7-152 Those who took the calf (for a god) — wrath from their Lord, and disgrace in this world’s life, will surely overtake them. And thus do We recompense those who invent lies.a
إِنَّ الَّذينَ اتَّخَذُوا العِجلَ سَيَنالُهُم غَضَبٌ مِن رَبِّهِم وَذِلَّةٌ فِي الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ۚ وَكَذٰلِكَ نَجزِي المُفتَرينَ (۱۵۲)
7-152a: These words show that the term فَاقتُلوا أَنفُسَكُم in verse 2:54 does not literally mean kill yourselves because here the punishment is described as wrath from their Lord and disgrace in this world’s life. In the next verse, it is stated that even this punishment will be forgiven if there is sincere repentance.
7-153 And those who do evil deeds, then repent after that and believe — thy Lord after that is surely Forgiving, Merciful.
وَالَّذينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ تابوا مِن بَعدِها وَآمَنوا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِن بَعدِها لَغَفورٌ رَحيمٌ (۱۵۳)
7-154 And when Moses’ anger calmed down, he took up the tablets; and in the writing thereof was guidance and mercy for those who fear their Lord.
وَلَمّا سَكَتَ عَن موسَى الغَضَبُ أَخَذَ الأَلواحَ ۖ وَفي نُسخَتِها هُدًى وَرَحمَةٌ لِلَّذينَ هُم لِرَبِّهِم يَرهَبونَ (۱۵۴)
7-154a: Exodus 32:19 states that Moses broke the tablets in his wrath, but the Quran contradicts this and neither is such an act befitting a prophet. Showing disdain towards the commandments of God because of anger towards the people cannot be the work of a prophet. This also shows that the Quran does not borrow from the Bible and its source is something else. This is the reason it keeps on correcting errors in the Bible. In this narration alone, three errors of the Bible are corrected. First, the nonparticipation of Aaron in the making of the calf whereas in the Bible, Aaron is the main architect of making the calf. Second, the breaking of the tablets by Moses as stated in the Bible (Exodus 32:19) is contradicted. Third, burning of the calf, grounding it to powder, strewing it upon the water and making the Bani Israel drink it, as stated in the Bible, is a meaningless action. See Exodus 32:20.
7-155 And Moses chose of his people seventy men for Our appointment.a So when the earthquake overtook them, he said: My Lord, if Thou hadst pleased, Thou hadst destroyed them before and myself (too). Wilt Thou destroy us for that which the foolish among us have done? It is naught but Thy trial. Thou causest to perish thereby whom Thou pleasest and guidest whom Thou pleasest. Thou art our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy on us, and Thou art the Best of those who forgive.b
وَاختارَ موسىٰ قَومَهُ سَبعينَ رَجُلًا لِميقاتِنا ۖ فَلَمّا أَخَذَتهُمُ الرَّجفَةُ قالَ رَبِّ لَو شِئتَ أَهلَكتَهُم مِن قَبلُ وَإِيّايَ ۖ أَتُهلِكُنا بِما فَعَلَ السُّفَهاءُ مِنّا ۖ إِن هِيَ إِلّا فِتنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِها مَن تَشاءُ وَتَهدي مَن تَشاءُ ۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنا فَاغفِر لَنا وَارحَمنا ۖ وَأَنتَ خَيرُ الغافِرينَ (۱۵۵)
7-155a: After mentioning the incident of the golden calf, the narrative returns to the real event of Moses going to the mountain. It is worth remembering that the Quran has mentioned only one appointed meeting on the mountain while the Torah has Moses going to Mount Sinai twice, the second visit being necessitated because Moses had broken the tablets after the first visit. Thus, according to the Torah, Moses broke the first set of tablets he had brought from the mountain in a fit of rage and so he went again to get the tablets from the mountain. The Quran does not accept that the tablets were broken, hence there is no mention of a second visit to the mountain and nor was it necessary. However, some commentators have tried to justify a second visit. According to one explanation, Allah’s displeasure at the making of the calf necessitated a second visit to the mountain. According to another explanation, the Israelites accused Moses of murdering Aaron and to exonerate himself, Moses took these seventy men to Aaron’s grave. These are mere fables. The seventy men mentioned here are the ones who accompanied Moses when Allah called Moses to the mountain to give him the shariah. These men are the ones who had said: لَن نُؤمِنَ لَكَ حَتّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهرَةً (we will not believe in thee till we see Allah manifestly) (2:55). There is also a narration cited in Ibn Jarir to support this. The events of Mount Sinai are mentioned after the incident of the calf because it is intended to draw attention to the prophecy that was revealed to Moses in the Torah which is clearly explained in verse 7:157.
7-155b: For the meaning of الرَّجفَةُ see 7-78a. In 2:55 it is called الصّاعِقَةُ (the punishment) which is here called الرَّجفَةُ (earthquake). In both the places, it is the same event that is being described. فاخَذَتهُمُ الرَّجفَةُ و ھی الصّاعِقَةُ (IJ). Although الصّاعِقَةُ has several meanings but الرَّجفَةُ has a single meaning, earthquake. Because one of the meaning of الصّاعِقَةُ is a loud noise, the use of this word shows there was a rumbling sound that preceded the severe earthquake.
Some commentators have only taken the incident of fainting here قیل غشی علیہم ثم افاقوا (RM) that is he fainted but then recovered اواصعقہم فسلب افھامہم (IJ) that is they were struck by a thunderbolt so that they were knocked senseless. This interpretation is correct as shown in 2:56a. The statement: which the foolish among us have done, refers to the demand to see Allah manifestly before they would believe.
7-156 And ordain for us good in this world’s life and in the Hereafter, for surely we turn to Thee. He said: I afflict with My chastisement whom I please, and My mercy encompasses all things. So I ordain it for those who keep their duty and pay the poor-rate, and those who believe in Our messages—a
وَاكتُب لَنا في هٰذِهِ الدُّنيا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ إِنّا هُدنا إِلَيكَ ۚ قالَ عَذابي أُصيبُ بِهِ مَن أَشاءُ ۖ وَرَحمَتي وَسِعَت كُلَّ شَيءٍ ۚ فَسَأَكتُبُها لِلَّذينَ يَتَّقونَ وَيُؤتونَ الزَّكاةَ وَالَّذينَ هُم بِآياتِنا يُؤمِنونَ (۱۵۶)
7-156a: وَرَحمَتي وَسِعَت كُلَّ شَيءٍ – It is the Holy Prophet who was given knowledge of the expansiveness of Allah’s mercy. It encompasses everything in this world and includes Muslims and disbelievers, obedient and disobedient persons. He is Beneficent and His beneficence operates without the need of any actions. Hence even disbelievers receive benefit, but it is specially confirmed for the believers.
7-157 Those who follow the Messenger-Prophet, the Ummi, whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel. He enjoins them good and forbids them evil, and makes lawful to them the good things and prohibits for them impure things, and removes from them their burden and the shackles which were on them. So those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him — these are the successful.
الَّذينَ يَتَّبِعونَ الرَّسولَ النَّبِيَّ الأُمِّيَّ الَّذي يَجِدونَهُ مَكتوبًا عِندَهُم فِي التَّوراةِ وَالإِنجيلِ يَأمُرُهُم بِالمَعروفِ وَيَنهاهُم عَنِ المُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّباتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيهِمُ الخَبائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنهُم إِصرَهُم وَالأَغلالَ الَّتي كانَت عَلَيهِم ۚ فَالَّذينَ آمَنوا بِهِ وَعَزَّروهُ وَنَصَروهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النّورَ الَّذي أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ ۙ أُولٰئِكَ هُمُ المُفلِحونَ (۱۵۷)
7-157a: الأُمِّيَّ – An unlettered person is called امی and the word is also used for a person who is connected with Makkah, that is ام القریٰ . See 2:78a. By النَّبِيَّ الأُمِّيَّ is meant the Arabian Prophet as will be shown later.
إِصرَهُم – For the meaning of اِصۡر see 2:286b. The meaning here is a covenant whose breach will prevent a person from reward and charity like the covenant which is taken through the Companions of the Holy Prophet. Generally, it can be used for any matter which stops one from doing good (R).
أَغلالَ – It is the plural of غُلّ for which see 4:141a. It is an iron clamp with which the hands are tied to the neck. Its meaning is also a thing that will stop a person from working.
عَزَّروهُ – Is assistance blended with respect and reverence. Derived from it is تعزیر which means punishment because that too is assistance that stops a person from injustice (R).
In the narration of how Moses got the Torah, mention is made of the prophecy, and it is necessary to do so, of the advent of the Holy Prophet. In fact, it is for this purpose that Moses is mentioned. In this prophecy, mention is made of the امی Messenger-Prophet. If امی is taken to mean illiterate, then there is no mention in the Torah prophecy of the coming of an uneducated messenger, but if its meaning is taken as connected with ام القریٰ (the mother of towns), that is Makkah or Arabia, there is mention in the prophecy of the advent of the Arabian prophet. This prophecy of Moses is in Deuteronomy 18: 15-18 where the Bani Israel are addressed by Moses that the Lord God will raise a prophet from their brethren, and it is obvious that the brethren of Bani Israel are the Bani Ishmael. In this way, they are informed that the prophet will be Arabian. There is a further confirmation of this in the Torah statement that he will rise from Faran.
Prophecy of the Holy Prophet’s advent in the Gospel: The second thing revealed about this prophet is that he is mentioned not only in the Torah but in the Gospel as well. The mention in the Gospel is in two ways. First there is a mention of this prophet, the like of Moses, in the Gospel (See John 1:21) which shows that he had not come till the advent of Jesus. Second, there is a prophecy of Jesus about the coming of Paraclete (Comforter) (John14:16). These are manifest prophecies that have not been fulfilled in another except the Holy Prophet.
The attributes of the Promised Prophet: The attributes of the Promised Prophet are mentioned after the prophecies. The purport of removes from them their burden (اصرا )and the shackles (أَغلالَ ) is that he will remove all obstacles that holds a person back from doing good. Thus, he cuts the roots of evil and opens the real paths to goodness. A great sign of the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet for the Ahle Kitab is that a people they had tried to reform unsuccessfully were shedding all their vices and becoming models of purity under the virtuous tutelage of the Holy Prophet and were freeing themselves from centuries old evils and customs. Similarly, the spreading of goodness throughout the world could not be the work of any but a truthful person. Hence when the prophecies were mentioned, it also became necessary to tell that the shackles that the Ahl Kitab were not able to break were broken by an unlettered person from Arabia and this is sufficient proof that He was ordained by God.
Bayan-ul-Quran 