Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:138

"And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea..."

This is the conclusion of what God recounted regarding the news of Pharaoh, the Copts, their denial of God’s signs, their oppression, and their disobedience. He then follows it with the account of the Children of Israel and what they committed after being saved from Pharaoh’s dominion and enslavement, and after witnessing the great signs and crossing the sea—such as worshipping the cow, demanding to see God openly, and other forms of disbelief and disobedience.

This is so that the state of man may be known: that he is, as He described them, deeply unjust, ungrateful, ignorant, and unappreciative, except for those whom God protects: "And few of My servants are grateful" (Saba: 13). It is also to console the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) regarding what he witnessed from the Children of Israel in Medina.

It is narrated that Moses crossed with them on the day of Ashura, after God Almighty destroyed Pharaoh and his people, so they fasted it in gratitude to God Almighty.

"So they came upon a people..." They passed by them.

"...devoted to idols of theirs..." They were persistent in worshipping them and remained attached to them. Ibn Jurayj said: They were statues of cows. This was the beginning of the affair of the Calf. It is also said: They were a people from Lakhm. It is also said: They were from the Canaanites whom Moses (peace be upon him) was commanded to fight.

It is read: (Jawwazna), meaning "We caused them to pass." It is said: Ajaza the place, jawwazahu, and jawazah all mean jaza (to cross), just as you say: A’lahu, ’alahu, and ’alahu.

It is read: (Ya’kufun) with the kaf both dammah and kasrah.

"Make for us a god..." An idol to which we may be devoted.

"...just as they have gods..." Idols to which they are devoted. The (ma) is a restrictor for the kaf, which is why a sentence follows it.

It is narrated from Ali (may God be pleased with him) that a Jew said to him: "You differed after your Prophet before his water had even dried." He replied: "You said, 'Make for us a god' before your feet had even dried."

"Indeed, you are a people who are ignorant." He expresses astonishment at their statement immediately after they had seen the greatest sign and the greatest miracle. He describes them with absolute ignorance and emphasizes it, for there is no ignorance greater or more heinous than what was seen from them.

"Indeed, these..." Meaning the worshippers of those statues.

"...will be destroyed [in] that which they are [engaged] in..." Meaning ruined and broken. It is from their saying "a vessel is mutabbar" when it is shattered. The fragments of gold are called al-tibr, meaning God will destroy and demolish the religion they are upon at my hands, and He will shatter these idols of theirs and leave them as fragments.

"...and invalid is that which they were doing." Meaning, they did not perform any act of worship in the past except that it is invalid and vanishing, of no benefit to them, even if they claimed it was to draw near to God, as the Almighty said: "And We will approach what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed" (Al-Furqan: 23).

In placing "Ha'ula'i" (these) as the subject of Inna, and placing the predicate of the subject—from the sentence that serves as the predicate for it—first, it is a branding of the idol worshippers that they are the ones exposed to destruction, that it will never miss them, and that it is an inevitable blow to them, so that they may fear the consequence of what they requested and loathe what they loved.

"Shall I seek for you a god other than God?" Shall I seek for you a deity other than the One who is worthy of worship, while He is the One who did for you what He did—unlike anyone else—by singling you out with a blessing that no one else was given, so that you might single Him out for worship and not associate anyone else with Him? The meaning of the hamza is denial and astonishment at their request, despite them being immersed in the grace of God, to worship other than God.

"And [recall] when We saved you from the people of Pharaoh, [who were] afflicting you with the worst torment, killing your sons and keeping your women alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord."