قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَآ أَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوا۟ فِيهَا ۖ فَٱذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَـٰتِلَآ إِنَّا هَـٰهُنَا قَـٰعِدُونَ 24
Translations
They said, "O Moses, indeed we will not enter it, ever, as long as they are within it; so go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are remaining right here."
Transliteration
Qalū yā Mūsā innā lan nadkhulahā abadan mā dāmū fīhā fadhab anta wa rabbuka faqātilā innā hāhunā qā'idūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Children of Israel refuse to enter the land of Canaan, telling Prophet Musa (Moses) to go fight with Allah while they remain behind. Ibn Kathir explains this represents their cowardice and lack of faith in Allah's promise, despite witnessing miraculous signs. This ayah illustrates the consequences of weakness in conviction and disobedience to Allah's command through His messenger.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the historical narrative of the Israelites' journey after the Exodus from Egypt. When Musa sent twelve spies to scout the land of Canaan (as mentioned in 5:12), ten returned with discouraging reports about the strength of its inhabitants. The people's refusal to enter reflects their loss of faith in Allah's promise and their prophet's leadership, leading to their forty years of wandering in the desert as punishment.
Related Hadiths
The situation is alluded to in various hadiths about the Israelites' disobedience. Sahih Bukhari contains hadith about the trials faced by the Children of Israel and their repeated rejection of Allah's commands through His messengers, establishing a pattern of their disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that true trust (tawakkul) in Allah requires courage and obedience to divine commands, and that fear of creation, rather than faith in the Creator, leads to spiritual loss and deprivation of blessings. It reminds believers that excuses and blame-shifting cannot replace genuine commitment to following the path shown by Allah's messengers.
Related Ayahs
لُعِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُۥدَ وَعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ
Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed.
وَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلنَّبِىِّ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا ٱتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ
And if they had believed in Allāh and the Prophet and in what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are defiantly disobedient.
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَآ أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّآ أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
They ask you, [O Muḥammad], what has been made lawful for them. Say, "Lawful for you are [all] good foods and [game caught by] what you have trained of hunting animals which you train as Allāh has taught you. So eat of what they catch for you, and mention the name of Allāh upon it, and fear Allāh." Indeed, Allāh is swift in account.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَـٰمُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allāh], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.