Surah Araf ayat 148 Tafsir Quran 7:148

﴿وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ ۚ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا ۘ اتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 148]

7:148 And the people of Moses made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it [for worship], and they were wrongdoers.

And the people of Moses after him that is after he had departed for the communion with God made of their ornaments which they had borrowed from Pharaoh’s folk on the pretext of a wedding celebration and which remained in their possession a calf which the Samaritan had fashioned for them therefrom; a mere living body jasadan is a substitution for ‘ijlan ‘a calf’ of flesh and blood which lowed that is which made audible sounds like a cow it the calf was transformed in this way when the dust which he the Samaritan had collected from where the hoof of Gabriel’s steed had trodden was placed in its mouth for it has the effect of giving life to that in which it is placed the second direct object of the verb ittakhadha ‘they made’ has been omitted but it would be ilāhan ‘as a god’. Did they not see that it spoke not to them nor guided them to any way? so how can it be taken as a god? Yet they took it as such a god and were evildoers for taking it so.

Influenced by idolatrous Egypt, the people of Mussa took advantage of his absence on the Mount, being absorbed in the intense spiritual communion with Allah, and melted all their gold ornaments and built a body in the image of a calf* lowing like cattle when down wind. Did they not perceive that it was mute! Never did it speak to them nor would it guide them or determine the course of events! Yet they reverenced it and adored it with appropriate acts and rites, and were wrongful of actions

Story of worshipping the Calf Allah describes the misguidance of those who worshipped the calf that As-Samiri made for them from the ornaments they borrowed from the Copts.
He made the shape of a calf with these ornaments and threw in it a handful of dust from the trace of the horse that the Angel Jibril was riding, and the calf seemed to moo.
This occurred after Musa went for the appointed term with his Lord, where Allah told him about what happened when he was on Mount Tur.
Allah said about His Honorable Self, قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِن بَعْدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ السَّامِرِىُّ ( (Allah ) said: "Verily, We have tried your people in your absence, and As-Samiri has led them astray") 20:85.
The scholars of Tafsir have different views over the calf, whether it actually became alive and mooing, or if it remained made of gold, but the air entering it made it appear to be mooing.
These are two opinions.
Allah knows best.
It was reported that when the statue mooed, the Jews started dancing around it and fell into misguidance because they adored it.
They said that this, the calf, is your god and the god of Musa, but Musa forgot it! Allah answered them, أَفَلاَ يَرَوْنَ أَلاَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلاً وَلاَ يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرّاً وَلاَ نَفْعاً ( Did they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer ), and that it had neither power to harm them nor to do them good) 20:89.
Allah said here, أَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّهُ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلاَ يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلاً ( Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the way ) Allah condemned the Jews for falling into misguidance, worshipping the calf and ignoring the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Lord and King of all things.
They worshipped besides Him a statue made in the shape of a calf, that seemed to moo, but it neither spoke to them nor brought them any benefit.
Rather, their very sense of reason was blinded because of ignorance and misguidance.
Allah's statement, وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فَى أَيْدِيهِمْ ( And when they regretted ), and felt sorrow for their action, وَرَأَوْاْ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ ( and saw that they had gone astray, they said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we will certainly become among the losers." ) or among the destroyed ones.
This was their recognition of their sin and their way of seeking salvation from Allah the Most Mighty and Majestic.

(7:148) And in the absence of Moses *106 his people made the image of a calf from their ornaments, which lowed. Did they not observe that it could neither speak nor give them any guidance? And still they made it an object of worship. They were indeed wrong-doing.  *107

And the people of Moses made, after meaning

*106).
Here reference is made to the forty days which Moses spent on Mount Sinai in compliance with God's command when his people remained in the plain at the foot of the mountain called Maydan al-Rahah.

*107).
Their cow-worship was another manifestation of the Israelites' slavish attachment to the Egyptian traditions at the time of the Exodus.
It is well-known that cow-worship was widespread in Egypt and it was during their stay there that the Israelites developed this strange infatuation.
The Qur'an also refers to their inclination to cow-worship: 'Their hearts were overflowing with love for the calf because of their unbelief' ( al-Baqarah 2: 93 ).
What is more surprising about their turn to idolatry is that it took place just three months after their escape from Egypt.
During that time they had witnessed the parting of the sea, the drowning of Pharaoh, and their own deliverance from what otherwise seemed inescapable slavery, to the Egyptians.
They knew well that all those events had taken place owing to the unmistakable and direct interference of the all-powerful God.
Yet they had the audacity to demand that their Prophet should make for them a false god that they might worship.
Not only that, soon after Moses left them for Mount Sinai, they themselves contrived a false god.
Disgusted with such conduct on the part of the Israelites, some Prophets have likened their people to a nymphomaniac who loves all save her husband and who is unfaithful to him even on their nuptial night.

 

Story of worshipping the Calf Allah describes the misguidance of those who worshipped the calf that As-Samiri made for them from the ornaments they borrowed from the Copts.
He made the shape of a calf with these ornaments and threw in it a handful of dust from the trace of the horse that the Angel Jibril was riding, and the calf seemed to moo.
This occurred after Musa went for the appointed term with his Lord, where Allah told him about what happened when he was on Mount Tur.
Allah said about His Honorable Self, قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِن بَعْدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ السَّامِرِىُّ ( (Allah ) said: "Verily, We have tried your people in your absence, and As-Samiri has led them astray") 20:85.
The scholars of Tafsir have different views over the calf, whether it actually became alive and mooing, or if it remained made of gold, but the air entering it made it appear to be mooing.
These are two opinions.
Allah knows best.
It was reported that when the statue mooed, the Jews started dancing around it and fell into misguidance because they adored it.
They said that this, the calf, is your god and the god of Musa, but Musa forgot it! Allah answered them, أَفَلاَ يَرَوْنَ أَلاَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلاً وَلاَ يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرّاً وَلاَ نَفْعاً ( Did they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer ), and that it had neither power to harm them nor to do them good) 20:89.
Allah said here, أَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّهُ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلاَ يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلاً ( Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the way ) Allah condemned the Jews for falling into misguidance, worshipping the calf and ignoring the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Lord and King of all things.
They worshipped besides Him a statue made in the shape of a calf, that seemed to moo, but it neither spoke to them nor brought them any benefit.
Rather, their very sense of reason was blinded because of ignorance and misguidance.
Allah's statement, وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فَى أَيْدِيهِمْ ( And when they regretted ), and felt sorrow for their action, وَرَأَوْاْ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ ( and saw that they had gone astray, they said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we will certainly become among the losers." ) or among the destroyed ones.
This was their recognition of their sin and their way of seeking salvation from Allah the Most Mighty and Majestic.

( And the folk of Moses, after (he had left them )) to go in retreat in the mountain, ( chose ) made ( a calf (for worship ), ( made ) out of their ornaments, of saffron hue) of their gold, ( which gave a lowing sound ) a sound that the Samiri made for them. ( Saw they not ) did the people of Moses not know ( that it spake not unto them ) i.e. the calf ( nor guided them to any way? They chose it ) they worshipped the calf out of ignorance, ( and became wrong-doers ) and they harmed themselves by worshipping it.

And the people of Musa (Moses) made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing). Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the way? They took it for worship and they were Zalimun (wrong-doers).

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