Surah Al Baqarah Tafseer

The Best among the Children of Israel ask to see Allah; their subsequent Death and Resurrection

Allah tells;

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَن نُّوْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً

فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ

And (remember) when you said:"O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly." But you were seized with a bolt of lightning while you were looking.

Ibn Jurayj commented that Allah said,

`Remember My favor on you for resurrecting you after you were seized with lightning when you asked to see Me directly, which neither you nor anyone else can bear or attain.'

Ibn Abbas said that the Ayah

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَن نُّوْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً

(And (remember) when you said:"O Musa ! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly") means,

"Publicly", "So that we gaze at Allah."

Also, Urwah bin Ruwaym said that Allah's statement,

وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ

(While you were looking) means,

"Some of them were struck with lightning while others were watching."

Allah resurrected those, and struck the others with lightning.

As-Suddi commented on,

فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ

(But you were seized with a bolt of lightning) saying;

"They died, and Musa stood up crying and supplicating to Allah, `O Lord! What should I say to the Children of Israel when I go back to them after You destroyed the best of them,

لَوْ شِيْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّـىَ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَأءُ مِنَّأ

If it had been Your will, You could have destroyed them and me before; would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us.' 7:155)

Allah revealed to Musa that these seventy men were among those who worshipped the calf. Afterwards, Allah brought them back to life one man at a time, while the rest of them were watching how Allah was bringing them back to life. That is why Allah's said,

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ