Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AS SAJDAH [23]

23. And indeed We gave Musa the Scripture. So, be not you in doubt of meeting him. And We made it a guide to the Children of Israel. 24. And We made from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat. 25. Verily, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection, concerning that wherein they used to differ. Allah tells us that He gave the Book -- the Tawrah -- to His servant and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him.

(So, be not you in doubt of meeting him.) Qatadah said, ”This refers to the Night of Isra','' then he narrated that Abu Al-`Aliyah Ar-Riyahi said, ”The cousin of your Prophet, meaning Ibn `Abbas, told me that the Messenger of Allah said:

(On the night of Isra', I saw Musa bin `Imran, a tall, brown-skinned man with curly hair, looking like the men of Shanu'ah; and I saw `Isa, a man of medium stature and ruddy white skin, and with lank hair. And I saw Malik the Keeper of Hell, and the Dajjal.) Among the signs which Allah showed him were:

(So, be not you in doubt of meeting him.) i.e., he saw Musa and met with him on the Night of Isra'.''

(And We made it) means, `the Book which We gave to him, '

(a guide to the Children of Israel.) This is similar to what Allah says in Surat Al-Isra':

(And We gave Musa the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of Israel (saying): ”Take none other than Me as Trustee.'') (17:2)

(And We made from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat.) means, because they were patient in adhering to the commands of Allah and avoiding what He prohibited, and they believed in His Messengers and followed what they brought, there were among them leaders who guided others to the truth by the command of Allah, calling for goodness, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Then when they changed ï´¿the Words of Allahï´¾, twisting and distorting them, they lost that position and their hearts became hard. They change the words from their places, so they do no righteous deeds and have no correct beliefs. Allah says:

(And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient) Qatadah and Sufyan said: ”When they patiently shunned the temptations of this world.'' This was also the view of Al-Hasan bin Salih. Sufyan said, ”This is how these people were. A man cannot be an example to be followed unless he shuns the temptation of this world.'' Allah says:

(And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the prophethood; and provided them with good things, and preferred them above the nations. And We gave them clear proofs in matters.) (45:16-17). And He says here:

(Verily, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection, concerning that wherein they used to differ.) meaning, with regard to beliefs and actions.