392. Did the Almighty decimate those that did not commit sin.
Verse (7:155) of the Quran when superficially viewed would seem to convey, those who were not involved in the worship of the oxen idol were also brought to book and punished by God.
One cannot shoulder the crime burden of another is the rule of law depicted all through the Quran. (Please refer point No;265)
And this is the norm world over, because no one can be held responsible for another’s crime.
Hence we need to understand this verse on the lines of God’s rendering of Justice.
This verse of the Quran starts with the message of Prophet Musa picking the best seventy members from his community to serve them. Picking the best among people always points out the importance of their genuineness in serving. Prophet Musa chooses the best people in the community, and this was the moment it is said, a terrifying noise struck them. The reason for the terrifying noise striking them is not explained here.
But on analyzing other verses of the Quran it is found the noise struck them because of their demand to directly witness the Almighty.
Generally, the norm of Almighty punishing those who demand to see Him in person is to strike them with a loud bang, Prophet Musa was also struck and became speechless with a loud bang when he demanded to see God directly, in verse 7:43 of the Quran.
Hence they were struck for demanding a direct vision of God, and not for worshiping idols.
Moreover verse 4:153 of the Quran says they worshipped the oxen idol only after the loud sound struck them. ‘A loud bang struck them and later they worshipped the oxen’.
Many scholars came to this conclusion based on Prophet Musa’s question to God whether He is destroying all of them including the good for the wrong committed by a few imbeciles.
They did not bother about the verse in the Quran saying one cannot be held responsible for the wrong acts of another.
Only a few of them demanded vociferously for a direct vision of God while others did not do the same though they longed for the same. Hence the Almighty struck them with a loud bang. If we could understand Prophet Musa was aware that only a few among his people demanded God’s appearance outwardly, he questioned God the way he did, and would find all the verses of the Quran are in consonance with each other.
