Surah Baqarah ayat 51 Tafsir Quran 2:51

﴿وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 51]

2:51 And [recall] when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights. Then you took [for worship] the calf after him, while you were wrongdoers.

And when We appointed for wā‘adnā or wa‘adnā Moses forty nights at the end of which We shall give him the Torah for you to implement then you took to yourselves the calf the one which the Samaritan fashioned for you as a god after him that is after he departed for Our appointment and you were evildoers for taking it in worship because you directed your worship to the wrong place.

Then We ordained the divine assignation for Mussa and arranged the place and the time where and when We would be exposed to his mental view and he was in audience of Us after the completion of exclusive religious devotion for fourty nights, and you became impatient and paid reverence and veneration to the calf which you regarded it as a godhead, characterizing yourselves by perversity of judgment and wrong actions

The Children of Israel worshipped the Calf Allah then said, "Remember My favor on you when I forgave you for worshipping the calf." This happened after Musa went to the meeting place with his Lord at the end of that period which was forty days.
These forty days were mentioned in Surat Al-A`raf, when Allah said, وَوَعَدْنَا مُوسَى ثَلَـثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ ( And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added (to the period ) ten ( more )) ( 7:142 ). It was said that these days were during the month of Dhul-Qa`dah plus the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, after the Children of Israel were delivered from Fir`awn and they safely crossed the sea.
Allah's statement, وَإِذْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ ( And (remember ) when We gave Musa the Scripture) means, the Tawrah, وَالْفُرْقَانِ ( And the criterion ) that is that which differentiates between truth and falsehood, guidance and deviation. لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ( So that you may be guided aright ), after escaping the sea, as another Ayah in Surat Al-A`raf clearly stated, وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ( And indeed We gave Musa ـ after We had destroyed the generations of old ـ the Scripture (the Tawrah ) as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might remember ( or receive admonition )) ( 28:43 ).

(2:51) Call to mind that when We invited Moses for a fixed term of forty nights and days, *67 you took to calf worship in his absence. *68 Though you had committed a wicked transgression,

And [recall] when We made an appointment meaning

*67).
When the Israelites reached the Sinai peninsula after their exodus from Egypt, God summoned Moses to the mountain for forty days and nights so that the nation which had now achieved independence could be taught law and morality.
( See Exodus 24-3l. )
*68).
The cult of cow-worship was widespread among Israel's neighbours.
It was particularly common in Egypt and Canaan.
After the time of Joseph, when the Israelites fell prey to degeneracy and became the slaves of the Copts, they were contaminated by many of the corrupt practices prevalent among their rulers.
Cow-worship was one of them.
( There is a detailed account of the episode of calf-worship in Exodus 32. )
 

The Children of Israel worshipped the Calf Allah then said, "Remember My favor on you when I forgave you for worshipping the calf." This happened after Musa went to the meeting place with his Lord at the end of that period which was forty days.
These forty days were mentioned in Surat Al-A`raf, when Allah said, وَوَعَدْنَا مُوسَى ثَلَـثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ ( And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added (to the period ) ten ( more )) ( 7:142 ). It was said that these days were during the month of Dhul-Qa`dah plus the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, after the Children of Israel were delivered from Fir`awn and they safely crossed the sea.
Allah's statement, وَإِذْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ ( And (remember ) when We gave Musa the Scripture) means, the Tawrah, وَالْفُرْقَانِ ( And the criterion ) that is that which differentiates between truth and falsehood, guidance and deviation. لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ( So that you may be guided aright ), after escaping the sea, as another Ayah in Surat Al-A`raf clearly stated, وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ( And indeed We gave Musa ـ after We had destroyed the generations of old ـ the Scripture (the Tawrah ) as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might remember ( or receive admonition )) ( 28:43 ).

( And when We appointed for Moses forty nights ) by giving him the scripture, ( and then you chose the calf ), you worshipped the calf, ( when he had gone from you ) to the mountain, ( and you were wrong-doers ) harmful both to yourselves and others.

And (remember) when We appointed for Musa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.).

Page 8 English transliteration