Transliteration:( Wattakhaza qawmu Moosaa mim ba'dihee min huliyyihim 'ijlan jasadal lahoo khuwaar; alam yaraw annahoo laa yukallimuhum wa laa yahdeehim sabeelaa; ittakhazoohu wa kaanoo zaalimeen )
And after the absence of Musa, his people made a calf (321) out of their ornaments, a lifeless body, producing a living sound (322). Did they not see that it neither talked (323) to them, nor guided them to any way (324)? They took it [for worship] and were unjust (325).
When Musa (peace be upon him) went to Mount Sinai, Samiri used the ornaments collected from the Israelites to construct the golden calf. These jewels originally belonged to the Pharaoh’s people, but were in the Israelites' possession, so they are referred to as their ornaments. Since the whole community supported the act, Samiri is described as the maker on behalf of the people.
The calf was lifeless, but it seemed to make a sound like a living animal. This was due to Samiri placing dust from the hoof of Hazrat Jibra’il’s (peace be upon him) horse into its mouth, giving it a deceptive vitality. The miraculous origin of the dust was pure, but the material (Pharaoh’s gold) was impure—good material mixed with corruption led to misguidance, not guidance.
The Israelites knew very well that their true Lord speaks, guides, and knows all things, yet they worshipped a mute, lifeless object. Despite this, they were swayed by emotion and spectacle, turning their backs on what they intellectually knew to be true—showing that knowledge without sincerity is not enough.
Though the dust from Jibra’il’s hoof had potential for barakah (blessing), it was applied to gold from an evil source, leading to misguidance. This serves as a powerful metaphor: knowledge in the hands of the wicked can mislead, just as pure revelation (Qur’an and Hadith) can be twisted if the heart is not connected to the Prophet ﷺ. Like train carriages disconnected from the engine, such knowledge loses its divine direction.
The Israelites worshipped the calf through singing, dancing, and rituals, which the Tafseer Roohul Bayaan links to the behaviors of misguided worshippers. This is contrasted with the ecstatic states of saints, which are spontaneous and divinely inspired, not deliberate performances. Those who imitate frenzy for show are merely following in the footsteps of those who worshipped the calf, making their actions void and unjust.
148. And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound. 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 wrongdoers. 149. And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they said: “If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers”
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,
((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,
(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,
(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,
(And when they regretted), and felt sorrow for their action,
(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]
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.
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