Prophet Mūsā: Part 4 — Banū Isrāʾīl at the Gates and the Golden Calf
Section 5 of 25 · Lives of the Prophets
You Are an Ignorant People
So Banū Isrāʾīl were still thinking with that inferior, weak mentality, and they said: make for us a god as they have gods. Is this action in itself a sin, or is it kufr? It is kufr. It is disbelief. When you ask for a god besides Allah, that is kufr. But what did Mūsā tell them? Did he say: you are non-believers, you are kuffār? No, he did not. He said: innakum qawmun tajhalūn — you are a people who are ignorant. So he excused them for their ignorance, but he taught them; and whoever refuses after receiving the message, that is disbelief. So Mūsā is now teaching them. He said: you are a people who are ignorant.
إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَـٰطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ قَالَ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِيكُمْ إِلَـٰهًا وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
“What these people are engaged in is sure to be destroyed; and false is what they are doing.” He said, “Shall I seek any one other than Allah as God for you, while He has given you excellence over the (people of all the) worlds.”” (7:139–140)
And then he told them: verily, these people will be destroyed for that in which they are engaged, and all that they are doing is in vain. Do not think these people are strong; do not think they are powerful; they are going to be destroyed. What they are doing is wrong. He said: shall I seek for you a god other than Allah, while He has given you superiority over mankind?
Mūsā is telling Banū Isrāʾīl that Allah has chosen them. They were the chosen people of Allah; they were the nation whom Allah chose. Even though, up to that moment, they were still weak — they did not have any khilāfah, they did not have any nation, and they did not have any power — nevertheless, they were still the best. And the Muslims need to read the ayah of the Qur'an in which Allah (swt) says:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
“You are the best ‘Ummah ever raised for mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair, and you believe in Allah. If the people of the Book had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them, there are believers, while most of them are sinners.” (3:110)
You were the best nation produced for mankind — the best nation brought forth for humanity. So even if we, in Islam, are in a weak moment, we should still understand and realise that we have what can make us the best, and the chosen people of Allah (swt). So Mūsā is telling Banū Isrāʾīl: Allah (swt) has given you superiority over mankind. He has chosen you.