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 upon Moses and his people in saving them from Pharaoh and his people, and from their captivity and enslavement, they set out for their homeland and dwellings, Bait al-Maqdis and its surroundings, and they drew near to Bait al-Maqdis. Allah had obliged them to enter that land to fight their enemy who lived in those lands and drive them out of it. The Prophet of Allah, Moses, reminded them of Allah's blessings upon them and promised them the help of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, saying to them, "O my people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has destined for you" (Al-Ma'idah 5:21), for Allah had decreed for them its entry and their victory over their enemy, so that there would be no doubt of victory in their hearts and they would not hold back from entering that land.
The people answered their Prophet, peace be upon him, with a reply that showed the weakness of faith in their hearts and their lack of concern for the command of Allah and His Messenger. They claimed that in the city there was a people of great strength and courage, and that this prevented them from entering it until those people left the land of their own accord, and if they left of their own accord they would enter: "so we will never ˹be able to˺ enter it until they leave. If they do, then we will enter!" (Al-Ma'idah 5:22). The reason for this refusal was intense fear and weak certainty in Allah, Who had promised them victory, although they had seen a dazzling sign of Allah's help to them: the destruction of Pharaoh and his soldiers in a few moments.
At that point two men appeared who feared Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and revered His command, and who had experience in military operations. They said to them: nothing stands between you and victory over them except that you enter upon them through the gate; once you have entered it upon them, they will be defeated, and your strongest equipment in this is trust in Allah. These words were of no use: the people responded neither to the words of the Prophet nor to the words of the two righteous men. Rather, they said something no one before them had ever 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!" (Al-Ma'idah 5:24). In this there is contempt for the Divine and for the standing of the Prophet al-Kalim (al-Kalim: the one to whom Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, spoke), Moses, peace be upon him. How hideous were these words of theirs, and their confronting their Prophet in that tight and critical situation, in which need and necessity called for supporting their Prophet and upholding their own honor.
When Moses, peace be upon him, saw their defiance of him, this weakness, and the absence of any religious or psychological readiness to sacrifice in the cause of Allah, he said: My Lord, I have no one to fight except myself and my brother Harun. He said this only as an excuse, then he prayed to Allah to judge between him and his people of the Children of Israel, by sending down upon them whatever punishment Your wisdom requires.
("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 وأسرهم واستعبادهم، ذهبوا قاصدين لأوطانهم ومساكنهم، وهي بيت المقدس وما حوله، وقاربوا وصول بيت المقدس، وكان الله قد فرض عليهم دخول تلك الأرض لمقاتلة عدوهم الذي سكن في تلك الديار ليخرجوه منها. ذكرهم نبي الله موسى بنعم الله عليهم ووعدهم بنصر الله عز وجل لهم، فقال لهم: "يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ" (المائدة 5: 21)، فقد كتب الله لهم دخولها، وانتصارهم على عدوهم؛ لئلا يكون في قلوبهم شك من الانتصار، أو يتقاعسوا عن الدخول إلى تلكم الأرض.
رد القوم على نبيهم عليه السلام بردٍّ يدل على ضعف الإيمان في قلوبهم، وعدم اهتمامهم بأمر الله ورسوله، زعموا أن في المدينة قومًا شديدي القوة والشجاعة، وهذا يمنع من دخولها، حتى يخرج القوم من تلك الأرض طواعية، فإذا خرجوا طواعية دخلنا: "وَإِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا حَتَّىٰ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِن يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِنَّا دَاخِلُونَ" (المائدة 5: 22). وسبب ذلك الامتناع هو الخوف الشديد وضعف اليقين بالله الذي وعدهم بالنصر، وقد رأوا آية مبهرة تدل على نصرة الله لهم، وهي هلاك فرعون وجنوده في لحظات يسيرة.
ظهر في تلك الأثناء رجلان يخافون من الله عز وجل ويعظمون أمره، ولهم خبرة في العمليات العسكرية الحربية، فقالوا لهم: ليس بينكم وبين الانتصار عليهم إلا أن تدخلوا عليهم الباب، فإذا دخلتموه عليهم فإنهم سينهزمون، وأقوى عدة لكم في ذلك هي التوكل على الله. لم ينفع هذا الكلام، ولم يستجب القوم لكلام النبي ولا لكلام الرجلين الصالحين، بل قالوا قولًا لم يقل أحد قبلهم، قالوا: "يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوا فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ" (المائدة 5: 24)، وفي ذلك من تحقير الذات الإلهية ومقام النبي الكليم (معنى الكليم: الذي كلمه الله عز وجل) موسى عليه السلام. فما أشنع هذا الكلام منهم، ومواجهتهم لنبيهم في هذا المقام الحرج الضيق، الذي قد دعت الحاجة والضرورة فيه إلى نصرة نبيهم، وإعزاز أنفسهم.
فلما رأى موسى عليه السلام عتوهم عليه، وهذا الضعف، وعدم وجود الاستعداد الديني أو الاستعداد النفسي للتضحية في سبيل الله، قال: يا رب ليس عندي من يقاتل إلا أنا وأخي هارون، وإنما قال ذلك اعتذارًا، ثم دعا الله أن يحكم بينه وبين قومه من بني إسرائيل، بأن تنزل فيهم من العقوبة ما اقتضته حكمتك.
(يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ ﴿٢١﴾ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا جَبَّارِينَ وَإِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا حَتَّىٰ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِن يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِنَّا دَاخِلُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ قَالَ رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِمَا ادْخُلُوا عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَابَ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمُوهُ فَإِنَّكُمْ غَالِبُونَ وَعَلَى اللَّـهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٢٣﴾ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوا فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ 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
After first reminding them of the blessings Allah had bestowed on them, 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, together with a warning not to turn back, or else they would become losers.
بعد أن ذكّرهم أولا بالنعم التي أنعم الله بها عليهم، يخبر موسى قومه بأن الأرض المقدسة "كتب الله لكم"، مؤطرا النتيجة على أنها مقضية سلفا ليزيل أي سبب للشك أو التردد قبل أن يحاولوا الدخول أصلا. ولهذه الصياغة أهميتها: فالأمر يقترن بوعد صريح بالنتيجة، لا بمجرد أمر بالمحاولة، مع تحذير من الارتداد على الأدبار فينقلبوا خاسرين.
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.
عذر القوم، بأن في الأرض سكانا أقوياء جبارين، صدر عن جماعة شهدت للتو هلاك جيش فرعون كله في لحظات. ويُظهر خوفهم هنا كيف يمكن لآية باهرة وحديثة أن تعجز سريعا عن أن تتحول إلى ثقة حين يواجهون أمرا جديدا شاقا.
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.
بدلا من مجرد تكرار الأمر، يقدم رجلان مجربان يخافان الله خطة عملية محددة، هي الدخول عليهم الباب، مقرونة مباشرة بالتوكل على الله بوصفه المصدر الحقيقي للنصر. ويُظهر تدخلهما أن الشجاعة العملية والإيمان الراسخ كانا موجودين في القوم، وإن أبى أكثرهم العمل بهما.
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 answer singles this out as showing outright disrespect toward both the Divine and Musa's own standing as the one Allah spoke to directly. Their refusal brought on the punishment for not entering the Holy Land.
كان جواب القوم الأخير: "فاذهب أنت وربك فقاتلا إنا هاهنا قاعدون"، ويوصف بأنه قول لم يقله أحد قبلهم، إذ يعامل الله كأنه شريك في القتال لا معبودا يُطاع. ويخص الجواب هذا القول بالذكر لما فيه من سوء أدب صريح مع الله ومع مقام موسى الذي كلمه الله تكليما. وقد جرّ رفضهم عليهم عقوبة عدم دخول الأرض المقدسة.
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.
بدلا من المبالغة في تقدير تأثيره، يخبر موسى ربه صراحة بأنه لا يملك إلا نفسه وأخاه. ويعكس هذا الإقرار الصادق، بدلا من الثقة الزائفة في قدرته على التأثير في قومه، تقديرا واقعيا لما كان يستطيعه وما لا يستطيعه بعد أن أخفقت كل سبل الإقناع.
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.
يسأل موسى ربه في ختام دعائه أن يفصل بينه وبين قومه الفاسقين، طالبا في الحقيقة أن يُميَّز عمن رفضوا الأمر رفضا تاما. ويمثل هذا الدعاء نقطة تحول في العلاقة بين موسى وهذا الجيل من قومه، وتتبين عواقبها فيما بعد.
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?
They told Musa to go with his Lord and fight while they stayed where they were (Al-Ma'idah 5:24).
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.