Surah Taa-Haa
Chapter 20 · Verse 88 · Revealed in Makkah
“And he extracted for them [the statue of] a calf which had a lowing sound, and they said, "This is your god and the god of Moses, but he forgot."”
Translation: Saheeh International
Listen to recitation
Mishary Rashid Alafasy
Reflection — Ibn Kathir
Musa goes to the Appointment with Allah and the Children of Israel succumb to worship the Calf
Allah relates what happened when Musa traveled with the Children of Israel after Fir`awn's destruction.
فَأَتَوْاْ عَلَى قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَى أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ قَالُواْ يَمُوسَى اجْعَلْ لَّنَآ إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ
Reflection — Maarif ul Quran
فَأَخْرَجَ لَهُمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ (So he brought forth for them a calf, a body with a lowing sound. - 20:88) Some Commentators maintain that it was only a body without life and that the sound was produced by a special contrivance. But the majority of commentators believe that the calf in fact possessed signs of life.
فَقَالُوا هَـٰذَا إِلَـٰهُكُمْ وَإِلَـٰهُ مُوسَىٰ فَنَسِيَ (Then they said, "This is your god and the god of Musa, and he erred." - 20:88) Having carved a calf which could also produce a sound, Samiri and his friends said to the Bani Isra'il", "Here is your god and the god of Musa. It seems Musa (علیہ السلام) has forgotten, that is why he has gone elsewhere in search of god".
What does this verse bring up for you today?