Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:26

(He said, "Then it is forbidden...")

The "Fa" (then) denotes that what follows is a consequence of what preceded it, namely the supplication. Thus, this occurred as an effect of the prayer and was a form of what was prayed for. Ibn Jarir narrated from al-Suddi that Moses (peace be upon him) became angry when the people said to him what they said, and he prayed—and that was a haste on his part—which he rushed. When the Tayh (wandering) was decreed upon them, he regretted it; thereupon God, the Exalted, revealed: "So do not grieve over the defiantly disobedient people."

The pronoun in "it" (feminine) refers back to the Holy Land; meaning, because of your prayer, it is "forbidden to them." They shall not enter it, nor shall they possess it. The prohibition here is a prohibition of prevention, not a prohibition of religious law (worship). An example of this is the saying of Imru' al-Qays describing his horse: “She veered to throw me, so I said to her, ‘Desist; for I am a horseman upon whom your throwing is forbidden.’” He means he is a rider whom you cannot throw off. Abu Ali al-Jubba'i permitted—and the words of al-Balkhi point to this—that it could be a prohibition of worship, but the first is more apparent.

("Forty years...")

This is connected to "forbidden," thus the prohibition is temporary, not eternal; therefore, it does not conflict with the apparent meaning of the statement of the Exalted: "God has decreed for you..." The intent of it being forbidden to them is that none of them shall enter it during this period—though not in the sense that they all enter it thereafter, but rather some of those who remained. It is narrated that Moses (peace be upon him) marched with those who remained of the Children of Israel toward the Holy Land, with Joshua son of Nun at his vanguard, and he conquered it and remained there as long as God willed, then he (peace be upon him) was taken. This is narrated from al-Hasan and Mujahid.

It is said: None of those who said, "We will never enter it," entered it. Rather, those who entered with Moses (peace be upon him) were the generation that grew up from their offspring. Accordingly, the forty-year period is, in reality, a prohibition upon their offspring, but it was termed a prohibition upon them due to the perfect connection between them.

His statement, ("...wandering through the earth"), is a new sentence explaining the manner of their deprivation. It is also said to be a state from the pronoun in "upon them." Al-Tayh is bewilderment. It is said, "He wandered (taha) wandering (yatihu) and wandering (yatuhu)," and "he is 'atuh and atih." It is thus among those words where the waw and the ya overlap. The meaning is: they walk around in confusion, and their confusion is their lack of guidance to the road. It is said the prepositional phrase is connected to "wandering." This is narrated from Qatada; thus, the wandering is temporary, while the prohibition is absolute (it is possible it means perpetual, and possible otherwise).

The distance of the land in which they wandered was thirty leagues in length by nine leagues in width, as Muqatil said. It is also said: twelve leagues by six leagues; and it is said: six by nine; and it is said: its length was thirty miles by six leagues, which is the area between Egypt and Syria. It is mentioned that they were six hundred thousand fighting men, and they would set out and wake up where they had slept, and sleep where they had woken up, as al-Hasan and Mujahid said.

It is said that the wisdom of their trial through wandering was that when they said, "We are sitting here," they were punished with something that resembled sitting. It was forty years because that is the limit of time in which the ignorant person might take heed. It is also said: because they worshipped the calf for forty days, so the punishment for each day was made a year in the Tayh. This, however, is baseless. That was among the extraordinary (miraculous) events, for bewilderment in such a distance for many rational people for such a long period is something habit renders impossible. Perhaps this was because it erased the landmarks by which one is guided, or because it cast the resemblance of some of it upon others.

Abu Ali al-Jubba'i said: It was by the shifting of the earth upon which they were during their sleep. God, the Exalted, spares one from accepting this.

It is narrated that the clouds would shade them from the heat of the sun, and the manna and quails would descend upon them. The rock of Moses (peace be upon him) was placed with them, from which water would gush forth to avert their thirst. It is said: a pillar of light would rise at night to illuminate for them, and their hair would not grow long, nor would their garments wear out, as is narrated from al-Rabi' ibn Anas, and they would grow with them, as narrated from Tawus.

More than one of the storytellers mentioned that when a child was born to them, it had a garment like the nail, which grew as the child grew and did not wear out, among other things they mentioned. Habit makes much of this remote; thus, nothing is accepted except what is authentic from God, the Exalted, and His Messenger (peace be upon him). I once asked one of the Jewish rabbis about the clothing of the Children of Israel in the Tayh, and he said: "They left Egypt while having with them much of the clothing and belongings of the Copts, and God, the Exalted, preserved it for their elders and children." I mentioned to him the narration of the nail, and he said, "We have not attained it," and he denied it. I said to him, "It is a virtue, so why do you not affirm it for your people?" He said, "I do not accept lies as a garment."

The matter of their being treated with these blessings while being punished with bewilderment is considered problematic. It is answered that this punishment was of His grace, the Exalted, and their torment was only for the sake of discipline, just as a man beats his son despite his love for him, without cutting off his favor. Perhaps they sought forgiveness for the disbelief, if it had occurred from them.

Most exegetes are of the opinion that Moses and Aaron (peace be upon them both) were with them in the Tayh, but they did not experience the hardship that befell the others. That was for them a source of peace and safety, like the fire for Abraham (peace be upon him), and perhaps the two of them were likewise.

It is narrated that Aaron died in the Tayh and Moses (peace be upon them both) was accused of it. They said, "He killed him because of our love for him." So God, the Exalted, revived him through his supplication, so he was exonerated of what they said, and he returned to his resting place. Moses (peace be upon him) died a year later. It is also said: six months later; and it is said: eight years later. Joshua entered Jericho three months after him. Qatada said: two months later. He had been given prophethood before the remaining Children of Israel, and none of those tasked at the time of the command remained among them. It is said: the noble arrangement does not support this, for after He accepted his prayer—peace be upon him—against the Children of Israel and punished them with the Tayh, it is far-fetched that those who were saved would be saved and then [He would] ordain the death of the two prophets in the place of punishment, apparently, even if it were a place of peace and rest for them. You know that the reports of their death in the Tayh are numerous, especially the reports of the death of Aaron (peace be upon him), and I see no room for dismissal. Perhaps that was more stinging for the Children of Israel.

It is said: they (peace be upon them both) were not with the Children of Israel in the Tayh, and the prayer was by way of separation—meaning, distancing in place in this world. I see this statement as something that is not likely to be correct, for many of the verses are like explicit texts regarding the presence of Moses (peace be upon him) with them, as is not hidden.

("...so do not grieve...")

Meaning, do not be sad for their death or for the grief that befell them therein. Asan (grief) is sadness.

("...over the defiantly disobedient people.")

Who are those for whom the prayer against them was answered due to their disobedience. The address is to Moses (peace be upon him), as is apparent, and to this, the eminent exegetes have gone.

al-Zajjaj said: It is the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the "defiantly disobedient people" refers to his contemporaries among the Children of Israel, as if it were said: these are the actions of their ancestors, so do not grieve yourself because of their wicked actions toward you and their rejection of you, for they inherited that from them.