#الأربعون_في_ذكر_الأربعين

4. Forty Years of Aimless Wandering: Bani Israel’s Divine Punishment Allāh جل وعلا said: ﴿فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً يَتِيهُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ﴾ "[Allāh] said, Then indeed, it (the holy land) is forbidden to them for forty years [in which] they will wander (aimlessly) through the land." Commentary: Ibn Kathir rahimahullah said: "When Musa (peace be upon him) supplicated against them, after they refused to fight, Allah decreed that they would be forbidden from entering the land for forty years. So they wandered in the desert aimlessly, constantly moving without finding a way out. During that time, many amazing things and miracles happened. Allah shaded them with clouds, sent down manna and quail for them to eat, and brought out flowing water from a solid rock that they carried with them on an animal. Whenever Musa struck the rock with his staff, twelve springs would gush out from it—each group having its own spring. These were among the many miracles by which Allah supported Musa, son of ‘Imran. It was there that the Torah was revealed, laws were given to them, and the Tabernacle (a special sacred tent) was made... ...Then Harun (peace be upon him) passed away, and about three years later Musa (peace be upon him) also died. After him, Allah appointed Yusha‘ ibn Nun (peace be upon him) as a prophet and leader to succeed Musa. Most of Bani Israel died during that period, and it is said that only Yusha‘ and Kalib remained from that earlier generation... ...When the forty years ended, Yusha‘ ibn Nun led those who remained, along with the new generation of Bani Israel, toward Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He laid siege to it, and it was opened on a Friday after the afternoon prayer." [End of quote] Sheikh As-Si'di rahimahullah explained: "The wisdom behind this [forty year] period may be that most of those who made those statements—coming from hearts without patience or firmness—would pass away. They had become used to being controlled by their enemy and lacked the ambition to rise and improve themselves. In their place, a new generation would grow up, raised to seek strength over their enemies and to avoid weakness and humiliation that prevent success." [End of quote] Note: Having covered the five Ayaat concerning the number forty, we will proceed to the related hadiths. https://t.me/madrasatuna/6021