63. " And (remember) when We made a covenant with you, and raised the Tur (Mountain) above you; (saying) : ' Hold you fast that which We have given you with the strength, and remember all that is therein (to do accordingly) ; haply you shall guard yourselves (against evil) '."
64. " Thereafter, you turned back, and had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah on you, you had certainly been among the losers."
Commentary :
Hold the Signs of Allah Firmly!
In these verses, the subject of taking a covenant from the Children of Israel for the practicing of the contents of the Turah and, then, breaching that covenant, is pointed out. At first it says:
" And (remember) when We made a covenant with you, and raised the Tur (Mountain) above you; ..."
"... (saying) : ' Hold you fast that which We have given you with the strength, ..."
"...and remember all that is therein (to do accordingly) ; haply you shall guard yourselves (against evil) '."
* * * *
But you people neglected your covenant.
" Thereafter, you turned back,..."
"...and had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah on you, you had certainly been among the losers. "
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The objective of the covenant, here, is the same that has been mentioned in verse 40 of the current Sura and what is in verse 83 and 84, which will be discussed later. The items of that covenant are: worshipping only Allah; treating parents, relations, orphans, and those in need with kindness; speaking to and treating people fairly; attending and being steadfast in ritual prayers, paying alms, avoiding shedding blood, the like of which had been mentioned in the Turah, too.
Sura Al-Ma'idah, No. 5, verse 12, also denotes that Allah had taken a covenant from the Children of Israel to believe in all of the Divine prophets and help them, and practice regular charity in the way of Allah. Then, at the end of the same verse, Allah promises that if they keep this covenant and actually do it, they will be allowed to abide in Paradise.
* * * *
How was the Mountain Raised over the Israelites' Heads ?
The leading famous commentator, the Late Tabarsi, has narrated from ' Abuzeyd ' that when Moses (a.s.) returned from Mount Sinai and brought the Turah with him, he told his people that he had brought a Divine Book consisting of some religious instructions and rules about lawful and unlawful things. He told them to take the instructions that Allah had ordained and practically observe them in their lives. (1)
But the Jews, with the excuse that he (a.s.) had brought them difficult duties to perform, disobeyed and exceeded the limits. The Lord commanded the angels to raise a great big rock from Tur Mountain above them.
At that moment Moses (a.s.) announced that if they promised to perform the orders of Allah and repented for their disobedience, that punishment would be removed from over them, else they would be destroyed.
The Jews, who expected that the Mountain would fall on them at any moment, submitted and accepted the Turah and prostrated for Allah. Then, finally, that chastisement was warded off because of their
(1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 128
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repentance.
This very occurrence, with a little difference, is mentioned in verse 93 of the current Sura; and in Sura An-Nisa', No. 4, verse 104; and in Sura Al-A'raf, No. 7, verse 171.
It is necessary to note, here, that as for the suspending mountain and as to how it could stand high above as a covering overhead for the Israelites, some commentators believe that it was by the command of Allah that Tur Mount was shaken and taken up from its place and, then,suspended above them as a canopy. (1) A more detailed explanation will be referred to when commenting on Sura Al-'A'raf, No. 7, verse 171.
The above mentioned event as described in the Qur'an was quite known by the Jews, who had these original statements in the Turah about it with them. Besides that, this event is also recorded in Talmud Aboda Sara. 1: 2 which says: ' I will cover you with the mountain like a roof '. Talmud.
(1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 128
65. " And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits on the Sabbath, so We said to them: ' Be you (as) apes despised and rejected '. "
66." So We made it an exemplary punishment to those who witnessed it and to their posterity and an admonishment to the pious ones."
Commentary :
Those Who Exceeded on the Sabbath !
These two verses, like the previous verses, point out the disobedience and transgression dominating the souls of the Jews, and their intensive interest in economic gain. At first, it says: " And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits on the Sabbath, ..."
And, also, you have known that: "... so We said to them: ' Be you (as) apes, despised and rejected '."
Some may think that the present state of the Israelites and their apparent progress, after the first and the second World Wars or after their unlawful occupation of the Holy Land does not tally with this but yet they are hated by most nations and they have no rest in the real sense of the term, and the term ' a Jew ' has passed into a proverb for a niggardly, miserly person this is due to their own vanities and their hatred towards the others which, for example, they have shown in many places such as Palestine and Lebanon, both openly and hiddenly, during these recent years.
* * * *
" So We made it an exemplary punishment to those who witnessed it and to their posterity..."
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"...and an admonishment to the pious ones."
It is worthy to note that Imam Baqir (a.s.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.) are narrated from, who, on the meaning of this verse, have said: " The purpose of the phrase /ma bayna yadayha/ ' those who witnessed it ' is the generation of that time, and the objective of the phrase /ma xalfaha/ ' their posterity ' is about us Muslims." .(1) That is, that exemplary lesson was not exclusive to the Israelites alone, but it was meant for all of us, the Muslims, too; or, all who come after them until the Day of Judgement and who do the same as they did.
Explanation :
Divine Miracles of Moses (a.s.)
Whenever an apostle of Allah wanted to introduce himself to his people as a true, authentic Messenger of Allah, he would prove his claim by performing some miracles given by Him.
Here, it must be remembered that the following wonderful events wrought by divine and supernatural phenomena are counted in the Holy Qur'an as the miracles given to Moses (a.s.) as the proof of his prophethood, each of which will be discussed in its appropriate place. They are as follows:
1. The Rod of Moses (a.s.) becoming a serpent. (7: 107, 26: 32)
2. The Palm of Moses (a.s.) shining brightly. (7: 108, 26: 33)
3. The dividing of the sea. (2: 50)
4. The gushing of water from the rock. (2: 60, 2: 74)
5. The shower of manna and quails from heaven. (2:57)
6. The shadowing of the cloud over the Israelites' heads. (2: 57, 2: 93)
7. The raising of the dead to life. (2: 56, 2: 73)
8. The suspension of the mount above the heads of the people. (2: 63)
9. The transformation of the transgressors into despised apes. (2: 65, 7: 166) .
(1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 130
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