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7:148
واتخذ قوم موسى من بعده من حليهم عجلا جسدا له خوار الم يروا انه لا يكلمهم ولا يهديهم سبيلا اتخذوه وكانوا ظالمين ١٤٨
وَٱتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًۭا جَسَدًۭا لَّهُۥ خُوَارٌ ۚ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّهُۥ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا ۘ ٱتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا۟ ظَـٰلِمِينَ ١٤٨
وَٱتَّخَذَ
قَوۡمُ
مُوسَىٰ
مِنۢ
بَعۡدِهِۦ
مِنۡ
حُلِيِّهِمۡ
عِجۡلٗا
جَسَدٗا
لَّهُۥ
خُوَارٌۚ
أَلَمۡ
يَرَوۡاْ
أَنَّهُۥ
لَا
يُكَلِّمُهُمۡ
وَلَا
يَهۡدِيهِمۡ
سَبِيلًاۘ
ٱتَّخَذُوهُ
وَكَانُواْ
ظَٰلِمِينَ
١٤٨
In the absence of Moses, his people made from their ˹golden˺ jewellery an idol of a calf that made a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the ˹Right˺ Path? Still they took it as a god and were wrongdoers.
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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.

He has revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
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