Surah Taha, Ayah 93

What happened between Musa and Harun after Musa returned

Allah informs of what happened when Musa returned to his people and saw the great matter that had taken place among them. With this he became filled with anger and he threw down the Divine Tablets that he had in his hand. Then, he grabbed his brother Harun by his head and pulled him towards himself. We expounded upon this previously in Surat Al-A`raf, where we mentioned the Hadith,

«لَيْسَ الْخَبَرُ كَالْمُعَايَنَة»

(Information is not the same as observation.) Then, he began to blame his brother, Harun, by saying,

مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّواْأَلاَّ تَتَّبِعَنِ

(What prevented you when you saw them going astray; that you followed me not) meaning, "You should have informed me of this matter as soon as it happened."

Commentary

When the Bani Isra'il were smitten with the mischief of calf-worship Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) as the deputy of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) remonstrated with them but to no avail. They split into three factions. Those who remained loyal to Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) and refused to be misled by Samiri and who numbered, according to Qurtubi, twelve thousand. The second faction adopted calf-worship with the reservation that if Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ، on his return, forbade them they would give it up. The third faction consisted of zealots who believed that Sayyidna Musa علیہ السلام would approve of their action and would himself join them in calf-worship but even if he did not, they themselves would never give up their new faith. When Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) returned to his people he rebuked them for the mischief they had caused (as related in the earlier verses). Then he turned to Sayyidna Harun (علیہ السلام) and in a rage seized him by his beard and the hair of his head. He asked him that when the unbelief (کُفر) of the Bani Isra'il had become obvious, why he did not follow him to the Tur mountain and why he disobeyed his orders.

After the departure of Moses, Aaron, entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the community, tried to guide his people, but he did not have as much influence over them as Moses did. So they did not desist from their wrongful practice of calf-worship, in spite of Aaron advising them against it. When Aaron’s insistence increased, they expressed their determination to continue. They pointed out that it would be for Moses to take a decision in this matter on his return. Had Aaron acted with sternness, it would have had no effect, because his supporters were few in number. He, therefore, preferred for the time being, to adopt a policy of patience, rather than launch himself on a futile course of action; in the meantime he prayed to God for the reformation of his people.