• The Israelites making a calf and worshipping it

• Aaron faultless

Al-A’raaf Verses 148 - 151

وَٱتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُۥ خُوَارٌ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّهُۥ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا ۘ ٱتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا۟ ظَـٰلِمِينَ

The people of Moses after him (in his absence) made of their ornaments, a calf,1a (mere) body which seemed to low; Could they see not, it neither speaketh to them, and nor it guideth them in the way? They adopted it (for worship) and they were unjust. (7:148)

وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فِىٓ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَأَوْا۟ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّوا۟ قَالُوا۟ لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ

And when they repented2and saw that they had gone astray, said they: “If Our Lord be not merciful unto us and forgive us (not), surely we shall be of the losers.” (7:149)3

وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ غَضْبَـٰنَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِى مِنۢ بَعْدِىٓ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى ٱلْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ٱبْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُوا۟ يَقْتُلُونَنِى فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِىَ ٱلْأَعْدَآءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِى مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And when returned Moses unto his people, wrathful and grieved, said he: “evil is it that ye have neglected4me; after me ye did make haste about the matter of your Lord?” and he threw down the tablets and seized his brother (Aaron) by the head, dragging him unto him; Said he (Aaron): “O’ Son of my mother! verily the people did reckon me weak and had well-nigh slain me, so make not (my) enemies rejoice over me, and count thou not me among the unjust people.” (7:150)5

قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِأَخِى وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِى رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ

Said he (Moses) (praying) “O’ My Lord! Forgive me and my Brother and admit us into Thy mercy, and Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.” (7:151)

Commentary

Verse 150

In Chapter 20 from verses 20:83 to 20:98 is given a more detailed account of Samiri and his calf, and expressively asserts that Aaron was not a party to Samiri’s plot of paganic nature and that he had warned the people that it was the test of their conviction in their faith and the people refused to abide by his warning. It is obvious Moses’ anger though apparent shown against Aaron actually was against the mischief makers, but he wanted Aaron to as a responsible man, to be reproached so that he may clear his position and be exempted from the consequent wrath of God and so that Moses may not be accused of any favour towards his brother.

The lesson of this story is that giving any religious prominence or authority to anyone on account of temporal possession or any after temporal consideration and adopting him as authority in religion while he is unable to guide them to the right path and satisfy the religious quest is nothing but like adopting the golden calf as the object of worship. Another point here is the taking of a hasty action in the matter of a religious authority with no divine sanction behind would lead to undesirable consequence. To this effect Bukhari tells in that Umar said that Abu Bakr’s Bay‘ah (Oath of allegiance) was a hasty action.

In reading this and 20:88 the saying of the Holy Prophet ‘O’ ‘Ali thou art as Aaron was to Moses.’ (A.P.)

• 1. Refer to verse 20:88.
• 2. Felt their failure against the argument.
• 3. Refer to verse 20:88.
• 4. Thrown one behind, after I left you.
• 5. Refer to verse 20:88.