What Was the First Religious Violation the Children of Israel Committed After Crossing the Red Sea?
بعد أن خرج بنو إسرائيل من مصر باتجاه فلسطين وقطعوا البحر الأحمر، ما هي أول مخالفة فعلوها؟
When the Children of Israel came across a people worshipping idols, they asked Moses to make idols for them which they could worship together with Allah, completely forgetting the blessings Allah had just given them, saving them from Pharaoh, sparing every one of them from harm, and destroying their enemy and his soldiers together in a single day.
They wanted a god they could see and touch, because their belief in the unseen was extremely weak, even though they had just witnessed the great signs demonstrating that Allah was with them, supporting and backing them.
(We brought the Children of Israel across the sea and they came upon a people devoted to idols. They demanded, "O Moses! Make for us a god like their gods." He replied, "Indeed, you are a people acting ignorantly!") Al-A'raf 7:138
وجدوا قومًا يعبدون أصنامًا من دون الله، فطلبوا من موسى عليه السلام أن يجعل لهم أصنامًا آلهة يعبدونها مع الله، وقد نسوا كل ما أعطاهم الله من النعم، من نجاتهم من فرعون، ولم يصب أحدهم بأذى، وأهلك الله عدوهم وجنوده في وقتٍ واحد وفي نهارٍ واحد.
كانوا يريدون إلهًا يرونه بأعينهم ويلمسونه بأيديهم، لأن إيمانهم بالغيبيات في غاية الضعف، مع أنهم رأوا الآيات العظيمة التي تدل أن الله معهم وناصرهم ومؤيدهم.
(وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ) الأعراف 7: 138
1. A Request for Idols Immediately After Their Rescue | طلبٌ للأصنام فور نجاتهم
This request comes right after Pharaoh's entire army was drowned before their eyes while every single one of them was spared unharmed. The timing sharpens how striking the request actually was, this was not a people who had forgotten a distant miracle, but one still fresh from witnessing it directly.
2. Craving Something They Could See and Touch | رغبةٌ في إلهٍ محسوس
Their desire was specifically for a tangible object of worship, something visible and physical like the idols they had just passed. This reveals a deeper weakness than a single lapse, an underlying discomfort with belief in the unseen that persisted despite direct, undeniable evidence of Allah's power just witnessed at the sea.
3. Musa's Blunt Rejection | رفضُ موسى الصريح
Musa does not soften his response or entertain the request; he names it directly as ignorance, "Indeed, you are a people acting ignorantly." Coming from the same man who had just led them safely across a split sea, this blunt correction shows he was unwilling to let their request go unanswered, even so soon after their escape.
4. How Quickly Fresh Miracles Can Be Forgotten | ما أسرع ما تُنسى المعجزات الحديثة
The episode functions as a stark illustration of how quickly gratitude and clear conviction can fade, even a miracle as overwhelming as the sea splitting and an entire army drowning in a single day was not enough to prevent this lapse almost immediately afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What was the first religious violation the Children of Israel committed after the Red Sea?
They asked Moses to make them a god like the idols worshipped by a people they encountered.
Why did they want an idol specifically?
They wanted a tangible god they could see and touch, reflecting weak belief in the unseen.
How did Moses respond to their request?
He told them directly that they were a people acting ignorantly.
Why is the timing of this request significant?
It came immediately after they had witnessed Pharaoh's entire army drowned and their own miraculous rescue.