فرّقت بين جماعتهم، فتركت بعضهم وراءك، وجئت ببعضهم، وذلك بين في قول هارون للقوم يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنْتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِي وفي جواب القوم له وقيلهم لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَى .وقوله ( وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي ) يقول: ولم تنظر قولي وتحفظه، من مراقبة الرجل الشيء، وهي مناظرته بحفظه.كما حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيج، قال: قال ابن عباس ( وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي ) قال: لم تحفظ قولي.

( قال فما خطبك ) ما أمرك وشأنك؟ وما الذي حملك على ما صنعت؟ ( ياسامري )

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكَ يَا سَامِرِيُّ (95) التفت موسى بتوجيه الخطاب إلى السامريّ الذي كان سبباً في إضلال القوم ، فالجملة ناشئة عن قول القوم { فكذلك ألقى السامريّ فأخرج لهم عجلاً } [ طه : 88 ] الخ ، فهي ابتداء خطاب . ولعل موسى لم يغلظ له القول كما أغلظ لهارون لأنه كان جاهلاً بالدّين فلم يكن في ضلاله عجب . ولعل هذا يؤيد ما قيل : إن السامريّ لم يكن من بني إسرائيل ولكنه كان من القِبط أو من كِرمان فاندسّ في بني إسرائيل . ولما كان موسى مبعوثاً لبني إسرائيل خاصة ولفرعون وملئه لأجل إطلاق بني إسرائيل ، كان اتّباع غير الإسرائيليين لشريعة موسى أمراً غير واجب على غير الإسرائيليين ولكنه مرغّب فيه لما فيه من الاهتداء ، فلذلك لم يعنفه موسى لأنّ الأجدر بالتعنيف هم القوم الذين عاهدوا الله على الشريعة .ومعنى { ما خطبك } ما طَلبك ، أي ماذا تخطب ، أي تطلب ، فهو مصدر . قال ابن عطية : «وهي كلمة أكثر ما تستعمل في المَكاره ، لأن الخطب هو الشأن المكروه . كقوله تعالى : { فما خَطبكم أيها المرسلون } [ الذاريات : 31 ] ، فالمعنى : ما هي مصيبتك التي أصبت بها القوم وما غرضك مما فعلت .

أي: ما شأنك يا سامري، حيث فعلت ما فعلت؟،

فتركه موسى ثم أقبل على السامري ف قال فما خطبك يا سامري أي ، ما أمرك وشأنك ، وما الذي حملك على ما صنعت ؟ قال قتادة : كان السامري عظيما في بني إسرائيل من قبيلة يقال لها سامرة ولكن عدو الله نافق بعد ما قطع البحر مع موسى ، فلما مرت بنو إسرائيل بالعمالقة وهم يعكفون على أصنام لهم قالوا يا موسى اجعل لنا إلها كما لهم آلهة فاغتنمها السامري وعلم أنهم يميلون إلى عبادة العجل فاتخذ العجل .

When Moses came to know that Samiri was the leader behind this episode, he made enquiries of him. Samiri cunningly made excuses and said that whatever he had done was done under the influence of divine inspiration (kashf) and that some earth taken from the footprint of the Prophet Moses himself had been included in the idol as being auspicious. Samiri’s attempt to deceive Moses and at the same time win cheap popularity in his community cast a more serious light upon his crime. For his sins, God punished him (according to the Bible) with the disease of leucoderma, with additional punishment to be meted out to him in the life hereafter. His body became so obnoxious that people used to shun him. He became the most hated person in his community. In order to cleanse the Israelites’ minds of the false impression they had formed of the greatness of the calf deity, Moses burnt it before their eyes and floated the ashes in the sea.

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.

Then Moses went to al-Samiri, and he (said: And what hast thou to say, O Samiri?) What drove you to worship the calf, O Samiri?