al-Aḥzāb

يَآ أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا لاَ تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ ءَاذَوْا مُوسَي فَبَرَّأَهُ اللَّهُ مِمَّا قَالُوا وَكَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهاً

69. “O’ you who believe! Be not like those who hurt Moses (with a slander), but Allah cleared him of what they said, and he was well esteemed with Allah.”

Sometimes the godly leaders are hurt and accused from the side of believers. Following the discussion about respecting the rank of the Prophet (S) and leaving any kind of hurt unto him mentioned in the previous verses, here the Qur’an, addressing the believers, says:

Among all divine prophets, who were hurt by people, the election of Moses (as) here is for the sake that those who hurt him among the Children of Israel are more than any other Divine prophet. Moreover, some of their hurts were similar to the hurts that the hypocrites caused unto the Prophet of Islam (S). There are different ideas delivered by the commentators upon the objective meaning of hurting Moses (as) here, and that why the Qur’an has stated it ambiguously.

Therefore, there are various probable commentaries cited upon the holy verse, including: 1- According to a narration, once Moses and Aaron went upon a mountain where Aaron died. Rumourmongers of the Children of Israel attributed his death to Moses (as). Allah, the Almighty, made the fact of the matter manifest and made the Rumourmongers infamous. 2- As it was explained in upon the commentary of some verses of Surah Al-Qasas, No. 29, Korah plotted not to accept the law of Zakat, and that he might not pay the rights of the poor. So he planned that a bad woman would stand among the public and accuse Moses (as) saying that he had an unlawful relation with her.

By the grace of Allah, not only that plot failed but also the same woman attested to the virtue of Moses (as) and the Korah’s plan. 3- Some of Moses’ enemies once accused him (as) with sorcery, insanity, and attributing lies to Allah, but by means of some clear miracles Allah introduced him that he was free from them. 4- Some of the ignorant people of the Children of Israel accused Moses (as) that he had some bodily defects such as: leprosy, and the like, because when he wanted to wash himself he never stripped himself of clothing in front of others.

But one day, when he wanted to perform a total ablution in a corner far from people, he put his clothes on a piece of stone, then the stone moved and took Moses’ clothes with it and some of the Children of Israel saw his body that it had no defect. 5- One of other factors of the hurts to Moses (as) was the seeking pretext of the Children of Israel. Sometimes they asked him that he would show Allah to them. They said that they were not ready to enter Jerusalem and fight against ‘Amaliqah. They wanted him (as) to go there with his Lord and occupy it, then they would enter it.

But what is closer to the meaning of the verse is that the holy verse states a general and conclusive ordinance. The Children of Israel hurt Moses (as) in different ways. They were some hurts that were not unlike to the hurts of some people of Medina unto the Prophet of Islam (S), such as spreading some false rumours, telling lies, and charging undue attributing unto the Prophet’s wife, the explanation of which was stated in the commentary of Surah An-Nur, No. 24, verses 11 to 20, and the fault-findings they had about the marriage of the Prophet (S) with Zaynab, or the troubles they made in his house, or at the time of impolitely calling him (S) that they caused them against the Prophet (S).

However, it can be understood from this holy verse that if a person is esteemed at the presence of Allah, and has a good position and rank with Him, He will defend him for the undue attributes that some wicked people charge him. You must be pure and protect your honour before Allah; He will also in turn manifest your purity, though the malicious persons may try to accuse you. Similar to this meaning is recited in the story of Yusuf, the truthful, the pious, that how Allah exempted him from the great and dangerous accusation of Zulaykha.

Again, Mary’s baby attested to his mother’s chastity and stopped the tongue of malicious ones of the Children of Israel who wanted to accuse her. This point also seems necessary to be mentioned that this statement was not only for the believers of the time of the Prophet (S). There may come into being some people after him who do some things that hurt his holy spirit. For example, they belittle his religion, waste his efforts and endeavours, and forget what he left behind among Muslims. Such people are included in the content of this verse.

So, we recite in some traditions narrated from Ahlul Bayt (as) that those who hurt Ali (as) and his progeny are involved in this verse.¹