Could Not Answer

which the unbelievers had been using became blood. It rained
frogs. Cutaneous diseases broke out and spread. Darkness fell and
the whole country remained in darkness for three days. Awed by
these miracles, the Pharaoh permitted the Israelites to leave
Egypt. However, as Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ and the Israelites were
on their way to Jerusalem, the Pharaoh repented having let them
go and, rallying his army, fell to follow them. The Suez Isthmus
opened and the Believers walked to the other side. As the
Pharaoh, too, was passing to the other side, the sea closed in,
drowning him and his army. The Israelites saw people
worshipping an ox on their way, and said to Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’,
“We wish to have a god like this.” Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ answered
them. “There is no god other than Allâhu ta’âlâ. Allâhu ta’âlâ
saved you.” Then they wandered into a wilderness called Tîh,
where they lost their way and suffered dire deprivation of food
and drink. (Menn) and (Selva), that is, manna and meat, rained
down from heaven. They ate these. When he tapped the ground
with his rod, water came out. And they drank this water. They
hurt Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ by saying. “We are tired of manna and
meat. We wish other things such as broad-beans and onions.” For
this reason they remained in the wilderness for forty years. Mûsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’, leaving Hârûn ‘alaihis-salâm’ for his place, went to
Mount Tûr (Sinai), where he prayed for forty days. He heard the
Word of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Allâhu ta’âlâ sent down the Holy Book
(Taurah) and the Ten Commandments inscribed on two tablets.
A munafîq (hypocrite) named Sâmirî collected gold wares and
ornaments from the people, melted them, and made a gold calf.
He said, “This is Moses’ god. Worship this.” So they began to
worship it. They would not listen to Hârûn’s ‘alaihis-salâm’
remonstrations. When Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ came back and saw
their practices, he was very angry. He cursed Sâmirî. He held his
elder brother’s beard and reproached him. They repented and
begged him for forgiveness. Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ preached them
the Taurah and the Ten Commandments. They began to perform
their worships as prescibed in the Taurah. Afterwards, they
deviated from the right course again and finally parted into
seventy-one sects.
Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ and his ummat went to the region south of
the Dead Sea. He made war against a king named Ûj bin Ûnq
(King of Bashan). He captured the land east of the Sharî’a River.
He climbed the mountain opposite Erîha City. He saw the land of
Canaan from the distance. Then, leaving his place to Yûshâ
– 386 –