As-Saff (The Ranks)

5. Remember when Moses (as)said unto his people: “O my people! Why do you annoy me while you know certainly that I am the Messenger of Allah to you? Therefore when they turned away from the path of Truth, Allah turned their hearts away [from the path]. And Allah guides not the people who are disobedient to Him.

The Arabic verbal form

zagha (“deviated”)

is cognate with zigh connoting deviation from the path of Truth.

Man is spiritually inclined toward treading the Straight Path, but it is his concupiscence that deters him from doing so.

Making a reference to Prophet Moses' (as) people, the blessed Verse is saying that despite having observed so many miracles and proofs regarding his Prophetic Call, they failed to obey him, but they annoyed him to such an extent that they regarded his miracles as magic and ascribed forging lies by him despite the fact that they were certain of his Prophetic Call.

Thus, complaining from his own people, Prophet Moses (as) is saying:

“O people! Why do you annoy me so much when you know that I am Allah’s Messenger sent unto you for your guidance? You are supposed to obey me if you follow your reason so that you may be saved.”

Nonetheless, the people of Moses (as) failed to persevere in the Straight Path of Divine Unity and deviated from it such that owing to their evil deeds, God Almighty made their hearts turn away from the Path of Truth, since God Almighty never guides those who disobey His Messengers. Thus, it is reflected the blessed Verse that there is no affliction worse that being deprived of Divine Justice and one’s heart be turned away from the Path of Truth.