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 )
321. Because Samari had made the calf through the advice and help of the entire people he had been declared the maker of the nation. Similarly, because the jewels were in the possession of the Israelites they are called as their jewels. Otherwise, really speaking these belonged to the Pharaoh..
322. This means Samari placed in the mouth of the golden calf the dust of the hoof of Hazrat Jibracel's (On whom be peace) horse which bequeathed life in it.
323. By this is meant the Israelites fully knew that the true Lord is He who is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Omniscient and a True Guide and speaks to the creation through the medium of the Prophet. Despite this, they still took the golden calf as their god.
324. Although the sand from the hoof of Hazrat Jibraeel's (On whom be peace) was pure and good yet Pharaoh's gold was impure. Thus, the sound emanating from the golden calf led the people astray. Likewise, the knowledge of the wicked and evil people can cause good people to go astray. If this gold was pure and clean, its sound should have provided guidance for the people, not lead them astray. The Holy QUR'AAN and the Hadith are the box of the spiritual radio. If the heart is connected with then only صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم the Holy Prophet will the Holy QUR'AAN become a source of guidance for him, but if it is connected with the devil the learned will recite the QUR'AAN but will teach transgression. May Allah Almighty keep the connection of the heart correct. Any compartment which is cut off from the engine has no value nor can earn any rental.
325. Because they had worshipped other than Allah Almighty e.g. they were dancing and singing in front of the golden calf. The author of Tafseer Roohul Bayaan says music, dancing, singing, etc. is the way of life of the worshippers of the golden calf. The enrapturing of the noble saints of Allah Almighty is spontaneous and uncontrollable. He who gets into a fit of frenzy consciously and for show is perpetuating this way of the Israelites.
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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 losersâ€
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 astrayâ€) ï´¿20:85ï´¾. 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) ï´¿20:89ï´¾. 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.â€) 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.
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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