Tafseer of Taa-Haa · Taa-Haa · 20:95
[Moses] said, "And what is your case, O Samiri?"
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His statement قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلا بِرَأْسِي: in this expression something has been omitted, omitted because the context of the text gives sufficient indication of it. That omitted portion is: "Then Mūsā seized his brother Hārūn by his beard and his head and pulled him toward himself, whereupon Hārūn said: يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلا بِرَأْسِي — O son of my mother, do not seize me by my beard nor by my head."
And His statement إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي: the scholars differed concerning the nature of the division that Hārūn feared. Some said: Hārūn feared that he would depart with those who obeyed him and remained upon their religion, following the track of Mūsā, while leaving behind him the worshippers of the calf — for they had indeed said to him لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَى — "We will not cease to remain devoted to it until Mūsā returns to us" — and that Mūsā would then say to him: فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي — "You have sown division among the Banū Isrāʾīl by taking one group with you and leaving another group behind you."
Mention of those who said this:
It was related to me by Yūnus, who said: Ibn Wahb informed us, who said: Ibn Zayd said, concerning the statement of Allah the Exalted ما منعك إذ رأيتهم ضلوا ألا تتبعني أفعصيت أمري — "What prevented you, when you saw them going astray, from following me? Did you then disobey my command?" — (Hārūn) said: خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي — "I feared that you would say: you have sown division among the Banū Isrāʾīl and you have not heeded my word." He said: I feared that some would follow me while others would remain behind.
Others said: rather, the meaning is: I feared that we would fight one another and that some of us would kill others.
Mention of those who said this:
We were related to by al-Qāsim, who said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, who said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي: he said: "We would become two parties and the one would kill the other until we exterminated one another."
Abū Jaʿfar said: The more correct of the two opinions in this matter is the opinion proclaimed by Ibn ʿAbbās — that Mūsā rebuked his brother Hārūn because he had neglected his command to go along with the believers who followed him. Hārūn then said to him: I feared that you would say that I had divided their community by leaving a part behind and taking a part with me. This is also made clear by Hārūn's statement to the people: يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنْتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِي — "O my people, you have only been put to trial by it, and your Lord is the Most Merciful — so follow me and obey my command" — and by the response of the people to him, and what they said: لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَى.
And His statement وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي means: and you did not wait for and heed my word; this is derived from murāqabah — the guarding and heeding of something.
As it was related to us by al-Qāsim, who said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, who said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي: "You did not preserve my word."
