RENAISSANCE MAY 2023

Qur’ ā nic Exegesis 15 | Monthly Renaissance May 2023 ﻘﻮم s وﻟﻘﺪﻗﺎلﻟﻬﻢﻫﺮونﻣﻦﻗﺒﻞ ) )ۡ $ $ٰ &ۡۡ $ $ ) &ۡۡ &ٰ & $ $ $ $ۡ ﻧﻤﺎﻓﺘﻨﺘ &ۡ ) & $ $ ' ۡ)ٖﻢﺑﻪ > و ﻃﻴﻌﻮ DE ۡۡۡۤ و نرﺑﻜﻢ ﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦﻓﺎﺗﺒﻌﻮ ' & & ) $ $ $ۡ ) ) $ ' $ &ٰ $ۡ $ ' & & $ ' $ ) ۡ) ۡﻣﺮي﴿ $ ٩٠﴾ 9 In this verse, Aaron (sws) has expressed his acquittal from this mischief. As indicated earlier, in the Torah he has been regarded as its originator; however, the Qur’ ā n has vehemently negated it. It is also evident from the word “already” that as soon as this mischief surfaced, he started to warn people about it in the words mentioned in the verse. !ﻳﺮﺟﻊ ﻟﻴﻨ  ﺣ Z[ حﻋﻠﻴﻪﻋﻜﻔ P ﻗﺎﻟﻮ ﻟﻦﻧ $ۡۡۡ $ۡ $ ) ) $ )ۡ $ٰ ' $ $ $ $ $ۡ ) )ٰ $ $ $ 'ۡ & ﴿!L & ٰۡﺎﻣﻮ ٩١﴾ 10 Aaron (sws) tried his best to warn people of it but they refused to listen to him. Their response depicted in the verse shows that in spite of this, though they were deceived by Satan and were guilty of great foolishness, later many of them did realize this folly, as is evident from S ū rah al-A‘r ā f. However, it is never easy to rectify a foolish act. Thus, those people too instead of giving it up immediately adhered to calf-worship until the return of Moses (sws). ﻗﺎلﻳﻬﺮونﻣﺎﻣﻨﻌ $ $ $ $ۡ & &ٰٰ $ $ۙ ۡۤﻚ ذر ﻳﺘﻬﻢﺿﻠﻮ ﴿ & ' $ۡۡۡ & $ $ $ $ ) ٩٢﴾ ﻵﻹﺗﺘﺒﻌﻦ ) $ ) $ ' $ $ ' $ ‘ ۡ ﻓﻌﺼﻴﺖ ﻣﺮي﴿ )ۡ $ $ $ۡ $ $ $ ٩٣﴾ 11 The directive referred to in the verse is the one Moses (sws) had given to Aaron (sws) and the elders when he was departing for mount Ṭū r. I have also mentioned it under verse 123 of S ū rah al-A‘r ā f: he directed Aaron (sws) to mind the people in his place and remain aware of the miscreants in the nation and not let them spread mischief. The style in which Moses (sws) has posed this question is that he knew that Aaron (sws) would not deliberately disobey him; he actually wanted to find out his excuse. Obviously, after ﻵﻹﺗﺘﺒﻌﻦ ) $ ) $ ' $ $ ' $ apparently there is no need for ﻵﻹ $ . Thus our grammarians regard it to be redundant. However, it is not 9. And Aaron had already said to them: “O People of My Nation! You have been put through trial by it. Your Lord is the Most Merciful God. Hence you should follow me and listen to me.” 10. They said: “We shall now keep worshipping this calf until Moses returns to us.” 11. Moses said: “Aaron! When you saw them going astray, what stopped you from not following me? Have you disobeyed My directive?”