The 70 from Banu Isra’il

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.), on the 10^th March 2010. 

Shaythan’s mission is to hide the truth, and to spread falsehood in its place.  He works to subtly change the mindset and thinking of people until they abandon the truth, stray from guidance, begin pursuing this worldly life and perishing in evil.  When we no longer act for Allah (s.w.t.), our honour and position are lost.  Today, many new-age authors and gurus, authors of human philosophy, of self-help books, motivational books, of corporate culture and sales psychology take teachings from the Qur'an and hadits.  Yet they reject the concept of a God, saying that this is something that cannot be proven, as they have never seen or heard Him themselves.  These authors and gurus make money peddling heavenly pearls of advice as their own brilliant masterpieces yet reject the very sources that the teachings come from.  Through these authors, Shaythan spreads unbelief to the millions that read and take guidance from them. 

This began from the time of Moses (a.s.).  When he returned from his seclusion at Mount Sinai, with the Divine Tablets of guidance for his people, they said to him, “O Moses, we cannot truly accept that these are actually Allah’s (s.w.t.) Words, until we hear Him ourselves.  As long as we have not heard with our own ears, we shall be in doubt!” 

So Moses (a.s.) said to Allah (s.w.t.) that the Children of Israel object to what he brought.  And that they doubt these are Divine Messages.  So Allah (s.w.t.) Commanded Moses (a.s.) to pick the seventy most stubborn followers, the ones with the most objections and doubts, the ones who felt that they already knew much and bring them with him to Mount Sinai.  And so Moses chose the seventy.  There, Allah (s.w.t.) Spoke to Moses, but since such intimate Divine Converse, without sound or letters, cannot be understood by such people, Allah (s.w.t.) Allowed them to hear peals of thunder. 

Moses then asked these seventy if they were satisfied that I brought them Divine Messages from the Lord of the Heavens.  They affirmed that they had heard but their hearts would be in contentment if they could see Allah (s.w.t.).  This infuriated Moses (a.s.).  This was not what was agreed.  First they wanted to hear and now, they wanted to see.  Moses (a.s.) said that it was bad adab to ask such from Allah (s.w.t.).  But Allah (s.w.t.) told Moses (a.s.) to calm down, and call them forth. 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

وَإِذۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَہۡتَدُونَ (٥٣) وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوۡمِ إِنَّكُمۡ ظَلَمۡتُمۡ أَنفُسَڪُم بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ ٱلۡعِجۡلَ فَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ بَارِٮِٕكُمۡ فَٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ ذَٲلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّكُمۡ عِندَ بَارِٮِٕكُمۡ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (٥٤) وَإِذۡ قُلۡتُمۡ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى ٱللَّهَ جَهۡرَةً۬ فَأَخَذَتۡكُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمۡ تَنظُرُونَ (٥٥) 

And remember We Gave Moses the Scripture and the criterion (between right and wrong) there was a chance for you to be guided aright.  And remember Moses said to his people, “O my people!  You have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf so turn (in repentance) to your Maker and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker.”  Then He turned toward you (in Forgiveness); for He is Oft Returning Most Merciful.  And remember ye said, “O Moses!  We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah manifestly”, but you were dazed by thunder and lightning even as you looked on. (Surah al-Baqarah:53-55) 

That was the beginning of this “positive knowledge” which simply translates into, “If I do not see it, then I do not accept it.”  Up until today, in universities, they teach this.  If they do not see, they refuse to believe.  They take the Divine books as fairy tales and they have no yaqin in anything spiritual.  They no longer even believe in the Holy Books or Holy Words.  Anything and everything that they experience, whether substantiated or unsubstantiated with a physical vision, breeds doubts within their hearts.  Even if they were to behold some out-of-this-world sight, they would simply say, “This is sihr,” and they would still reject it.  Such people are seeking to understand with their minds, what cannot be understood by their minds, as many phenomena baffle our limited understanding. 

So the seventy chosen Children of Israel gathered, expecting to see their Lord.  Instead, Allah (s.w.t.) Rained his lightning upon them.  None survived Allah’s (s.w.t.) Wrath.  Moses (a.s.) then pleaded with his Lord.  He said that surely Allah (s.w.t.) Knew the characteristics of the Children of Israel.  He said if he returned without these seventy elders, they would “Where are our people?” and claimed he killed them.  So Moses (a.s.) prayed that the seventy recalcitrant ones be given back their lives, by the honour of Muhammad (s.a.w.).  For the sake of His Beloved, Allah (s.w.t.) Brought them back to life, and Commanded that Moses (a.s.) never bring these seventy to Him again.  Allah’s (s.w.t.) Wrath was Aroused by Bani Isra’il’s attitude.  Millions today think the same way as Bani Isra’il did, so Divine anger is near to us.  We are in dangerous times.  We must give Allah (s.w.t.) the utmost respect and honour, be in awe of His Glory and Majesty.  We must do our best for Him, and He will Save us in dunya and akhirah.