Surah 7:148
Show Full Scripture Context (7:148-151) — 4 Verses
وَٱتَّخَذَ قَوۡمُ مُوسَىٰ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ مِنۡ حُلِيِّهِمۡ عِجۡلٗا جَسَدٗا لَّهُۥ خُوَارٌۚ أَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّهُۥ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمۡ وَلَا يَهۡدِيهِمۡ سَبِيلًاۘ ٱتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُواْ ظَٰلِمِينَ
And the people of Moses, after he (was gone), made a calf out of their ornaments – a (mere) image of it (having) a mooing sound. Did they not see that it could not speak to them or guide them to a way? (Yet) they made it and became evildoers.
وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فِيٓ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَرَأَوۡاْ أَنَّهُمۡ قَدۡ ضَلُّواْ قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمۡ يَرۡحَمۡنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ
But when they stumbled and saw that they had gone astray, they said, ‘If indeed our Lord does not have compassion on us, and does not forgive us, we shall indeed be among the losers.’
وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ غَضۡبَٰنَ أَسِفٗا قَالَ بِئۡسَمَا خَلَفۡتُمُونِي مِنۢ بَعۡدِيٓۖ أَعَجِلۡتُمۡ أَمۡرَ رَبِّكُمۡۖ وَأَلۡقَى ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأۡسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيۡهِۚ قَالَ ٱبۡنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱسۡتَضۡعَفُونِي وَكَادُواْ يَقۡتُلُونَنِي فَلَا تُشۡمِتۡ بِيَ ٱلۡأَعۡدَآءَ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡنِي مَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
When Moses returned to his people, in anger (and) grief, he said, ‘Evil is what you have done as my successors, after I (left you). Have you sought to hurry the command of your Lord?’ And he cast (down) the Tablets, and seized his brother’s head, dragging him toward himself. He said, ‘Son of my mother! Surely the people thought me weak, and nearly killed me. So do not let (my) enemies gloat over me, and do not place me among the people who are evildoers.’
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ لِي وَلِأَخِي وَأَدۡخِلۡنَا فِي رَحۡمَتِكَۖ وَأَنتَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّـٰحِمِينَ
He said, ‘My Lord, forgive me and my brother, and cause us to enter into Your mercy, (for) You are the most compassionate of the compassionate.’
"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, {"What an evil thing is that which you have done during my absence. Did you hasten the matter of your Lord?"} And he threw down the Tablets and seized his brother by (the hair of) his head and dragged him towards him. Harun said: {"O son of my mother! Indeed the people judged me weak and were about to kill me, so make not the enemies rejoice over me, nor put me among the people who are wrongdoers."}
you have not respected (waited or observed) my word!’ ”} [20:92-94]. Here, Allah said that Harun said, {"O son of my mother! Indeed the people judged me weak and were about to kill me, so make not the enemies rejoice over me, nor put me among the people who are wrongdoers ."} Harun said, ‘Do not place me on the same level as they are, as if I was one of them.’ Further, Harun said, ‘O son of my mother’, so that Musa would feel more mercy and leniency towards him, even though Harun was also the son of Musa’s father. When Musa was satisfied that his brother was innocent, {[And Harun indeed had said to them beforehand: “O my people! You are being tried in this, and verily, your Lord is (Allah) the Most Gracious, so follow me and obey my order ."]}(quran/20/90), this is when, {he said} Musa, {"O my Lord! Forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy, for you are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."} Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said, "May Allah grant His mercy to Musa! Surely, he who observes [something] is nothing like he who is informed about it. His Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored, told him that his people were tested after him, but he did not throw the Tablets. When he saw them with his eyes, then he threw the Tablets!"
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 4)