How did the killing of the Children of Israel by one another occur?
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Well, the exegetes differed on whether this killing occurred in darkness or openly without darkness. It was said: When they were commanded to do so, they said, "We are unable to kill one another. A person would look at his son and kill him, and at his father and kill him, and at his brother and his friend. This is something that is not possible." So Allah cast darkness upon them, and they began to kill one another without knowing who had killed whom.
It was also said: Rather, they killed openly without darkness, and that this is more indicative of the validity of their repentance; it is more indicative of the validity of their repentance. A person kills whoever is in front of him. And when Musa (peace and blessings be upon him) saw that they would stop, because if some of them were killing others, who would remain? Only one would remain. So when he saw that they would stop, he supplicated to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to lift the killing from them. So they were commanded to cease, and it was said: Rather, their weapons fell from their hands. They fell from their hands, and Allah knows best. The important point is that the apparent meaning of the Qur'an is that nothing happened, meaning there was no darkness or anything else, and that they were commanded to kill one another. And this is more indicative of the truth of their repentance and their return to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
Some of them held the view that the meaning is that the innocent among you kill the criminal; the innocent kill the criminal. That is, those who called for the worship of the calf and devoted themselves to it are killed, and those who disavowed it are killed. And Allah knows best. But the first view is the apparent one, because the killing of the innocent by the criminal does not indicate the truth of the criminals' repentance, because a person may kill while still persisting in the sin, and that does not indicate his repentance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:[Al-Baqarah 2:54] Yes? I said: He (peace and blessings be upon him) said? Yes, indeed.
It was also said: Rather, they killed openly without darkness, and that this is more indicative of the validity of their repentance; it is more indicative of the validity of their repentance. A person kills whoever is in front of him. And when Musa (peace and blessings be upon him) saw that they would stop, because if some of them were killing others, who would remain? Only one would remain. So when he saw that they would stop, he supplicated to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to lift the killing from them. So they were commanded to cease, and it was said: Rather, their weapons fell from their hands. They fell from their hands, and Allah knows best. The important point is that the apparent meaning of the Qur'an is that nothing happened, meaning there was no darkness or anything else, and that they were commanded to kill one another. And this is more indicative of the truth of their repentance and their return to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
Some of them held the view that the meaning is that the innocent among you kill the criminal; the innocent kill the criminal. That is, those who called for the worship of the calf and devoted themselves to it are killed, and those who disavowed it are killed. And Allah knows best. But the first view is the apparent one, because the killing of the innocent by the criminal does not indicate the truth of the criminals' repentance, because a person may kill while still persisting in the sin, and that does not indicate his repentance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: