Following Their Footsteps

Number two: the history of Banū Isrāʾīl is extremely rich in experience. It is an ummah that lived for a long time. They went through a great deal; they made many mistakes; there was a great deal of misguidance and a great deal of conflict. So Allah (swt) wanted us to have all of this experience before our eyes, so that we could use it in our daʿwah, over our long history as a Muslim ummah.

The ummah of Mūsā, Banū Isrāʾīl, went through experiences and made mistakes, and Allah (swt) knew that the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) would fall into the same mistakes that Banū Isrāʾīl fell into. That is why it is important for us to have a history to look back on. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that you will follow the ways of the nations before you, step by step, inch by inch, foot by foot — even if they were to enter the hole of a lizard, you would follow them and do it. The Companions said: are you talking about the Jews and the Christians? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: who else?

We are going to follow their tracks. We are going to do the same things they did; we are going to make the same mistakes. So Allah (swt) has given us this wealth of information and experience so that it can be a light for us, the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him).