169 Page Notes

07 Surah Al-Araf (continued)

Page 169 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

7:150

7:151

7:152

7:153

7:154

7:155

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 169 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 169 of the Quran covers Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights), verses 150 through 155.

This page captures the intense drama of Prophet Musa’s (Moses) return from Mount Sinai. Finding his people worshipping the Golden Calf, he reacts with explosive anger, dropping the divine Tablets and seizing his brother Harun (Aaron) by the hair and beard. After realizing Harun was nearly murdered trying to stop them, Musa relents and prays for forgiveness for both of them. The page then outlines the divine anger that strikes the unrepentant idolaters, followed by Musa selecting seventy elders to ascend the mountain to seek repentance—only for a violent earthquake to seize them.

The Sunnah and authentic Hadiths provide profound insights into Musa’s fierce personality, the psychology of human anger, and the nature of deep tribal regret.

1. Musa's Intense Temperament and the Dropping of the Tablets

“And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, 'Wretched is that which you committed after me...' And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by the head, pulling him toward himself...” — Surah Al-A'raf (7:150)

Musa was a man of intense passion and physical strength. When he witnessed the ultimate betrayal of his people, his shock caused him to physically drop the sacred Tablets.

A. Hearing vs. Seeing a Reality

The Prophet Muhammad used Musa's reaction on this page to teach a timeless psychological principle about human perception and belief.

• Hadith: Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
  "Hearing about something is not the same as seeing it with your own eyes. When Allah informed Moses that his people had fallen into trials after him, he did not throw down the Tablets. But when he saw them with his own eyes, he threw them down and they broke." (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 2447 / Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim, Hadith 4022; graded Sahih)

B. The Prophet’s Praise for Harun's Gentle Plea

In verse 150, Harun desperately cries out to Musa: “Son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me...” The Sunnah highlights that Harun used the phrase "son of my mother" to instantly trigger Musa's maternal empathy and calm his rage. The Prophet Muhammad deeply respected Musa’s intense nature, but also taught that controlling explosive anger is the true mark of spiritual power.

• Hadith: Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
  "The strong man is not the one who can wrestle others to the ground. The strong man is only the one who can control himself when he is angry." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6114 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2609)

2. The Golden Calf and Earthly Humiliation

“Indeed, those who took the calf [for worship] will obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world, and thus do We recompense the inventors [of falsehood].” — Surah Al-A'raf (7:152)

This verse establishes a permanent historical precedent: those who invent religious falsehoods or compromise their core monotheism for worldly trends are systematically cursed with internal and social humiliation.

A. The Humiliation of Leaving True Faith

The Sunnah reinforces Verse 152 by warning that when a religious community abandons its revelation to chase secular illusions or superstitious shortcuts, Allah strips away their global honor.

• Hadith: Ibn Umar narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah say:
  "When you engage in sneaky business transactions (like Bay' al-Inah), chase the tails of oxen, become satisfied with agriculture, and abandon your spiritual struggle—Allah will permit humiliation to overtake you, and He will not lift it from you until you return to your religion." (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 3462; graded Sahih)

3. The Selection of the Seventy Elders and the Earthquake

“And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. And when the earthquake seized them, he said, 'My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done?...'” — Surah Al-A'raf (7:155)

Musa selected the best seventy men of Israel to climb the mountain and apologize on behalf of the nation. However, some of them audaciously demanded to physically see Allah with their own eyes (as detailed in Surah Al-Baqarah), causing a terrifying earthquake (Ar-Rajfah) to knock them unconscious. Musa’s desperate prayer saved them from permanent destruction.

A. The Collective Burden of "The Foolish"

Musa’s plea—“Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done?”—is a crucial theological point. The Sunnah explains that while Allah does not punish individuals for hidden sins of others, if a community allows public corruption to thrive without speaking up, the entire society suffers the natural fallout.

• Hadith: Zainab bint Jahsh narrated that she asked the Prophet anxiously, "O Messenger of Allah, would we be destroyed even if there are righteous people among us?" The Prophet replied:
  "Yes, if the evil and filth (Al-Khabath) become overwhelming." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3346 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2880)