It is also said: Do not hoard it. Yet they hoarded it, and it became worm-eaten.

“Lest My wrath descend upon you.” Al-A‘mash and al-Kisa’i recited it as “lest My wrath descend upon you,” with the verb denoting descent; and “whoever upon whom My wrath descends,” likewise with the verb denoting descent. The others recited both with a different vowel, meaning: lest My wrath become due upon you. “And whoever incurs My wrath has certainly fallen” (82)—that is, he has perished and plunged into the Fire.

“Indeed, I am surely Most Forgiving to whoever repents, believes, does righteous deeds, and then remains guided. And what made you hasten ahead of your people, O Moses?” (83) He said, “They are close behind me, and I hastened to You, my Lord, so that You may be pleased.” (84) He said, “We have certainly tested your people in your absence, and the Samiri has led them astray.” (85)

“Indeed, I am surely Most Forgiving to whoever repents”: Ibn Abbas said, “He repents from associating partners with Allah.” “And believes”: he affirms Allah’s oneness and believes Him to be true. “And does righteous deeds”: he fulfills the obligatory duties. “And then remains guided”: Ata’ narrated from Ibn Abbas that this means that he knows that this is enabling grace from Allah.

Qatadah and Sufyan al-Thawri said: It means that he remains steadfast upon Islam until he dies upon it.

Al-Sha‘bi, Muqatil, and al-Kalbi said: He knows that there is a reward for this.

Zayd ibn Aslam said: He acquires knowledge in order to be guided by it in how he should act.

Al-Dahhak said: He remains upright. Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: He remains committed to the Sunnah and the Muslim community. (1)

“And what made you hasten ahead”: that is, what caused you to hasten ahead “of your people”? Moses selected seventy men from among his people to accompany him to the Mount in order to receive the Torah. He set out with them, then Moses went on ahead of them out of longing for his Lord, glorified and exalted is He. He left the seventy behind and instructed them to follow him to the mountain. So Allah, exalted is He, said to him: “And what made you hasten ahead of your people, O Moses?”

He said, in reply to his Lord, exalted is He: “They are close behind me”—that is, they are near to me and are coming after me—“and I hastened to You, my Lord, so that You may be pleased”: that Your pleasure may increase.

He said: “We have certainly tested your people in your absence”—that is, We tested those whom you had left with Aaron. They numbered six hundred thousand, and they were tempted by the calf, except for twelve thousand. “In your absence” means: after you had departed for the mountain.