Make Us a God Like That

The sūrah now turns to the Banū Isrāʾīl and their own difficulties. They had their troubles with Mūsā (peace be upon him) — difficulties of attitude, in truth. Criticism. Many of them had no scruple whatever in criticising Mūsā (peace be upon him). There was always, as Allah will mention, a party who held, mā shāʾ Allāh, to the right path, without doubt, and who were with Mūsā (peace be upon him) throughout. But the others were forever protesting, complaining and making trouble. So they come upon a people worshipping idols. And they say: O Mūsā, why do you not make us a god like that as well? Consider it: he is bringing them revelation, and they say instead: can you make up a god like that for us? Mūsā (peace be upon him) had great patience. They have gone with Mūsā (peace be upon him); they have left Pharaoh; Pharaoh is dead; and they are with Mūsā (peace be upon him), on their way to the holy lands. Mūsā (peace be upon him), from verse 142:

Wa-wāʿadnā Mūsā thalāthīna laylatan wa-atmamnāhā bi-ʿashrin fa-tamma mīqātu rabbihi arbaʿīna laylah. There was a need now, this being the first time that Mūsā (peace be upon him) had charge of the Banū Isrāʾīl. They were out of Pharaoh's grip. A law was needed; guidance was needed. So Allah (swt) called him to Ṭūr, to the mountain. And there he had to go, and to remain thirty days, and to fast. And then Allah said: ten days more are required — for whatever wisdom Allah has in it. So it was made forty days. And it is from this that we have the whole notion of forty days as a period of maturity for any undertaking — an isolation, or whatever it may be. Forty days.

Mūsā (peace be upon him) had set his brother in charge. Then Mūsā (peace be upon him) went there. And, mā shāʾ Allāh, Allah (swt) spoke to him. Allah (swt) gave him the commandments. Allah (swt) gave him the Torah; Mūsā (peace be upon him) was given the Torah. But while he is absent, the Banū Isrāʾīl are… They could not be left alone for a while, for they would always do something strange. So the Sāmirī, one of their number, fashioned a calf — a hollow calf, with holes in it. And so it was that when the wind blew, by reason of its hollowness, it made a sound. It made a noise, which made it seem as though it were alive. He said: that is your god. There is a fuller discussion of it in a later chapter. Hārūn (peace be upon him) tried to stop them, but he could do only so much. He had not the same authority as his brother, Mūsā (peace be upon him). So Allah (swt) speaks to Mūsā (peace be upon him), and then he returns to his people, and he is much grieved. For, as is mentioned in verse 148:

Wa-ttakhadha qawmu Mūsā min baʿdihi min ḥuliyyihim. When they had escaped from Pharaoh they had taken much of the gold and jewellery from the houses in which they had worked, it appears. Allah knows best. With this gold the Sāmirī came and fashioned for them this little calf, a golden calf. It had its noise. And subḥān Allāh: when Mūsā (peace be upon him) returns, in verse 150:

Wa-lammā rajaʿa Mūsā ilā qawmihi ghaḍbāna asifā: he is angry, and deeply sorrowful also — what have these people done? He is full of regret: what is wrong with these people? He is full of anguish. So he goes first to his brother, and takes him by the beard. Why did you not take care of these people? Qāla bna umma: and his brother answers him: O son of my mother — as though to say, you are my mother's son, you are very close to me. Inna al-qawma staḍʿafūnī: these people do not count me strong; they count me too weak; and they might have killed me. So do not make these people laugh at me; do not do this before them, that they may rejoice at your rebuking me. For they will only make it another pretext for laughter. And so Mūsā (peace be upon him) says:

Qāla rabbi ghfir lī wa-li-akhī. He teaches us that even where a man has erred, and another could not do what he would have done, one says: rabbi, O my Lord, forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy. We have need of Your mercy. Wa-anta arḥamu al-rāḥimīn: You are the most merciful of the merciful. And then Allah mentions, in verse 152, that those who took this calf for a lord shall receive great anger from their Lord, and shall find humiliation in this world besides. Thus do We deal with those who fabricate.