Allah Commanded Moses (PBUH) and His People to Enter the Holy Land. What Was Their Response?
بعد أن نجى الله بني إسرائيل من عذاب فرعون أمرهم نبي الله موسى بدخول الأرض المقدسة، فما موقفهم من هذا الأمر الإلهي؟
By Allah's favor, Moses and his people were saved from Pharaoh and from enslavement, and they went toward their homeland, Bait al-Maqdis and its surroundings. As they neared it, Allah commanded them to enter the land and fight the enemies living there in order to expel them. Moses reminded them of Allah's blessings and promised them victory, telling them Allah had willed they enter as victors, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation.
The people's response revealed the weakness of faith in their hearts and their disregard for the command of Allah and His Messenger. They claimed there were strong and courageous people in that land, and that they would only enter once those people left voluntarily. The reason for their refusal was intense fear and weak certainty in Allah's promise of victory, despite having witnessed a tremendous sign of His support, the destruction of Pharaoh and his soldiers in mere moments.
Two God-fearing men, experienced in military matters, then spoke up, telling the people that all that stood between them and victory was surprising the enemy through the gate, and that their strongest weapon was trust in Allah. This did not work either; the people responded to neither their prophet nor these two righteous men, instead saying something no people before them had ever said, that Moses and his Lord should go and fight while they remained seated. Their response reflected utter disrespect toward the Divine and toward the standing of Moses, the Prophet whom Allah had spoken to directly.
Seeing their disobedience and their lack of both religious and psychological readiness to sacrifice for Allah's sake, Moses said he had no one to fight the enemy with except himself and his brother Harun. He expressed his inability to convince his people, and asked Allah to judge between him and his rebellious people.
("O my people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has destined for you ˹to enter˺. And do not turn back or else you will become losers." They replied, "O Moses! There is an enormously powerful people there, so we will never ˹be able to˺ enter it until they leave. If they do, then we will enter!" Two God-fearing men, who had been blessed by Allah, said, "Surprise them through the gate. If you do, you will certainly prevail. Put your trust in Allah if you are ˹truly˺ believers." ˹Yet˺ they said, "O Moses! ˹Still˺ we will never enter as long as they remain there. So go, both you and your Lord, and fight; we are staying right here!" Moses pleaded, "My Lord! I have no control over anyone except myself and my brother. So set us apart from the rebellious people.") Al-Ma'idah 5:21-25
لما امتن الله على موسى وقومه بنجاتهم من فرعون وقومه، ذهبوا قاصدين أوطانهم وهي بيت المقدس وما حوله، وقاربوا الوصول، وكان الله قد فرض عليهم دخول تلك الأرض لمقاتلة عدوهم فيها لإخراجه منها. ذكرهم موسى بنعم الله ووعدهم بنصره، فقد كتب الله لهم دخولها وانتصارهم على عدوهم؛ لئلا يكون في قلوبهم شك من الانتصار.
رد القوم على نبيهم بردٍّ يدل على ضعف الإيمان في قلوبهم، زعموا أن في المدينة قومًا شديدي القوة، وهذا يمنع دخولها حتى يخرج القوم منها طواعية. وسبب ذلك الامتناع الخوف الشديد وضعف اليقين بالله الذي وعدهم بالنصر، وقد رأوا آية مبهرة تدل على نصرة الله لهم، هلاك فرعون وجنوده في لحظات يسيرة.
ظهر رجلان يخافون الله ولهم خبرة في العمليات الحربية، فقالوا: ليس بينكم وبين الانتصار عليهم إلا أن تدخلوا عليهم الباب، وأقوى عدة لكم هي التوكل على الله. لم ينفع هذا الكلام، بل قالوا قولاً لم يقل أحد قبلهم: "يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوا فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ"، وفي ذلك تحقيرٌ للذات الإلهية ولمقام النبي الكليم موسى.
فلما رأى موسى عتوهم وضعفهم وعدم استعدادهم الديني أو النفسي للتضحية، قال: يا رب ليس عندي من يقاتل إلا أنا وأخي هارون، اعتذارًا عن عدم قدرته على إقناع قومه، ثم دعا الله أن يفرق بينه وبين قومه بما تقتضيه حكمته.
(يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا جَبَّارِينَ وَإِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا حَتَّىٰ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِن يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِنَّا دَاخِلُونَ قَالَ رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِمَا ادْخُلُوا عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَابَ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمُوهُ فَإِنَّكُمْ غَالِبُونَ وَعَلَى اللَّـهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوا فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ) المائدة 5: 21-25
1. A Command Framed as Already Decreed | أمرٌ صيغ على أنه مقضيٌّ سلفًا
Musa tells his people the Holy Land is "written for you" by Allah, framing the outcome as already settled to remove any grounds for doubt or hesitation before they even attempt to enter. This wording matters, the command comes paired with an explicit promise of the result, not merely an instruction to try.
2. Fear Overriding a Fresh, Overwhelming Miracle | خوفٌ يتغلب على معجزةٍ حديثة وساحقة
The people's excuse, that the land held powerful and formidable inhabitants, comes from a group who had just witnessed Pharaoh's entire army destroyed within moments. Their fear here shows how quickly even a spectacular, recent sign can fail to translate into confidence when facing a new, difficult command.
3. Two Righteous Men Offer a Concrete Path Forward | رجلان صالحان يقدمان خطة عملية
Rather than simply repeating the command, two experienced, God-fearing men offer a specific tactical plan, entering through the gate, paired directly with reliance on Allah as the real source of victory. Their intervention shows that practical courage and firm faith were available within the community, even if most were unwilling to act on it.
4. An Unprecedented, Shocking Reply | ردٌّ صادمٌ لم يُسبق
The people's final answer, "go, both you and your Lord, and fight; we are staying right here," is described as something no people before them had ever said, a statement treating Allah as a co-combatant rather than the object of worship and obedience. The tafsir singles this out as showing outright disrespect toward both the Divine and Musa's own standing as the one Allah spoke to directly.
5. Musa's Honest Admission of His Own Limits | إقرار موسى الصادق بحدود قدرته
Rather than overstating his influence, Musa tells Allah plainly that he controls no one but himself and his brother. This honest admission, rather than false confidence about swaying his people, reflects a realistic accounting of what he could and could not do after every avenue of persuasion had already failed.
6. A Prayer to Be Separated From a Rebellious People | دعاءٌ بالفصل عن قومٍ فاسقين
Musa's closing request asks Allah to judge between himself and his rebellious people, effectively asking to be distinguished from those who had refused the command so thoroughly. This prayer marks a turning point in the relationship between Musa and this generation of his people, whose consequences unfold in what follows.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What did Moses command his people to do?
To enter the Holy Land that Allah had destined for them.
Why did the people refuse?
Out of fear of the powerful people living there, despite having just witnessed Pharaoh's destruction.
What advice did the two righteous men give?
To surprise the enemy through the gate and rely on Allah for victory.
What shocking statement did the people make to Moses?
"Go, both you and your Lord, and fight; we are staying right here."
How did Moses respond to their refusal?
He admitted he had no control over anyone but himself and his brother, and prayed for Allah to separate him from his rebellious people.