Ayah 54 of Surah Al-Baqarah is one of the key verses of the Holy Qur'an which, with profound and multifaceted discourse, encompasses legal, theological, psychological, and ethical matters. This verse, by referring to the speech of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) to the Children of Israel following the sin of calf worship, elucidates concepts such as injustice to the self, repentance, Divine mercy, and the enforcement of Divine rulings. The structure of the verse, by combining the inculcation of accusation, provision of evidence, and invitation to repentance, presents a coherent legal system which holds a distinguished position not only within the framework of the Mosaic Sharia but also in the theological and educational system of the Holy Qur'an. This writing, by aggregating the contents of the lecture and specialised analyses, undertakes a meticulous examination of this verse in its various dimensions and elucidates its concepts in an elevated and scholarly language for learned audiences and researchers in the fields of theology and humanities. The present text, preserving all details and expanding semantic connections, is composed so as to be scientifically valid and literarily appealing.
The verse commences with the phrase وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ, which highlights the utterance of Moses (peace be upon him) as a prophet who acts as an intermediary of Divine revelation. This address not only signifies the direct relationship between the prophet and his people but also demonstrates Divine confirmation of this speech, as if Mosess (peace be upon him) words are accompanied by Divine sanction. This structure alludes to the role of prophets in transmitting rulings and guiding their nations, emphasising the importance of Divine intermediation in the legal and educational system.
And when Moses said to his people: O my people! Indeed, you have wronged yourselves by taking the calf (for worship); therefore, repent to your Creator and kill yourselves. That is better for you in the sight of your Creator. Then He accepted your repentance. Indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
The verse explicitly conveys the accusation إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ against the Children of Israel, specifying their sin, and follows it with بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ as the evidence for this accusation. This structure reflects the coherence of the Quranic legal system, wherein every accusation must be accompanied by proof and documentation. The acceptance of this accusation by the people, indicated by the absence of denial within the text, demonstrates the clarity of the sin and their accountability. This principle emphasises the necessity of substantiation in any judicial proceeding, whether within the Divine system or social interactions.
Within the Quranic legal framework, accusations without evidence are not only illegitimate but also lead to the condemnation of the accuser on the Day of Resurrection. This principle highlights the importance of fairness and substantiation in social, familial, and even personal relationships. Attributing baseless accusations to others including friends, relatives, or children is contrary to the Sharia and ethics, and rather than correcting, it intensifies sinfulness. This view encourages careful speech and avoidance of hasty judgments.
The legal system presented in Ayah 54 of Surah Al-Baqarah, through the inculcation of accusation, evidence, and invitation to repentance, manifests a coherent and advanced structure. The verse not only emphasises the necessity of documentation in Divine rulings but also critiques unfounded accusations, inviting social and individual reform. Rooted in Divine mercy and justice, this system offers a paradigm for human courts in which fairness and reason precede any form of haste.
The phrase ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ indicates that the sin of calf worship constituted injustice to the people themselves, not to God or religion. In both linguistic and Quranic terms, injustice means deprivation from the light of guidance and falling into the darkness of ignorance and sin. This perspective stresses individual responsibility before sin and illustrates that God and religion are immune to detriment. Religion exists for human salvation, and any damage done to it returns as harm to the individual.
