Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-A'raf (The Heights)

Verse 148of 206

وَٱتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًۭا جَسَدًۭا لَّهُۥ خُوَارٌ ۚ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّهُۥ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا ۘ ٱتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا۟ ظَٰلِمِينَ﴿١٤٨

Translation (Sahih International)

And the people of Moses made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it [for worship], and they were wrongdoers.

Word-by-word meaning

وَٱتَّخَذَwa-ittakhadhaAnd took
قَوْمُqawmu(the) people
مُوسَىٰmūsā(of) Musa
مِنۢminfrom
بَعْدِهِۦbaʿdihiafter him
مِنْminfrom
حُلِيِّهِمْḥuliyyihimtheir ornaments
عِجْلًۭاʿij'lana calf
جَسَدًۭاjasadanan image
لَّهُۥlahu[for] it
خُوَارٌ ۚkhuwārun(had) a lowing sound
أَلَمْalamDid not
يَرَوْا۟yarawthey see
أَنَّهُۥannahuthat it
لَا(could) not
يُكَلِّمُهُمْyukallimuhumspeak to them
وَلَاwalāand not
يَهْدِيهِمْyahdīhimguide them
سَبِيلًا ۘsabīlan(to) a way
ٱتَّخَذُوهُittakhadhūhuThey took it (for worship)
وَكَانُوا۟wakānūand they were
ظَـٰلِمِينَẓālimīnawrongdoers

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Story of worshipping the CalfAllah 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project