Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): (21) O my people, enter...

Issues Discussed Here:

It is narrated that when Abraham (peace be upon him) ascended Mount Lebanon, God Almighty told him: "Look at whatever your sight reaches; it is sanctified, and it is an inheritance for your descendants."

It is also said that when the people of Moses (peace be upon him) left Egypt, God Almighty promised them settlement in the land of Sham (the Levant). The Children of Israel used to call the land of Sham the "Promised Land."

Then, Moses (peace be upon him) sent twelve chieftains (Nuqabā')—men of trust—to scout the conditions of those lands for them. When they entered that land, they saw huge, terrifying bodies.

Exegesis: The commentators mention that when Moses sent the chieftains for reconnaissance, one of the giants saw them, seized them, placed them in the fold of his garment along with some fruit he had carried from his orchard, and brought them to the king. He scattered them before the king, expressing astonishment, saying: "These people want to fight us!"

The king said: "Go back to your master and inform him of what you have witnessed."

Those chieftains then returned to Moses (peace be upon him) and told him what happened. He commanded them to conceal what they had seen, but they did not accept his command, except for two men among them: Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh. They eased the matter, saying: "It is a good land, abundant in blessings. Although the people's bodies are huge, their hearts are weak."

As for the other ten, they instilled fear in the hearts of the people until they openly refused to fight them. They said to Moses (peace be upon him): {We will never enter it as long as they are in it. So go, you and your Lord, and fight; indeed, we will remain here, sitting} (Al-Ma'idah: 24).

Moses (peace be upon him) then supplicated against them, and God Almighty punished them by keeping them wandering in the wilderness (Tīh) for forty years.

It is said that the period of the chieftains' absence for reconnaissance was forty days, and they were punished with forty years of wandering. All those disobedient ones died in the wilderness, and the ten chieftains also perished in the wilderness due to severe punishments. Some people say that Moses and Aaron (peace be upon them) also died in the wilderness. Others say that Moses (peace be upon him) survived, and Joshua and Caleb went out with him, fought the giants, overcame them, and entered that land. This is the story, and God knows best the manner of affairs.

The Holy Land is the purified land, cleansed from afflictions. Commentators say: It was purified from polytheism (Shirk) and made a dwelling and settlement for the Prophets.

Critique: This view requires consideration, because when Moses (peace be upon him) said, {Enter the Holy Land}, that land was not yet purified from polytheism, nor was it a settlement for the Prophets at that time. It can be answered that it was such in the past.

Ikrimah, Al-Suddī, and Ibn Zayd said: It is Jericho (Arīḥā). Al-Kalbī said: Damascus, Palestine, and part of Jordan. It is also said: Mount Sinai (Al-Ṭūr).

There are several interpretations:

1. It was decreed in the Preserved Tablet that it belongs to you.
2. God has gifted it to you.
3. He commanded you to enter it.

Objection: Why did He say {Allah has decreed for you} and then say {then it is forbidden to them} (Al-Ma'idah: 26)?

Answer: Ibn Abbas said: It was a gift, but then it became forbidden to them due to the evil consequences of their rebellion and disobedience. Another view: Although the wording is general, the intended meaning is specific. Thus, it is as if it was decreed for some of them and forbidden for others. Another view: The promise in {Allah has decreed for you} was conditional upon obedience. Since the condition was not met, the promised outcome did not occur. Another view: It was forbidden to them for forty years. Once those forty years passed, what was decreed came to pass.

The great benefit here is that even though the people were giants, since God Almighty promised these weak ones that the land belonged to them, if they were believers affirming the truthfulness of Moses (peace be upon him), they would know with certainty that God would grant them victory over them and supremacy over them. Therefore, they must proceed to fight them without cowardice, fear, or panic. This is the benefit of this phrase.

Then He said: {And do not turn back on your heels} (i.e., do not apostatize). There are two interpretations:

1. Do not revert from the correct religion to doubting the prophethood of Moses (peace be upon him). This is because when he informed them that God had made that land theirs, it was a promise that God would grant them victory over the inhabitants. If they did not firmly believe in this victory, they would doubt the truthfulness of Moses (peace be upon him), thus becoming disbelievers in divinity and prophethood.
2. Do not return from the land you were commanded to enter to the land you left (Egypt). It is narrated that the people had resolved to return to Egypt.

And His statement {and thus you will be losers} has several meanings:

1. Losers in the Hereafter, as you will forfeit the reward and incur punishment.
2. You will return to humiliation.
3. You will die in the wilderness and attain none of your worldly desires or Hereafter benefits.

{They said, "O Moses, indeed, within it are a people of great strength, and indeed, we will never enter it until they leave it. If they leave it, then indeed, we will be entering it."}