Purpose of mentioning the story of Moses and the sons of Israel in the Quran:

Dear brother: This is the 65th. Lesson of Surat Al-Nisa' lessons, and specifically with verse number 153, in which Allah says:

﴾The people of the scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Musa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said:"Show us Allah in public," but they were struck with thunderclap and lightning for their wickedness. Then they worshipped the calf even after clear proofs , evidences, and signs had come to them. (Even) so We forgave them. And We gave Musa (Moses) a clear proof of authority﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 153.]

There is a number of verses (in the Quran) which talk about the Children of Israel. And one may wonder what is the wisdom behind that? and what is the purpose behind the Quran telling us what happened to the Children of Israel with their Prophet? May Allah have mercy and blessings upon him and upon our Prophet.
The truth is that they are people of the Scripture (Jews), but they have gone astray in many ways. Moslems also may go astray in the same way. How?
Why did Allah make the Children of Israel perish?\
He said: because had the noble one amongst them stolen, they would let him go. But had the weak one amongst them stolen they would punish him. When the established rules of Allah are applied in such a way that the weak person gets punished and the noble one does not, that is a serious matter in which the Children of Israel had fallen which caused their perish.
What did they do?
They used not to forbid one another from evildoing. Such a thing had been cancelled from their lives. Instead there was lip service and arguing amongst them at the cost of religion. Therefore Allah Almighty made them perish. Therefore when we follow their path of not enjoining one another to do good righteous deeds, and of not forbidding one another of evildoing, then we will deserve the wrath of Allah Almighty.
The wisdom therefore from the reference (in the Quran) to The Children of Israel (is to
expose) their hard line attitude, their stagnation, their limited understanding, and their attribution of tyranny to Allah Almighty. They said: Our hearts are closed and we do not hear or understand Allah's Word. That is how we were created. In fact most of the illnesses that plagued The Children of Israel have in fact spread amongst the Moslems. This is an eloquent style. It is like you addressing a person, but you mean someone else to hear what you have to say.

﴾The ability of prophets is limited:﴿

These are The Children of Israel, the people of the Scripture (Jews). Allah says about them:

﴾The people of the Scripture (Jews) ask you cause a book to descend upon them from heaven﴿

The truth is that they made a mistake in their question. They should have said: The Children of Israel (Jews) ask you to ask Allah to make a book descend upon them from heaven, because the ability of the Prophet is limited:

﴾Say (O Muhammad):"I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the unseen…﴿

[Surat Al-A'raf, verse 188]

First thing:

﴾If I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me﴿

[Surat Al-A'raf, verse 188]

"Say:

﴾I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the torment of a Mighty Day﴿

[Surat Al-An'am, verse 15]

"Say:

﴾It is not in my power to cause you harm﴿

[Surat Al-Jinn, verse 21]

﴾Say (O Muhammad):"I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself.﴿

[Surat AlA'raf, verse 188.]

﴾Say (O Muhammad):"I do not tell you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor that) I know the Unseen; nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me.﴿

[Surat Al-An'am, verse 50.]

Thus the Prophet (Pbuh) did not claim to know the Unseen, nor to have control over bringing harm or benefit to himself or to sh3er, and that if He, God Forbid, disobeyed Allah, he would be punished, as Allah says:

﴾Say (O Muhammad): Verily, if I disobey my Lord, I am afraid of the torment of a great day.﴿

[Surat Al-Anaam, verse 15.]

These are people who believed that The Torah was delivered to our master Moses, why do not they then believe in the Quran? They do have a Book revealed from high above, but they wanted to deny and to ask the Prophet (Pbuh) to show them a book coming down from the heavens.
When they read the Quran they could not find in it any one single mistake even though they were masters of the Arabic language. Had they found any linguistic mistake in it they would have not stopped talking about it. But the eloquent language of the Quran shut them up. Therefore: they had to find some other way. Therefore they asked: Why was it delivered to Muhammad (Pbuh), and said:

﴾Why is not this Quran sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Ta'if)?﴿

[Az-Zukhruf, verse 31.]

They found him poor, and according to the standards of their rich, the Prophet had to be rich. Then they wanted the Quran to be delivered all at once. Thus they wanted to follow their own desires. And when the Quran was sent down in its eloquent manner, they objected by saying it was delivered to a poor person, and that it was delivered in installments.

﴾The people of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 153.]

And then as though Allah consoles His Messenger (Pbuh), by telling him not to be sad and reminded him that they had asked their Prophet Moses even more than that:

﴾Indeed they asked Musa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said:"Show us Allah in public," but they were struck with thunderclap and lightning for their wickedness. Then they worshipped the calf even after clear proofs, evidences, and signs had come to them.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 153.]

Because Allah Almighty wanted to strengthen His Prophet (Pbuh), and to lessen his sadness when his own people do not believe him.

When you see the truth, the smallest thing refers to it:

Thus when the truth is presented to man while he follows his desires, and if he has no way to counter that truth, then he presents silly objections to justify to himself to continue following his wrong way:

﴾Indeed they asked Musa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said:"Show us Allah in public,﴿

[Surat An_nisa', verse 153.]

They said: O Imam, When was Allah? He said: When was He not?

In everything He has a sign To prove that He is One

﴾But they were struck with thunderclap and lightning for their wickedness.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 153.]

That was denial on their part, then:

﴾Then they worshipped the calf even after clear proofs, evidences, and signs had come to them.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 153.]

When man does not apply his mind in Allah's universal signs, the messages may come to him and suddenly he relapses. They saw with their eyes how Moses, peace be upon him, struck the sea with his cane and suddenly it became a solid path. They saw with their eyes how his cane became a big serpent. They saw with their eyes clear signs and tangible miracles, and yet when they passed by a group of people worshipping some idols they said:

﴾And We brought The Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea, and came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship). They said:" O Musa (Moses)! Make for us an Ilah (a god) as they have 'alihah (gods).﴿

[Surat Al-A'raf, verse 138.]

Guidance and faith are an internal decision:

Thus they did not want the truth. We can therefore deduct the following: If you want to find the truth then the smallest thing may lead you to it. It is an internal choice. If you wanted to find the truth then the waste of the camel will lead you to the camel, and foot prints will lead you to the path, and water will lead you to the spring. Wouldn't then the sky with its constellation and the earth with its roads lead to The All Wise, All Knowing? On the other hand if you did not want to know the truth and you happened to be at the biggest space lab on earth, and you saw the galaxies with your own eyes through the telescopes. Or if you looked through an electronic microscope that enlarges the cell forty thousand times so that you observe the cell as a world unto its own. If you were at the most advanced scientific centers on earth but you did not believe in Allah, or you did not want the truth then you will not benefit from all these facts. To bring the point closer, imagine a very primitive camera, if there was a film inside it would take a very primitive picture. Now bring a very expensive camera worth more than a million, if there is no film inside it then it has no value. If you want the truth then you need the film inside you for the truth to be printed on it. And if you do not want the truth, it will not matter then how clever and intelligent you may be, you will not believe in Allah Almighty. Guidance is an internal choice. This explains many verses:

﴾Verily, in this is a sign for you if you are indeed believers﴿

[Surat Al-Baqarah, verse 248.]

If you want to believe then this verse will lead you to know Allah. But if you do not want to believe then all the signs on earth will not cause you to know Allah, because you choose not to believe. This is very subtle: Faith and belief are internal decisions/choices. Sincerity in the search for the truth. If this element is present then the least proof will lead you to Allah. But if you do not look for the truth with sincerity then nothing will lead you to Allah. Now there are laboratories, telescopes, microscopes, there are scientific centers in the world that contain unimaginable sophistication. Those who work in such space centers see, every day, galaxies that make one's head spin with owe! Those using electronic microscopes see the minute details of human cells, but they are not touched by all that because, even though their instruments are very expensive, they do not contain the film on which the truth may be printed:

When man has a good mind he is guided with signs:

﴾The people of the scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Musa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said:"Show us Allah in public," but they were struck with thunderclap and lightning for their wickedness. Then they worshipped the calf even after clear proofs , evidences, and signs had come to them.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 153.]

They worshipped an idol after they witnessed the very clear signs of Allah.

﴾(Even) so We forgave them. And We gave Musa (Moses) a clear proof of authority.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 153.]

Allah gave him (Moses) the miracles to which they had to submit.
Allah Almighty, diversified the methods used for their guidance. They are moved only with what they see with their eyes. Man is either moved with what goes on in his mind, or he is moved with what he sees with his eyes. The higher he is on the ladder of humanity the more he will be moved with his mind. And the lower he goes on that ladder the closer he gets to the state of animals where he is moved with what his eyes witness. Consider the following proof to what I say:
Consider a person travelling to Homs (in Northern Syria) during the snowy winter days. If on his way, at the town of Adra, he read a sign that said that at Nabak, further along the road to Homs, the road is closed due to heavy snow, what will he do? Of course he will go back.
Why would he go back? The clear statement on the sign on the road.! Now consider an animal walking the same route, where will it stop? At Nabak of course. What made it stop? Reality! The higher you go on the ladder of humanity the more you are lead by the clear statement on the sign, and the lower you go on that ladder the more you are led by reality. Another example: anyone who smokes and ends up with lung cancer stops smoking. But who is the better person? It is he who once he reads a study or an Islamic decree about smoking ,will stop smoking. He is lead by the clear statement of the signs and not by the reality of contracting cancer. We believe in the Unseen, but those six billion sh3er in the world are living for the moment to satisfy their desires. When they die however they will believe in what the Prophets and Messengers of Allah believed in, but then it will be too late. To be a champion therefore one must believe in the Unseen.

The believer can see the facts but he seeks the Hereafter:

Dear brother: Life on earth is touchable. You see it with your eyes, you see a large palace, you see a beautiful woman, you see a luxurious car, you see expensive foods, you see someone with power and authority, all this you see with your eyes, but the Hereafter cannot be touched. It is only narrated and told about. Therefore when you are led by the clear statements of the Quran and you believe it, and you live according to the straight path of Allah, and work for the Hereafter, only then you rise to the level of being human. It is not reality that moves you. What moves you is the divine statement. That is the believer. He can touch reality in front of him, but he turned away from it and sought the Hereafter:

﴾And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allah's obedience) while he is a believer (In the Oneness of Allah) then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated,(thanked and rewarded by Allah).﴿

[Surat Al-Isra', verse 19.]

Life on earth is touchable. Had the Hereafter been touchable then people would have followed the straight path of Allah, but without getting any reward at all. Give any person two choices: A bullet that kills him or a hundred thousand dollars to take. How many will opt for getting killed by the bullet? Not one single person of course. Had the two choices been touchable I would choose the Hereafter. Your elevation in the Hereafter is for a reason. It is because the Hereafter is only a narrated statement, but life on earth is touchable and you can see it with your eyes. Therefore he who believes in the Unseen, reads the Quran, believes that it is the word of Allah as evidenced in its miracles, and that it was delivered by the Messenger of Allah, and believes that Allah exists by observing His universe. This is belief in the Unseen. Then he lives on the straight path of Allah, and shall have a reward only known to Allah:

Difference between the believers and those who don’t think of Allah:

﴾Who believe in the unseen and perform the prayers, and spend out of what We have provided for them﴿

[Surat Al-Baqarah, verse 3.]

What is the difference between them and those who have gone away from Allah Almighty? He sees a woman then takes his time admiring her beauty. He sees money then takes it lawfully or unlawfully. He lives for the moment, moved by his desires, and cannot see beyond his nose. This is the person who has gone away from Allah Almighty. On the other hand, the believer knows his goal, and is in unison with it. Thus you find him following the way of Allah in all aspects of his life. On such believers Allah has applied the principle of hardship.

﴾And We raised above you the Mount﴿

[Surat Al-Baqarah, verse 63.]

The mountain:

﴾We said to them:"Enter the gate prostrating (or bowing) with humility﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 154.]

﴾And We commanded them:"transgress not (by doing worldly works) on the Sabbath (Saturday)." And We took from them a firm covenant.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 154.]

i.e. submit to the way of Allah Almighty.

﴾So, enter houses through their proper doors﴿

[Surat Al-Baqarah, verse 189]

﴾And We commanded them:"transgress not (by doing worldly works) on the Sabbath (Saturday)." And We took from them a firm covenant.﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 154.]

Part of Allah’s test for us is to put obstacles in our way:

There is a very fine point here, and I ask Allah to help me to explain it. Sometimes you find yourself in a very tight situation, and all the unlawful means are wide open, whilst the lawful door is closed. This presents a difficult test. It could have been such that the unlawful doors were closed and the lawful doors were open. In such a situation you would not have been tested. When the lawful doors are closed and the unlawful doors are open you say: I am compelled, I have children, what can I do? May Allah forgive me. Had you been patient and said: I will not eat what is unlawful even if I die hungry. Had you said: I will not abandon the teachings of this religion even if they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, life would have been compelled to become easy for you.
Dear brother: It is one of Allah's tests to place obstacles in your way. Had the matter of lawful things been easy , and the matter of unlawful things been difficult, people would have pursued the lawful things not for the love of Allah or to be obedient to him or to enter Paradise. They would not have been rewarded for it. Allah's wisdom decreed that lawful things are difficult, and unlawful things are easy. One woman works hard the whole day to earn a few hundred Liras, while a prostitute gets many fold that amount by disobeying Allah Almighty.
The wisdom in this is very profound. Unlawful earnings are easy. One kilogram of a certain drug may guarantee that not only you and your son, but even your grandson become rich. But what will this kilogram of drugs do to the young men and women? It will destroy entire families. On the other hand, trading in something lawful is tiring, and takes a long time. You must work day and night to earn your living to cover your expenses. This is the test on earth. We are being tested on this earth. The Children of Israel (Jews) were tested therefore. They were forbidden to fish on Saturday, even though there was lots of fish on that day, fish as big as ships, but they were forbidden to catch it. On the days they were allowed to fish there was no fish. This test is always applied. Not all the time of course. Lawful things are difficult and unlawful things are easy. A person may say: I will not commit a sin even if I die from hunger. When Allah sees this insistence and sincerity, He makes him subject to laws that he is not aware of. The laws of Allah. Anyone who sells wines may make a million per day. When he repents to Allah, his daily income may become five thousand. Why this decline? It is a difficult test. While selling wines he made large amounts of money, without that there is hardly any income. If he then says: I will not disobey Allah, and I will live simply and make the best of it, so that Allah may be pleased with me. When he reaches this stage Allah will submit him to what I call the laws of divine caring. Suddenly Allah makes you very rich while you are in this state of obedience. What has happened? You have now reached the stage of those who truly worship Allah, and life came to you in spite of itself. Therefore you will see that any one who leaves something or abstains from something for the sake of Allah, he will be rewarded by Allah something better than it in this life and in the Hereafter.

((Whoever abandons something for the sake of Allah, He will recompense him with something better in his religion and living.))

[ the Small Collector, narrated by Ibn Omar]

Whoever abandons something illegal for the sake of Allah, He will recompense him:

The test is not easy. Sometimes there is a large income. A brother told me: He swore that he has no money to pay the car fees. He has a factory that has completely stopped. He has no money to pay the workers' salaries. He received a proposal for manufacturing a certain thing. And by simple calculations realized that he could make a few million from this business opportunity. But the item to be manufactured is not pleasing to Allah. He therefore came to ask me. I told him this is not an easy test, but if you leave the unlawful, Allah will compensate you something better than it. He followed my advice and persevered in the difficult situation he was in. After a while he got another business opportunity that was all lawful. He became wealthy. If you abandon something for the sake of Allah, He will recompense you with something better in your faith and in this life.

((Whoever abandons something for the sake of Allah, He will recompense him with something better in his religion and living.))

[ the Small Collector, narrated by Ibn Omar]

﴾And for (breaking) their covenant, We raised over them the Mount and (on the other occasion) We said to them:"Enter the gate prostrating (or bowing) with humility;" and We commanded them:"Transgress not (by doing worldly works) on the Sabbath (Saturday).﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 154.]

Therefore they made tanks in which the fish would enter on Saturday then they would close it only to fish it on Sunday. These tricks that most Moslems do in all aspects of their lives are the reasons behind their destruction.

﴾And We commanded them:"Transgress not on the Sabbath (Saturday)" And We took from them a firm covenant﴿

[Surat An-Nisa', verse 154.]

Dear brother: We will continue these Ayahs in the next lesson inshallah. I pray to Allah for your guidance.