1 The Virtues of Surah Al-Ma'idah; When It was Revealed Surah to ...

Therefore it is forbidden to them for forty years; in
distraction they will wander through the land.
When Musa supplicated against the Jews for
refusing to fight in Jihad, Allah forbade them
from entering the land for forty years. They
wandered about lost in the land of At-Tih, unable
to find their way out.
During this time, tremendous miracles occurred,
such as the clouds that shaded them and the
manna and quails Allah sent down for them. Allah
brought forth water springs from solid rock, and
the other miracles that He aided Musa bin Imran
with.
During this time, the Tawrah was revealed and
the Law was established for the Children of Israel
and the Tabernacle of the Covenant was erected.
Conquering Jerusalem
Allah's statement, أَرْبَعِينَ‏ سَنَةً‏ (for forty years),
defines, يَتِيهُونَ‏ فِي الأَرْضِ‏ (in distraction they will wander
through the land).
When these years ended, Yuwsha bin Nun led those who
remained among them and the second generation, and
laid siege to Jerusalem, conquering it on a Friday
afternoon. When the sun was about to set and Yuwsha
feared that the Sabbath would begin, he said (to the
sun),
"You are commanded and I am commanded, as well. O
Allah! Make it stop setting for me.''
Allah made the sun stop setting until Yuwsha bin Nun
conquered Jerusalem.
Next, Allah commanded Yuwsha` to order the Children of
Israel to enter Jerusalem from its gate while bowing and
saying Hittah, meaning, `remove our sins.' Yet, they
changed what they were commanded and entered it
while dragging themselves on their behinds and saying,
`Habbah (a seed) in Sha`rah (a hair).''
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