Tarikh (al-Tabari) 214
The story of Moses the one who spoke with Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
ثم إنَّ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، لَمَّا انْفَصَلَ مِنْ بِلَادِ مِصْرَ، أمره اللَّهَ تَعَالَى /أَنْ يَسِيرَ بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَى أَرِيحَا بَلَدِ الْجَبَّارِينَ، وَهِيَ أَرْضُ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فوَجَدَ فِيهَا قَوْمًا مِنَ الْجَبَّارِينَ، مِنْ الْحَيْثَانِيِّينَ، وَالْفَزَارِيِّينَ، وَالْكَنْعَانِيِّينَ، وَغَيْرِهِمْ فَأَمَرَهُمْ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، بِالدُّخُولِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَمُقَاتَلَتِهِمْ وَإِجْلَائِهِمْ إِيَّاهُمْ عَنْ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَهُ لَهُمْ، وَوَعَدَهُمْ إِيَّاهُ، عَلَى لِسَانِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَلِيلِ، وَمُوسَى الْكَلِيمِ الْجَلِيلِ، فَأَبَوْا وَنَكَلُوا عَنِ الْجِهَادِ، فذَكِّرُهُمْ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، إِحْسَانَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالنِّعَمِ الدِّينِيَّةِ وَالدُّنْيَوِيَّةِ، وَيَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْجِهَادِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَمُقَاتَلَةِ أَعْدَائِهِ، فَقَالَ: يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِكُمْ أَيْ; تَنْكِصُوا عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ، وَتَنْكِلُوا عَلَى قِتَالِ أَعْدَائِكُمْ. فَتَنْقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ أَيْ; فَتَخْسَرُوا بَعْدَ الرِّبْحِ، وَتَنْقُصُوا بَعْدَ الْكَمَالِ. قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى إِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا جَبَّارِينَ أَيْ; عُتَاةً كَفَرَةً مُتَمَرِّدِينَ، وَإِنَّا لَنْ نَدْخُلَهَا حَتَّى يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِنَّا دَاخِلُونَ، خَافُوا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْجَبَّارِينَ، وَقَدْ عَايَنُوا هَلَاكَ فِرْعَوْنَ، وَهُوَ أَجْبَرُ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَأَشَدُّ بَأْسًا، وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا، وَأَعْظَمُ جُنْدًا. وَهَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ مَلُومُونَ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةِ، وَمَذْمُومُونَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْحَالَةِ، مِنَ الذِّلَّةِ عَنْ مُصَاوَلَةِ الْأَعْدَاءِ، وَمُقَاوَمَةِ الْمَرَدَةِ الْأَشْقِيَاءِ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ هَاهُنَا آثَارًا، فِيهَا مُجَازَفَاتٌ كَثِيرَةٌ بَاطِلَةٌ، يَدُلُّ الْعَقْلُ وَالنَّقْلُ عَلَى خِلَافِهَا; مِنْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا أَشْكَالًا هَائِلَةً ضِخَامًا جِدًّا، حَتَّى إِنَّهُمْ ذَكَرُوا أَنَّ رُسُلَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، لَمَّا قَدِمُوا عَلَيْهِمْ، تَلَقَّاهُمْ رَجُلٌ مِنْ رُسُلِ الْجَبَّارِينَ، فَجَعَلَ يَأْخُذُهُمْ وَاحِدًا وَاحِدًا، وَيَلُفُّهُمْ فِي أَكْمَامِهِ وَحُجْزَةِ سَرَاوِيلِهِ، وَهُمُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ رَجُلًا، فَجَاءَ بِهِمْ، فَنَثَرَهُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ مَلِكِ الْجَبَّارِينَ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَؤُلَاءِ؟ وَلَمْ يَعْرِفْ أَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ حَتَّى عَرَّفُوهُ. وَكُلُّ هَذِهِ هَذَيَانَاتٌ وَخُرَافَاتٌ لَا حَقِيقَةَ لَهَا، وَأَنَّ الْمَلِكَ بَعَثَ مَعَهُمْ عِنَبًا، كُلُّ عِنَبَةٍ تَكْفِي الرَّجُلَ، وَشَيْئًا مِنْ ثِمَارِهِمْ; لِيَعْلَمُوا ضَخَامَةَ أَشْكَالِهِمْ، وَهَذَا لَيْسَ بِصَحِيحٍ. ولَوْ كَانَ هَذَا صَحِيحًا لَكَانَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ مَعْذُورِينَ فِي النُّكُولِ عَنْ قِتَالِهِمْ، وَقَدْ ذَمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ عَلَى نُكُولِهِمْ، وَعَاقَبَهُمْ بِالتِّيهِ عَلَى تَرْكِ جِهَادِهِمْ، وَمُخَالَفَتِهِمْ رَسُولَهُمْ، وَقَدْ أَشَارَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلَانِ صَالِحَانِ مِنْهُمْ بِالْإِقْدَامِ، وَنَهَيَاهُمْ عَنِ الْإِحْجَامِ. وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُمَا يُوشَعُ بْنُ نُونٍ، وَكَالِبُ بْنُ يُوفَنَّا. قَالَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَمُجَاهِدٌ، وَعِكْرِمَةُ، وَعَطِيَّةُ، وَالسُّدِّيُّ، وَالرَّبِيعُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ. قَالَ رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَيْ; يَخَافُونَ اللَّهَ وَقَرَأَ بَعْضُهُمْ: ( يُخَافُونَ ) ; أَيْ يُهَابُونَ، أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمَا أَيْ; بِالْإِسْلَامِ، وَالْإِيمَانِ، وَالطَّاعَةِ، وَالشَّجَاعَةِ: ادْخُلُوا عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَابَ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمُوهُ فَإِنَّكُمْ غَالِبُونَ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ أَيْ; إِذَا تَوَكَّلْتُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَاسْتَعَنْتُمْ بِهِ، وَلَجَأْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ، نَصَرَكُمْ عَلَى عَدُوِّكُمْ، وَأَيَّدَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَأَظْفَرَكُمْ بِهِمْ. قَالُوا يَامُوسَى إِنَّا لَنْ نَدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَا دَامُوا فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ فَصَمَّمَ مَلَؤُهُمْ علىالنُّكُولِ عَنِ الْجِهَادِ، وَوَقَعَ أَمْرٌ عَظِيمٌ، وَوَهَنٌ كَبِيرٌ. فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ يُوشَعَ، وَكَالِبَ لَمَّا سَمِعَا هَذَا الْكَلَامَ شَقَّا ثِيَابَهُمَا، وَإِنَّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ، عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ، سَجَدَا; إِعْظَامًا لِهَذَا الْكَلَامِ وَغَضَبًا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَشَفَقَةً عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ وَبِيلِ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةِ. قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: اقْضِ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ. قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً يَتِيهُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ عُوقِبُوا عَلَى نُكُولِهِمْ بِالتَّيَهَانِ فِي الْأَرْضِ، يَسِيرُوا إِلَى غَيْرِ مَقْصِدٍ، لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا، وَصَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً. وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ التِّيهِ مِمَّنْ دَخَلَهُ، بَلْ مَاتُوا كُلُّهُمْ فِي مُدَّةِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا ذَرَّارِيُّهُمْ سِوَى يُوشَعَ، وَكَالِبَ، عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ.
Translation
✧ Then when Moses ﷺ departed from the land of Egypt, Allah Most High commanded him to lead the Children of Israel to Jericho, the land of the giants, which is the land of the Holy House. There he found a people of giants from the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, and others. Moses ﷺ commanded them to enter upon them, fight them, and expel them from the Holy House, for Allah had decreed it for them and promised it to them on the tongue of Abraham the Friend, and Moses the noble spokesman. But they refused and held back from fighting. Allah's Prophet reminded them of Allah's favor upon them and His kindness to them in religious and worldly blessings, and commanded them to strive in the path of Allah and fight His enemies. He said: "O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has decreed for you, and do not turn back on your heels," meaning do not retreat on your heels and hold back from fighting your enemies, "for then you will return as losers," meaning you will lose after gain and diminish after completeness. They said: "O Moses, indeed there are a tyrannical people in it," meaning insolent, disbelieving, rebellious, "and we will never enter it until they leave it. If they leave it, then we will enter." They feared these giants though they had witnessed the destruction of Pharaoh, who was more powerful than these, more severe in might, more numerous in gathering, and greater in army. This indicates that they are blameworthy in this statement and censured for this condition of baseness in facing enemies and resisting rebellious wicked ones. Many commentators have mentioned here reports containing many false exaggerations that reason and transmission indicate their contrary: that they were dreadful, enormously huge forms, to the extent that they mentioned that the spies of the Children of Israel, when they came upon them, a man from the messengers of the giants met them and began taking them one by one and wrapping them in his sleeves and the waistband of his trousers, while they were twelve men. He brought them and scattered them before the king of the giants, who said, "What are these?" and did not know they were of the children of Adam until they informed him. All these are ravings and legends with no reality, and that the king sent with them grapes, each grape sufficing a man, and something of their fruits so they might know the hugeness of their forms. This is not sound. Had this been sound, the Children of Israel would have been excused in holding back from fighting them, but Allah censured them for their holding back and punished them with wandering for abandoning fighting them and opposing their messenger. Two righteous men among them advised them to advance and forbade them from hesitation. It is said they were Joshua b. Nūn and Caleb b. Yūfannā. This was said by Ibn ʿAbbās, Mujāhid, ʿIkrimah, ʿAṭiyyah, al-Suddī, al-Rabīʿ b. Anas, and more than one. Two men of those who feared, meaning they feared Allah (and some read it as "they are feared," meaning they are held in awe), whom Allah had favored, meaning with Islam, faith, obedience, and courage, said: "Enter upon them through the gate, and when you enter it, you will be victorious. And upon Allah rely, if you are believers," meaning if you rely on Allah, seek His help, and turn to Him, He will support you against your enemy, strengthen you over them, and grant you victory over them. They said: "O Moses, we will never enter it ever, as long as they are in it. So go, you and your Lord, and fight. We are sitting here." Their leaders resolved firmly upon holding back from fighting, and a great matter and severe weakness occurred. It is said that when Joshua and Caleb heard this speech, they tore their garments, and Moses and Aaron (peace be upon them) prostrated in reverence for this speech, in anger for Allah Almighty, and in compassion for them from the evil consequence of this statement. He said: "My Lord, I have control only over myself and my brother, so separate between us and the wicked people." Ibn ʿAbbās said: Judge between me and them. He said: "Then it is forbidden to them for forty years; they will wander in the land. So do not grieve over the wicked people." They were punished for their holding back with wandering in the land, walking without a destination, night and day, morning and evening. It is said that no one who entered the wandering came out of it; rather they all died within the period of forty years, and none remained except their offspring, except Joshua and Caleb (peace be upon them).
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.