Tafsir

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.

The next verses continue to narrate the remaining part of the story. When the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) did not turn up after thirty days from the mount of Sinai where he was to be ordained by Allah after passing ten more nights on the mount, the Israelites who were a hasty and impatient people began to make fuss about it.

Among them there was a person named Samiri who was a prominent man, but at the same time, had beliefs in superstitions. He said to the people that the jewels and ornaments of the Egyptians possessed by them were not permissible for them. It may be noted that the plunder or booty taken from the enemy after their defeat was also not permissible for the Israelites. The Israelites gathered all their jewels and handed these over to him. He melted the ornaments and forged a golden calf from it. A peculiar thing reported about him is that he had collected some dust from under the hoofs of the horse of the Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) (Gabriel) at some occasion. Allah had made this dust to have the effect of some kind of life. Samiri mixed this dust with the molten metal while preparing the calf. This made the calf to emit a sound like the mooing of a cow.

Having designed this satanic invention he invited the people to worship the calf and said that it was god. He said that the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) had gone to speak with God to the mount of Sinai while god had come to them in the form of this calf. Samiri already enjoyed a place of respect among them, this unusual demonstration increased their trust in him and they started worshipping the calf, and took it as their god. The verse 148 has given a short description of this event while another verse of the Holy Qur'an has described it in detail.

واتخذ قوم موسى من بعد ما فارقهم ماضيًا لمناجاة ربه معبودًا مِن ذهبهم عِجلا جسدًا بلا روح، له صوت، ألم يعلموا أنه لا يكلمهم، ولا يرشدهم إلى خير؟ أَقْدَمُوا على ما أقدموا عليه من هذا الأمر الشنيع، وكانوا ظالمين لأنفسهم واضعين الشيء في غير موضعه.

يخبر تعالى عن ضلال من ضل من بني إسرائيل في عبادتهم العجل ، الذي اتخذه لهم السامري من حلي القبط ، الذي كانوا استعاروه منهم ، فشكل لهم منه عجلا ثم ألقى فيه القبضة من التراب التي أخذها من أثر فرس جبريل ، عليه السلام ، فصار عجلا جسدا له خوار ، و " الخوار " صوت البقر . وكان هذا منهم بعد ذهاب موسى عليه السلام لميقات ربه تعالى ، وأعلمه الله تعالى بذلك وهو على الطور ، حيث يقول تعالى إخبارا عن نفسه الكريمة : ( ( 149 ) قال فإنا قد فتنا قومك من بعدك وأضلهم السامري ) [ طه : 85 ]وقد اختلف المفسرون في هذا العجل : هل صار لحما ودما له خوار ؟ أو استمر على كونه من ذهب ، إلا أنه يدخل فيه الهواء فيصوت كالبقر ؟ على قولين ، والله أعلم . ويقال : إنهم لما صوت لهم العجل رقصوا حوله وافتتنوا به ، ( فقالوا هذا إلهكم وإله موسى فنسي ) [ طه : 88 ] فقال الله تعالى : ( أفلا يرون ألا يرجع إليهم قولا ولا يملك لهم ضرا ولا نفعا ) [ طه : 89 ]وقال في هذه الآية الكريمة : ( ألم يروا أنه لا يكلمهم ولا يهديهم سبيلا ) ينكر تعالى عليهم في ضلالهم بالعجل ، وذهولهم عن خالق السماوات والأرض ورب كل شيء ومليكه ، أن عبدوا معه عجلا جسدا له خوار لا يكلمهم ، ولا يرشدهم إلى خير .

ولكن غطى على أعين بصائرهم عمى الجهل والضلال ، كما تقدم من رواية الإمام أحمد وأبي داود ، عن أبي الدرداء قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " حبك الشيء يعمي ويصم "