7:171 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

ثم قال تعالى: وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ حين امتنعوا من قبول ما في التوراة. فألزمهم اللّه العمل ونتق فوق رءوسهم الجبل، فصار فوقهم كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ وقيل لهم: خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ أي: بجد واجتهاد. وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ دراسة ومباحثة، واتصافا بالعمل به لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ إذا فعلتم ذلك.

قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس قوله "وإذ نتقنا الجبل فوقهم" يقول رفعناه وهو قوله "ورفعنا فوقهم الطور بميثاقهم" وقال سفيان الثوري عن الأعمش عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس رفعته الملائكة فوق رؤسهم وهو قوله "ورفعنا فوقهم الطور" وقال القاسم بن أبي أيوب عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس قال ثم سار بهم موسى عليه السلام إلى الأرض المقدسة وأخذ الألواح بعدما سكت عنه الغضب وأمرهم بالذي أمر الله أن يبلغهم من الوظائف فثقلت عليهم وأبوا أن يقروا بها حتى نتق الله الجبل فوقهم" كأنه ظلة" قال رفعته الملائكة فوق رؤسهم رواه النسائي بطوله وقال سنيد بن داود في تفسيره عن حجاج بن محمد عن أبي بكر بن عبدالله قال هذا كتاب أتقبلونه بما فيه فإن فيه بيان ما أحل لكم وما حرم عليكم وما أمركم وما نهاكم؟ قالوا أنشر علينا ما فيها فإن كانت فرائضها وحدودها يسيرة قبلناها قال اقبلوها بما فيها قالوا لا حتى نعلم ما فيها كيف حدودها وفرائضها فراجعوه مرارا فأوحى الله إلى الجبل فانقلع فارتفع في السماء حتى إذا كان بين رؤسهم وبين السماء قال لهم موسى ألا ترون ما يقول ربي عز وجل لئن لم تقبلوا التوراة بما فيها لأرمينكم بهذا الجبل. قال فحدثني الحسن البصري قال لما نظروا إلى الجبل خر كل رجل ساجدا على حاجبه الأيسر ونظر بعينه اليمنى إلى الجبل فرقا من أن يسقط عليه فكذلك ليس اليوم في الأرض يهودي يسجد إلا على حاجبه الأيسر يقولون هذه السجدة التي رفعت بها العقوبة قال أبو بكر فلما نشر الألواح فيها كتاب الله كتبه بيده لم يبق على وجه الأرض جبل ولا شجر ولا حجر إلا اهتز فليس اليوم يهودي على وجه الأرض صغير ولا كبير تقرأ عليه التوراة إلا اهتز ونغض لها رأسه أي حول كما قال تعالى "فسينغضون إليك رؤسهم" والله أعلم.

Raising Mount Tur over the Jews, because of Their Rebellion

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ

(And (remember) when We Nataqna the mountain over them), "We raised the mountain, as Allah's other statement testifies,

وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَـقِهِمْ

(And for their covenant, We raised over them the mountain) 4:154." Also, Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Al-A`mash said that, Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "The angels raised the Mount over their heads, as reiterated by Allah's statement,

وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ

(We raised over them the mountain) 4:154." Al-Qasim bin Abi Ayyub narrated that Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Musa later on proceeded with them to the Sacred Land. He took along the Tablets, after his anger subsided, and commanded them to adhere to the orders that Allah ordained to be delivered to them. But these orders became heavy on them and they did not want to implement them until Allah raised the mountain over them,

كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ

(as if it had been a canopy), that is, when the angels raised the mountain over their heads." An-Nasa'i collected it.

And mention when We wrenched the mountain above them We lifted it up unearthing it from its root as if it were a canopy and they thought they were certain that it was about to fall upon them because of God’s threat to them that it would fall upon them if they refused to accept the rulings contained in the Torah they had initially refused to accept them because of their being burdensome but then accepted them and We said to them ‘Take firmly seriously and earnestly what We have given you and remember what is in it by acting in accordance with it that you might be God-fearing’.

The next verse (171) described another incident of the Israelites when they were forced to promise their obedience to the law of the Torah. It has also been mentioned in the Surah al-Baqarah. The Arabic word نَتَقنَا signifies drawing or lifting up. In the Surah al-Baqarah the word رَفَعنَا has been used which denotes the act of raising up. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ has therefore, taken the word نَتَقنَا to signify raising high. The Arabic word ظُلَّہ 'Zullah' means a sunshade or a canopy.

The verse refers to the time when the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) came back from the mount of Sinai with the book of Torah. They found therein many injunctions which they thought were difficult for them, to follow. They started showing their unwillingness for obeying those commandments. Allah commanded the Archangel Jibra'i1 (علیہ السلام) to raise the Mount of Sinai upon their town. The area of this town is reported to have been three square miles. When the mount of Sinai was hanged over their heads they fell down prostrating themselves out of fear and promised their obedience to the Law of Moses (the Torah). The future events, however, witnessed their deviation from the Law every now and again.

No compulsion in Faith

The above incident gives rise to a question. Why the Israelites were forced to make a promise of their obedience while the Holy Qur'an has declared لَا إِكْرَ‌اهَ فِي الدِّينِ "There is no compulsion in Faith?" (2:256) The answer is quite simple. None of the disbelievers has ever been forced to accept faith, nor any one is allowed to use force for this purpose. However, those who have already entered the covenant of faith out of their free will and, later, deviate from the commandments of Allah just for avoiding their commitments, shall essentially be forced to abide by the rules and regulations of the Law. In case of deviation from their duty they must be held liable to punishments prescribed by the Law. This is what exactly happened in this incident. They had already believed in Allah and in His Prophet and had entered the covenant of Faith. What they did was to deny from obeying the Law of the Torah and rightly were forced to fulfill their commitment.