Prophet Mūsā: Part 4 — Banū Isrāʾīl at the Gates and the Golden Calf
Section 15 of 25 · Lives of the Prophets
Show Me Yourself
Then Mūsā went to meet Allah (swt).
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَـٰتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِىٓ أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَىٰنِى وَلَـٰكِنِ ٱنظُرْ إِلَى ٱلْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ ٱسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُۥ فَسَوْفَ تَرَىٰنِى ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُۥ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُۥ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا ۚ فَلَمَّآ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“When Mūsā came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, show (Yourself) to me that I may look at You.” He said: “You shall never see Me. But look at the mount. If it stays at its place, you will see Me.” So when his Lord appeared to the Mount, He made it smashed, and Mūsā fell down unconscious. When he recovered, he said: “Pure are You. I repent to You, and I am the first to believe (that no one can see You in this world.)”” (7:143)
Allah says: when Mūsā came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him. Mūsā went to speak with Allah. So Mūsā is Kalīm Allāh, the one with whom Allah spoke. And kalīm means that Allah spoke with him many times — not once or twice, but many times. Mūsā had now reached the level at which Allah was speaking with him, and Mūsā wanted to go one step higher: he wanted to see Allah. So he said: rabbi arinī anẓur ilayk — O my Lord, show me Yourself, that I may look upon You.
Did Mūsā say this because he was in doubt? No. He said it because he wanted to reach that high status, and to enjoy the pleasure of seeing Allah (swt), which is the greatest pleasure. Allah (swt) told Mūsā: lan tarānī — you cannot see Me. You cannot see Me. And then Allah (swt) told Mūsā: look at the mountain, and I am going to reveal Myself to the mountain. Allah wanted to show him proof that he could not see Allah. So Allah (swt) was going to show Himself to the mountain, and Mūsā was staring at the mountain.
So Allah (swt) revealed Himself to the mountain — and Ibn ʿAbbās says Allah revealed only part of Himself — and the mountain was destroyed, crushed down and turned into dust. The mountain could not withstand the power of Allah (swt). So the mountain was crushed, destroyed and vanished; it sank down into the earth in humbleness before Allah (swt), and broke into pieces of dirt and sand.
And Mūsā — when he saw the mountain, what happened to him? Wa kharra Mūsā ṣaʿiqā — Mūsā fell down in a state of shock, unconscious. Mūsā fell unconscious from the shock of just staring at the mountain. What would have happened to him if he had been staring at Allah? This was the reaction of Mūsā when he saw the mountain; what would have happened to him if he had seen Allah (swt)?
Allah (swt) says: you cannot see Me, but look upon the mountain; if it stands still in its place, then you shall see Me. So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Mūsā fell down unconscious. And then Mūsā said: glory be to You; I turn to You in repentance, and I am the first of the believers.