Melaka Is the Promised Land

Part 2: The Restoration of Israel’s Honor After Slavery

In this section, I will elaborate on the story of Prophet Moses and his people, the Children of Israel, as recorded by Allah in Surah Al-Mā’idah verse 20. This verse serves as the foundation for retelling their history after being saved from Pharaoh and before receiving the command to enter the blessed land.

All narratives presented here are based on the text of the Qur’an. It is best that you first refer to the explanations of classical mufassir such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari. My approach, however, aims to provide a different form of analysis based on data and contemporary facts. Through this verse, we can trace how Prophet Moses advised his people to remember the favors of Allah and to understand that their distinction was not due to lineage, but because of the responsibility that came with the divine trust of prophethood and the freedom granted by Allah.

Structure of the Verse and Direction of Address

This verse represents a historical address from Prophet Moses to the Children of Israel. It was delivered after they were saved from Pharaoh at the Red Sea, and before they were commanded to enter the blessed land (al-Arḍ al-Muqaddasah).

Therefore, we must understand that this verse lies between two major historical events:

• After their liberation from the bondage of Egypt

• Before the test of obedience to conquer the promised land

Thus, this verse is not merely a reminder, but also a warning before disobedience takes place.

Moses’ Reminder in QS Al-Mā’idah 5:20

Prophet Moses was not praising them, but reminding them not to become arrogant after being freed from Pharaoh. Hence Allah recorded Moses’ words in His revelation:

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنۢبِيَآءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكًۭا وَءَاتَىٰكُم مَّا لَمْ يُؤْتِ أَحَدًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

And [mention] when Moses said to his people, “O my people, remember the favor of Allah upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you mulukan (sovereigns), and gave you what He had not given to any among the worlds.”

(Al-Mā’idah 5:20)

The Psychological Context of the Verse

When this verse was spoken, the Children of Israel had just escaped from Egypt. They still carried the mentality of slaves — fearful, dependent, and easily discouraged. Although they had just witnessed the destruction of Pharaoh at sea, they had yet to see themselves as a sovereign people.

Therefore, Prophet Moses reminded them:

You are not a weak nation.
You are the descendants of prophets, and your forefathers were mulukan — rulers, not the ruled.

This was not merely a historical speech. Prophet Moses was healing and restoring the spirit of his people after centuries of enslavement. He uplifted their dignity by reminding them of their noble lineage — a people who once possessed prophets and their own governance.

Analysis of the Verse Structure

The phrase اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ (“remember the favor of Allah upon you”) is not merely an instruction to recall blessings, but a command to rediscover who you truly are before Allah.

Its arrangement conveys a deep restoration process:

• The phrase جعل فيكم أنبياء reminds them that their ancestors were bearers of revelation, not merely recipients.

• The phrase وجعلكم ملوكًا reminds them that they once possessed sovereignty on earth, not a legacy of servitude.

• The phrase وآتاكم ما لم يؤت أحدًا من العالمين indicates that they had once reached a pinnacle of divine favor — a level of civilization and blessing not granted to any other people. The word ‘alamin’ here refers to humankind, not all realms of existence.

This verse serves to restore their spirit and identity — not to rebuke them for moral failure.

The Wisdom Behind Moses’ Reminder

The purpose of Moses’ address was to strengthen his people’s faith and courage so that they would be ready to accept the next divine command — to enter the blessed land and establish Allah’s law there.

Moses knew that if they still possessed a slave’s mentality, they would be afraid, and indeed that was what happened in the subsequent verses (5:21–24), when they said:

“O Moses, indeed within it are a people of great strength, and we will never enter it…”

Thus, verse 5:20 represents the strategic da‘wah of Prophet Moses:

• To first awaken their confidence,

• To remind them that their honor comes from Allah,

• So that when the command for jihad in the promised land arrives, they would no longer see themselves as small or powerless.

The Restoration of Honor

The verse QS Al-Mā’idah 5:20 is not about ethnic pride, but about restoring awareness of the origins of revelation and the dignity of a people. Prophet Moses was reshaping his nation’s mindset so that they would understand:

“You were not created to bow to other men. You are the descendants of prophets, a people whom Allah has empowered. The time has come to uphold that trust. Your mission has arrived.”

QS Al-Mā’idah 5:20 is not the only verse that revives the identity and self-worth of the Children of Israel. Many other verses emphasize their divine privileges and responsibilities toward the trust of revelation, such as:

1) Al-Baqarah 2:47

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you over all nations.

2) Al-Baqarah 2:122

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you over all nations.

3) Al-Jāthiyah 45:16

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

And We certainly gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, the command, and the prophethood; and We provided them with good things and preferred them over all nations.

These verses reinforce the message of QS Al-Mā’idah 5:20 that Allah truly elevated the Children of Israel with the blessings of revelation, prophethood, and sovereignty, so that they might uphold the great responsibility that came with those privileges.

Conclusion

The motivation conveyed by Prophet Moses in QS Al-Mā’idah 5:20 was not merely to remind them of their past, but to rekindle their spiritual strength and restore their dignity. It was a speech of renewal that brought them back to the original purpose of creation to realize that divine favor demands responsibility. Moses sought to mold a nation that believed in Allah’s promise, dared to move forward, and was ready to bear the trust that awaited them.

Therefore, his call was not a retelling of history, but an awakening of identity. The Children of Israel had to realize that they were no longer freed slaves, but heirs to a divine mission. This call prepared them for the next stage, a great test that would determine whether they were worthy of the sovereignty once entrusted to their forefathers.

In the next section, we will explore the true meaning of the phrase “وَجَعَلَكُمْ مُلُوكًا” what is meant by mulukan, how this sovereignty was granted to the Children of Israel, and why this concept forms the foundation of the entire history of the Promised Land.

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