1121 Seventy of the elders were taken up to the Mount, but left at some distance from the place where Allah spoke to Moses. They were to be silent witnesses, but their faith was not yet complete, and they dared to say to Moses: "We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah in public" (
2:55 ). They were dazed with thunder and lightning, and might have been destroyed but for Allah's mercy on the intercession of Moses. 1122 Rajfah: violent quaking, earthquake. I take it to refer to the same event as is described by the word Sa'iqah in
2:55 , the thunder and lightning that shook the mountainside. 1123 Moses was guiltless, but he identifies himself with his whole people, and intercedes with Allah on their behalf. He recognises that it was a trial, in which some of his people failed to stand the test. Such failure was worthy of punishment. But he pleads for mercy for such as erred from weakness and not from contumacy, and were truly repentant, although all who erred were in their several degrees worthy of punishment. 1124 Cf.
2:26.