Ayah

Word by Word
وَجَٰوَزۡنَا
And We led across
بِبَنِيٓ
(the) Children
إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ
(of) Israel
ٱلۡبَحۡرَ
the sea
فَأَتَوۡاْ
Then they came
عَلَىٰ
upon
قَوۡمٖ
a people
يَعۡكُفُونَ
devoted
عَلَىٰٓ
to
أَصۡنَامٖ
idols
لَّهُمۡۚ
of theirs
قَالُواْ
They said
يَٰمُوسَى
O Musa
ٱجۡعَل
Make
لَّنَآ
for us
إِلَٰهٗا
a god
كَمَا
like what
لَهُمۡ
they have
ءَالِهَةٞۚ
gods
قَالَ
He said
إِنَّكُمۡ
Indeed, you
قَوۡمٞ
(are) a people
تَجۡهَلُونَ
ignorant
وَجَٰوَزۡنَا
And We led across
بِبَنِيٓ
(the) Children
إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ
(of) Israel
ٱلۡبَحۡرَ
the sea
فَأَتَوۡاْ
Then they came
عَلَىٰ
upon
قَوۡمٖ
a people
يَعۡكُفُونَ
devoted
عَلَىٰٓ
to
أَصۡنَامٖ
idols
لَّهُمۡۚ
of theirs
قَالُواْ
They said
يَٰمُوسَى
O Musa
ٱجۡعَل
Make
لَّنَآ
for us
إِلَٰهٗا
a god
كَمَا
like what
لَهُمۡ
they have
ءَالِهَةٞۚ
gods
قَالَ
He said
إِنَّكُمۡ
Indeed, you
قَوۡمٞ
(are) a people
تَجۡهَلُونَ
ignorant
Translation

We took the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea. They came upon a people devoted entirely to some idols they had. They said: "O Moses! fashion for us a god like unto the gods they have." He said: "Surely ye are a people without knowledge.
Tafsir

And We brought the Israelites across the sea, and they came upon, they passed by, a people cleaving in devotion (read ya'kufoon or ya'kifoon) to idols they had, constantly worshipping them. They said, 'O Moses, make for us a god, an idol for us to worship, just as they have gods.' He said, 'Truly you are an ignorant folk, for repaying God's grace to you with what you have said.
"
The Children of Israel safely cross the Sea, but still held on to the Idea of Idol Worshipping
Allah tells;
وَجَاوَزۡنَا بِبَنِي إِسۡرَايِيلَ الۡبَحۡرَ
And We brought the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea,
Allah mentions the words that the ignorant ones among the Children of Israel uttered to Musa after they crossed the sea and witnessed Allah's Ayat and great power.
فَأَتَوۡاۡ عَلَى قَوۡمٍ يَعۡكُفُونَ عَلَى أَصۡنَامٍ لَّهُمۡ
And they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship).
Some scholars of Tafsir said that the people mentioned here were from Canaan, or from the tribe of Lakhm.
Ibn Jarir commented,
""They were worshipping idols that they made in the shape of cows, and this influenced the Children of Israel later when they worshipped the calf.""
They said here,
قَالُواۡ يَا مُوسَى اجۡعَل لَّنَا إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمۡ الِهَةٌ
They said:""O Musa! Make for us a god as they have gods.""
قَالَ إِنَّكُمۡ قَوۡمٌ تَجۡهَلُونَ
He said:""Verily, you are an ignorant people.""
Musa replied, you are ignorant of Allah's greatness and majesty and His purity from any partners or anything resembling Him
إِنَّ هَـوُلاء مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمۡ فِيهِ
""Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in, (they will perish),
وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُواۡ يَعۡمَلُونَ
""and all that they are doing is in vain.""
Commenting on this Ayah, Imam Abu Jafar bin Jarir reported from Abu Waqid Al-Laythi that;
they (the Companions) went out from Makkah with the Messenger of Allah for (the battle of) Hunayn. Abu Waqid said, ""Some of the disbelievers had a lote tree whose vicinity they used to remain in, and upon which they would hang their weapons on. That tree was called `Dhat Al-Anwat'. So when we passed by a huge, green lote tree, we said, `O Messenger of Allah! Appoint for us a Dhat Al-Anwat as they have.'
He said,
قُلۡتُمۡ وَالَّذِي نَفۡسِي بِيَدِهِ كَمَا قَالَ قَوۡمُ مُوسَى لِمُوسَى
by He in Whose Hand is my soul! You said just as what the people of Musa said to him:
اجۡعَل لَّنَا إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمۡ الِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمۡ قَوۡمٌ تَجۡهَلُونَ
إِنَّ هَـوُلاء مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمۡ فِيهِ وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُواۡ يَعۡمَلُونَ
""Make for us a god as they have gods."" He said:""Verily, you are an ignorant people. Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in, and all that they are doing is in vain.
Reminding the Children of Israel of Allah's Blessings for Them
Allah tells;
قَالَ أَغَيۡرَ اللّهِ أَبۡغِيكُمۡ إِلَـهًا
وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُمۡ عَلَى الۡعَالَمِينَ
وَإِذۡ أَنجَيۡنَاكُم مِّنۡ الِ فِرۡعَونَ يَسُومُونَكُمۡ سُوَءَ الۡعَذَابِ يُقَتِّلُونَ أَبۡنَاءكُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡيُونَ نِسَاءكُمۡ
وَفِي ذَلِكُم بَلء مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ عَظِيمٌ
He said:""Shall I seek for you an ilah (a god) other than Allah, while He has given you superiority over the nations.""
And (remember) when We rescued you from Fir`awn's people, who were afflicting you with the worst torment, killing your sons and letting your women live. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.
Musa reminded the Children of Israel of Allah's blessings, such as saving them from Fir`awn, his tyranny and the humiliation and disgrace they suffered. He reminded them of the glory and revenge against their enemy, when they watched them suffering in disgrace, destroyed by drowning and meeting utter demise. We mentioned this subject in the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah."
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