Prophet Mūsā: Part 5 — The Calf, the Seventy and the Cow
Section 12 of 23 · Lives of the Prophets
Would You Destroy Us for the Foolish?
Now Mūsā is in a dilemma. Mūsā took these seventy, who are the best of Banū Isrāʾīl, to go and apologise to Allah (swt). These seventy are dead. What will Mūsā tell the people when he goes back? The people will completely lose hope: if these are the best of us, and this is what happened to them, we have no hope. So Mūsā knew that his people were going to be in a state of yaʾs, despair: these are the best among us; these are the ones whose apology we expected Allah to accept. If Allah did not accept their apology, and Allah killed them all, what will happen to us?
وَٱخْتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوْمَهُۥ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا لِّمِيقَـٰتِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّـٰىَ ۖ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَهْدِى مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَا ۖ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْغَـٰفِرِينَ
“And Mūsā selected seventy men from his people for Our appointment. Later when the earthquake seized them, he said, “My Lord, had it been Your will, You could have destroyed them earlier, and me too. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among them have done? It is nothing but a trial from You, wherewith you let go astray whom You will, and give guidance to whom You will. You are our protector, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, and You are the best among those who forgive.” (7:155)
Mūsā (peace be upon him) said: O Allah, if it had been Your will, You could have destroyed them and me before. O Allah, if You had wanted, You could have destroyed us before. Would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? There are some among us who are foolish; are You going to destroy us all because of them? It is only Your trial, by which You lead astray whom You will, and keep guided whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy on us, and You are the best of those who forgive.