Transliteration:( Wa iz akhaznaa meesaaqakum wa rafa'naa fawqakumut Toora khuzoo maaa aatainaakum biquwwatinw wazkuroo maa feehi la'allakum tattaqoon )
"And (recall) when We took a covenant [116] from you, and We caused [117] the Mount Tur to tower above you, (saying): 'Hold firmly to whatever We have bestowed upon you and remember what is therein, that perhaps you may become righteous.' [118]"
This incident took place prior to the exodus of the Israelites. Hazrat Musa had taken a pledge from the 70 companions who had accompanied him to Mount Sinai to obey the teachings of the Tauraat.
It could also mean that once the Tauraat was revealed, Hazrat Musa proclaimed to the entire Israelite nation to obey the commandments given to him.
From this, we learn that the teachings of the pious servants of Allah are in reality the teachings of Allah, as they are directly connected with Him.
Although Hazrat Musa had taken the pledge, Allah says: "We had taken the pledge", showing that acts performed by the Prophets are considered acts of Allah.
Likewise, even though Mount Sinai was raised by Hazrat Jibraeel, Allah says “We have raised it,” meaning all of this occurs by the Will of Allah.
The Tauraat was revealed all at once, and all its commandments became incumbent upon the Israelites at the same time, which they found difficult to accept and obey.
Allah Almighty then raised Mount Sinai to instil fear and seriousness, warning them that failure to obey would result in the mountain crashing down upon them.
This shows how fortunate Muslims are, because Allah revealed the Qur’an gradually over 23 years, making it easier to understand and implement.
All physical hardships that become a means of obtaining guidance are considered part of Divine Mercy, e.g., the raising of Mount Sinai.
The responsibility for preserving the Tauraat was placed on the Israelites, as shown by “Hold fast that which We give you.”
But they failed in their duty.
However, the preservation of the Qur’an is a responsibility that Allah has taken upon Himself, and therefore it shall remain unaltered for eternity.
63. And (O Children of Isra’il, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): “Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may acquire Taqwa. 64. Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah upon you, indeed you would have been among the losers.
Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the pledges, covenants and promises that He took from them to believe in Him alone, without a partner, and follow His Messengers. Allah stated that when He took their pledge from them, He raised the mountain above their heads, so that they affirm the pledge that they gave Allah and abide by it with sincerity and seriousness. Hence, Allah’s statement,
(And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): “Hold firmly to what We have given you (Tawrah), and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him.”) (7:171).
The mount mentioned here is At-Tur, just as it was explained in Surat Al-A`raf, according to the Tafsir of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ata’, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others. This is more obvious. There is another report from Ibn `Abbas saying; `The Tur is a type of mountain that vegetation grows on, if no vegetation grows on it, it is not called Tur.’ And in the Hadith about the trials, Ibn `Abbas said; “When they (the Jews) refused to obey, Allah raised the mountain above their heads so that they would listen.”
Al-Hasan said that Allah’s statement,
(Hold fast to that which We have given you) means, the Tawrah. Mujahid said that the Ayah commanded, “Strictly adhere to it.” Abu Al-`Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said that,
(and remember that which is therein) means, “Read the Tawrah and implement it.” Allah’s statement,
(Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the grace of Allah) means, “Yet, after the firm pledge that you gave, you still deviated and broke your pledge”;
(Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah upon you), meaning, by forgiving you and by sending the Prophets and Messengers to you,
(Indeed you would have been among the losers) meaning, in this life and the Hereafter due to their breach of the covenant.
(2:63) And recall when We made a covenant with you and caused the Mount Sinai to tower above you,[81] (saying): “Hold fast to the Book that We have given you, and remember the directives and commandments in it, that you be pious.”
81. From the manner in which this incident is described at various places in the Qur’an it is obvious that, at that time, it was quite well known to the Israelites. It is difficult, however, after the Passage of many centuries to be able to speak with certainty about the precise nature of the incident. All we can say is that while the Children of Israel were making their covenant in the shadow of Mount Sinai, they witnessed an awesome phenomenon and felt as if the mountain was about to fall upon them. (Surah Al-Araf, ayat 171) seems to portray this. See also (Surah Al-Aaraf, ayat 171) note 132.
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