They said, "O Moses, indeed we will not enter it, ever, as long as they are within it
قالوا يا موسى إنا لن ندخلها أبدا ما داموا فيها [Al-Ma'idah 5:24]
indeed we will not enter it, ever, as long as they are within it
إنا لن ندخلها أبدا ما داموا فيها [Al-Ma'idah 5:24]
Is this negation a negation of their legal action, or a negation of Allah’s decree? The former. The former means that we cannot enter it as long as they are in it. And if they leave it? We would enter it. Is this what is meant? It is known that if you find an empty village with no one in it, and you want its people, it is known that you have corrupted it. But this is the mindset of the Children of Israel.
We will not enter it as long as they are in it.
لن ندخلها ما داموا فيها
.
so go, you and your Lord, and fight
فاذهب أنت وربك فقاتلا [Al-Ma'idah 5:24]
They said to Moses, "Go, you and your Lord." Who is his Lord? Some exegetes said his Lord is Harun, meaning they intended Harun, because "Lord" is used for a master, and Harun is older than Musa, and the older of two brothers is the master of the younger. But this is far-fetched. The apparent meaning is that they intended the Lord of the worlds (Mighty and Majestic), because Musa was calling them to Allah and to their Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He).