What Was Moses's (PBUH) Reaction When He Learned What Happened to His People at Mount Tur?
ما موقف موسى عليه السلام لما علم ما حصل لقومه؟
First, when Moses heard from the Lord of Glory, exalted be His majesty, that his people had been tempted and had not followed him to Mount At-Tur, he became extremely angry, to the point of throwing down the Tablets he carried, and a verbal confrontation took place between him and his brother Harun. (Note: Moses threw down the Tablets when he returned to his people and saw them, as in Al-A'raf 7:150, not when his Lord told him. Ibn Kathir cites the hadith of Ibn Abbas that the Prophet ﷺ said: "May Allah have mercy on Moses. Seeing is not like being told: his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, told him that his people had been tempted after him, and he did not throw down the Tablets; when he saw them with his own eyes, he threw down the Tablets.")
Second, Moses said to his people, "Had your Lord not made you a good promise?" meaning Allah the Exalted had promised them victory over Pharaoh and empowerment in the land; He had saved them from Pharaoh and honored them with kingship and sovereignty, so how could they stay away from the appointment He had promised them?
Third, he told them that the time he had spent, the thirty days and the ten days with which he completed them, was not so long a time as to make them forget those blessings and the great promise of meeting Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Or did they want Allah's wrath to fall upon them because of the terrible deed they had done, worshipping other than Allah and no longer following His Prophet?
Fourth, Moses grew angry with his brother Harun, pulling his beard and the hair of his head, reprimanding him for failing in his duty as successor by not bringing the Children of Israel to the appointed meeting, since Moses had instructed him: "Do what is right, and do not follow the way of the corruptors." Moses assumed his brother had fallen short, but Harun offered three excuses.
The first: the people had belittled his opinion, as he said, "the people overpowered me," referring to when he had told them, "O my people, you are only being tested by this, for indeed your Lord is the Most Compassionate, so follow me and obey my orders," to which they answered, "We will not cease to worship it until Moses returns to us," meaning they would remain devoted to worshipping it until Moses came back from his appointment with his Lord.
The second: "and were about to kill me," meaning they nearly killed him for forbidding them to worship the calf.
The third: he feared that if he had left the Children of Israel to follow Moses, the people would have scattered, and it would then be difficult to bring them back and gather them, as Allah narrates: "I feared you would say, 'You have caused division among the Children of Israel.'"
(When Moses returned to his people, ˹totally˺ furious and sorrowful, he said, "What an evil thing you committed in my absence! Did you want to hasten your Lord's torment?" Then he threw down the Tablets and grabbed his brother by the hair, dragging him closer. Aaron pleaded, "O son of my mother! The people overpowered me and were about to kill me. So do not ˹humiliate me and˺ make my enemies rejoice, nor count me among the wrongdoing people.") Al-A'raf 7:150
(Moses scolded ˹his brother˺, "O Aaron! What prevented you, when you saw them going astray, from following after me? How could you disobey my orders?" Aaron pleaded, "O son of my mother! Do not seize me by my beard or ˹the hair of˺ my head. I really feared that you would say, 'You have caused division among the Children of Israel, and did not observe my word.'") Ta-Ha 20:92-94
Harun addressed his brother Moses emotionally, reminding him of their patient, believing mother, "O son of my mother," pleading with him not to let their enemies rejoice over him nor count him among the wrongdoers, by punishing, rebuking, or blaming him. Moses (peace be upon him) accepted his brother's apology and prayed for himself and for him.
(Moses prayed, "My Lord! Forgive me and my brother! And admit us into Your mercy. You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.") Al-A'raf 7:151
أولاً، لما سمع موسى من رب العزة جل جلاله أن قومه قد فتنوا وأنهم لم يتبعوه إلى جبل الطور غضب غضبًا شديدًا حتى ألقى ما في يده من الألواح، وحصلت بينه وبين أخيه هارون مشادة كلامية. (ملاحظة: ألقى موسى الألواح حين رجع إلى قومه ورآهم، كما في سورة الأعراف 7: 150، لا حين أخبره ربه، وقد أورد ابن كثير حديث ابن عباس أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "يرحم الله موسى، ليس المعاين كالمخبر؛ أخبره ربه عز وجل أن قومه فتنوا بعده فلم يلق الألواح، فلما رآهم وعاينهم ألقى الألواح").
ثانيًا، قال موسى لقومه: "ألم يعدكم ربكم وعدًا حسنًا"، أي وعدهم الله تعالى بالنصر على فرعون والتمكين في الأرض، وكان قد أنجاهم من فرعون وأكرمهم بالملك والسيادة، فكيف تتخلفون عن الموعد الذي وعدكم؟
ثالثًا، قال لهم إن المدة التي قضاها، الثلاثين يومًا والعشرة أيام التي أكمل فيها، ليست وقتًا طويلًا تنسيهم تلك النعم وذلك الوعد العظيم للقاء الله عز وجل، أو أنتم تريدون أن يحل بكم غضب الله بسبب هذا الفعل الشنيع الذي فعلتموه، من عبادة غير الله وترك اتباع نبيه؟!
رابعًا، غضب موسى على أخيه هارون، وشد شعر لحيته وشعر رأسه يؤنبه على تفريطه في مهام الخلافة، بأنه لم يأت ببني إسرائيل إلى الميقات المعلوم، وكان موسى قد أوصى هارون: "وأصلح ولا تتبع سبيل المفسدين". فظن موسى أن أخاه قد قصر في أداء المهمة، لكن هارون اعتذر منه بثلاثة أعذار.
الأول: أن القوم احتقروا رأيه، كما قال: "إن القوم استضعفوني"، وذلك حين قال لهم: "يا قوم إنما فتنتم به وإن ربكم الرحمن فاتبعوني وأطيعوا أمري"، فكان جوابهم: "لن نبرح عليه عاكفين حتى يرجع إلينا موسى"، أي سنبقى ملتزمين بعبادته حتى يعود موسى من موعده بلقاء ربه.
الثاني: "وكادوا يقتلونني"، أي أوشكوا أن يقتلوه لأنه نهاهم عن عبادة العجل.
الثالث: أنه خشي إن ترك بني إسرائيل وتابع موسى أن يتفرق القوم، وحينئذ يصعب ردهم وجمعهم، وهو قول الله: "إني خشيت أن تقول فرقت بين بني إسرائيل".
(وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِي مِن بَعْدِي أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِيَ الْأَعْدَاءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ) الأعراف 7: 150
(قَالَ يَا هَارُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّوا أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِي قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلَا بِرَأْسِي إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي) طه 20: 92-94
وكان هارون قد خاطب أخاه موسى خطابًا عاطفيًا، مذكرًا إياه بتلك الأم الصابرة المؤمنة: "يا ابن أم"، وقال له: "لا تشمت بي الأعداء ولا تجعلني مع القوم الظالمين" وذلك بمعاقبتي وتوبيخي ولومي. وقد قبل موسى عليه السلام اعتذار أخيه ودعا لنفسه وله.
(قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِأَخِي وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ) الأعراف 7: 151
1. Throwing Down the Tablets in Fury | إلقاء الألواح غضبًا
Upon returning and rebuking his people for what they had done in his absence, Musa throws down the Tablets he was carrying, the very Law he had just received (7:150). Ibn Kathir links this to the hadith that being told is not like seeing: Allah had already told him of his people's trial, but he threw down the Tablets only when he saw them. This dramatic gesture conveys the scale of his shock and grief. How the people then repented is told in how the Children of Israel repented from worshipping the calf.
بعد أن رجع موسى ووبخ قومه على ما فعلوه في غيابه، ألقى الألواح التي كان يحملها، وهي الشريعة التي تلقاها للتو (الأعراف 7: 150). ويربط ابن كثير ذلك بالحديث الذي فيه أن الخبر ليس كالمعاينة: فقد أخبره الله من قبل بفتنة قومه، لكنه لم يلق الألواح إلا حين رآهم. وتعبر هذه الحركة البالغة عن شدة صدمته وحزنه. وأما كيف تاب القوم بعد ذلك فيأتي في بيان توبة بني إسرائيل من عبادة العجل.
2. Turning to His Own Brother | التوجه إلى أخيه
Musa's anger then turns to Harun, whom he had explicitly left as his successor with clear instructions. Grabbing his brother by the head, Musa initially assumes Harun had simply failed in the responsibility entrusted to him, a reasonable first impression given the scale of what had gone wrong.
ثم يتوجه غضب موسى إلى هارون، الذي كان قد استخلفه صراحة وأوصاه وصايا واضحة. فأخذ برأس أخيه، ظانا في البداية أن هارون قصّر في المسؤولية التي عُهد بها إليه، وهو انطباع أول معقول بالنظر إلى جسامة ما وقع.
3. Three Reasons Harun Gives in His Defense | ثلاثة أعذار يقدمها هارون دفاعًا عن نفسه
Harun explains that the people had overpowered him despite his direct warning that the calf was only a trial, that they had nearly killed him for opposing them, and that he feared following Musa would have split the people apart, making them hard to bring back together. Each reason addresses a different constraint he had actually faced, not a simple failure of will. More about him is in who Harun was.
يوضح هارون أن القوم غلبوه رغم تحذيره الصريح من أن العجل ليس إلا فتنة، وأنهم كادوا يقتلونه لمخالفته إياهم، وأنه خشي إن لحق بموسى أن يتفرق القوم فيصعب جمعهم بعد ذلك. وكل عذر من هذه الأعذار يعالج قيدا مختلفا واجهه فعلا، لا مجرد تقصير في العزم. والمزيد عنه في التعريف بهارون.
4. An Emotional Appeal Invoking Their Mother | نداءٌ عاطفي يستحضر أمهما
Harun's response opens with "O son of my mother," an emotional appeal that, as the answer puts it, reminds Musa of their patient, believing mother. Ibn Kathir notes that Harun was his full brother, yet he mentioned their mother because that is gentler and more moving. He then pleads not to let their enemies gloat and not to be counted among the wrongdoers.
يفتتح هارون جوابه بقوله "ابن أم"، وهو نداء عاطفي، كما يقول الجواب، يذكّر موسى بأمهما الصابرة المؤمنة. ويذكر ابن كثير أن هارون كان شقيقه لأبيه وأمه، وإنما ذكر الأم لأن ذلك أرق وأبلغ في التأثير. ثم يرجوه ألا يُشمت به الأعداء وألا يجعله مع القوم الظالمين.
5. Acceptance, and a Prayer for Them Both | القبول ودعاءٌ لهما معًا
Musa accepts his brother's explanation and closes the confrontation not with continued blame but with a prayer asking Allah to forgive them both and admit them into His mercy (7:151). He then turned to the man behind the calf, as told in how Musa punished the Samiri.
يقبل موسى عذر أخيه، ويختم المواجهة لا بمواصلة اللوم بل بدعاء يسأل فيه الله أن يغفر لهما ويدخلهما في رحمته (الأعراف 7: 151). ثم التفت إلى صاحب العجل، كما يأتي في بيان عقوبة موسى للسامري.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What was Moses's reaction when he returned and saw the golden calf?
He threw down the Tablets he was carrying and confronted his brother Harun, grabbing him by the head.
What was Harun's first excuse?
That the people had overpowered his authority despite his warning that the calf was only a trial.
What was Harun's second excuse?
That the people had nearly killed him for forbidding them to worship the calf.
Why did Harun fear leaving the people to follow Moses?
He feared they would scatter entirely and become much harder to reunite.
How did Moses ultimately respond to Harun's explanation?
He accepted it and prayed for Allah to forgive them both and admit them into His mercy.