Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 138
Quran 7:138 · The Heights · Makki · Para 9 · Page 167
وَجٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِیْۤ اِسْرَآءِیْلَ الْبَحْرَ فَاَتَوْا عَلٰی قَوْمٍ یَّعْكُفُوْنَ عَلٰۤی اَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ ۚ قَالُوْا یٰمُوْسَی اجْعَلْ لَّنَاۤ اِلٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ اٰلِهَةٌ ؕ قَالَ اِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُوْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Wajawazna bibanee isra-eelaalbahra faataw AAala qawmin yaAAkufoona AAalaasnamin lahum qaloo ya moosaijAAal lana ilahan kama lahum alihatunqala innakum qawmun tajhaloon
Saheeh International
And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They [the Children of Israel] said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
And I made the Children of Israel cross the sea when Moses hit it with his stick and it parted. They passed a people who were worshipping idols, which they worshipped instead of Allah. The Children of Israel said to Moses (peace be upon him): 'O Moses, make us an idol to worship as these people have idols to worship.' Moses said: 'You are a people who are ignorant of the rights that are due to Allah alone concerning the belief in His Oneness and what is due to Him of reverence, and what is inappropriate to ascribe to Him of polytheism and the like.'
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 7:138–7:139
And We brought the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship). They said: "O Musa! Make for us a god as they have gods." He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people. (138)[Musa added:] "Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in (idols' worship). And all that they are doing is in vain. (139)
The Children of Israel safely cross the Sea, but still held on to the Idea of Idol Worshipping
Allah mentions the words that the ignorant ones among the Children of Israel uttered to Musa after they crossed the sea and witnessed Allah's Ayat and great power.
فَأَتَوْا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ
(And they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship).)
Some scholars of Tafsir said that the people mentioned here were from Canaan, or from the tribe of Lakhm. Ibn Jarir commented, "They were worshipping idols that they made in the shape of cows, and this influenced the Children of Israel later when they worshipped the calf. They said here,
يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ
("O Musa! Make for us a god as they have gods." He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people.")
Musa replied, you are ignorant of Allah's greatness and majesty and His purity from any partners or anything resembling Him.
إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ
("Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in) they will perish,
وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
("and all that they are doing is in vain.")
Commenting on this Ayah, Imam Abu Ja'far bin Jarir reported from Abu Waqid Al-Laythi that they (the Companions) went out from Makkah with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for (the battle of) Hunayn. Abu Waqid said, "Some of the disbelievers had a lote tree whose vicinity they used to remain in, and upon which they would hang their weapons on. That tree was called 'Dhat Al-Anwat'. So when we passed by a huge, green lote tree, we said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Appoint for us a Dhat Al-Anwat as they have.' He said,
قُلْتُمْ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ كَمَا قَالَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى لِمُوسَى:
(by He in Whose Hand is my soul! You said just as what the people of Musa said to him:
اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ - إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
("Make for us a god as they have gods." He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people. Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in, and all that they are doing is in vain."))"