Moo Ornament

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This is Allah (70) Allah Blamed Moses' People for Taking the Calf as God

Many people do not know Allah. This series (1-70) is an attempt to help them to know their Creator.

Verses 7:147-149 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) Allah's Law: The good deeds of the disbelievers are nullified in the Hereafter, 2) Allah inquires: Shall the disbelievers requited in the Hereafter aught save what they used to do? 3) What the Israelites have done with the Gold that they took from the Egyptians? 4) The Israelites made an idol calf which yielded audible sounds? 5) Allah blamed the Israelites for taking the calf as god, 6) When the Israelites realized that they had gone astray from the Truth and 7) When the Israelites said: we verily are of the lost?

The meaning of verse 7:147

Allah says:

And for those who deny Our revelations; those who disbelieve in Our Scripture and Messenger and the meeting of the Hereafter i.e. and disbelieve in resurrection after death (what about them?)

their works are fruitless i.e. their good deeds are nullified and they will not be rewarded for such deeds.

Then Allah inquires: Are they requited, that which they are requited of in the Hereafter aught save what they used to do and say of evil in the life of this world?

In other words, those who deny Allah' signs and the encounter in the Hereafter, the Resurrection and so on. their works, the good deeds they performed in the world, such as the maintenance of kinship ties or voluntary almsgivings, have failed, are invalid, and will not be rewarded, since they are not binding in this case.  Shall they, they shall not, be requited anything but, the requital for, what they used to do?, in the way of denial and acts of disobedience?

The meaning of verse 7:148

And the people of Moses, after he had departed for the communion with Allah, made of their ornaments, which they had borrowed from Pharaoh’s folk on the pretext of a wedding celebration, and which remained in their possession, a calf, which the Samaritan had fashioned for them therefrom; a mere living body of flesh and blood, which lowed, that is, which made audible sounds like a cow.

But how come that the Samaritan made for them a cow which made audible sounds from the gold?

It is said that, it [the calf] was transformed in this way when the dust, which the Samaritan had collected from where the hoof of Gabriel’s steed had trodden, was placed in its mouth, for it has the effect of giving life to that in which it is placed.

Then Allah asks:

Did they not see that it spoke not to them, nor guided them to any way?,

So how can it be taken as a god?

Yet they took it as such, a god, and were evildoers, for taking it so.

In other words, the folk of Moses, after he had left them to go in retreat in the mountain, made a calf for worship, (made) out of their ornaments, of saffron hue of their gold, which gave a lowing sound, a sound that the Samaritan made for them. Saw they not, did the people of Moses not know that it spoke not unto them i.e. the calf, nor guided them to any way?

They chose it, they worshipped the calf out of ignorance, and became wrong-doers and they harmed themselves by worshipping it.

The meaning of verse 7:149

And when they (the Israelites) became at a loss, that is, when they became remorseful for having worshipped it, and saw, and realized, that they had gone astray, thereby, and this was after Moses’ return from the communion; because Moses blamed them for taking the calf as god and worshipped it.

They said: Unless our Lord is merciful to us and forgives us ,verily we shall be among the losers.

And when they (feared the consequences thereof and when they regretted having worshipped the calf and knew and were certain that they had gone astray from the Truth and guidance, they said: Unless our Lord have mercy on us and forgive us and hence torment us, we verily are of the lost by receiving the punishment.

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Verses 7:42-43 in different English translations of the meanings of Arabic Quran:

Verse 7:147

QARIB: vain are the deeds of those who belie our signs and the everlasting life. shall they not be recompensed except for what they used to do?

SHAKIR: and (as to) those who reject our communications and the meeting of the hereafter, their deeds are null. shall they be rewarded except for what they have done?

PICKTHAL: those who deny our revelations and the meeting of the hereafter, their works are fruitless. are they requited aught save what they used to do?

YUSUFALI: those who reject our signs and the meeting in the hereafter,- vain are their deeds: can they expect to be rewarded except as they have wrought?

Verse 7:148

QARIB: in his absence, the nation of moses made a calf from their ornaments, a body with a hollow sound. did they not see that it could neither speak to them, nor guide them to a path? yet they took it in worship and were harmdoers.

SHAKIR: and musa's people made of their ornaments a calf after him, a (mere) body, which gave a mooing sound. what! could they not see that it did not speak to them nor guide them m the way? they took it (for worship) and they were unjust

PICKTHAL: and the folk of moses, after (he left them), chose a calf (for worship), (made) out of their ornaments, of saffron hue, which gave a lowing sound. saw they not that it spake not unto them nor guided them to any way? they chose it, and became wrong-doers.

YUSUFALI: the people of moses made, in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of calf, (for worship): it seemed to low: did they not see that it could neither speak to them, nor show them the way? they took it for worship and they did wrong.

Verse 7:149

QARIB: but when it landed in their hands and saw that they had strayed, they said: 'if our lord does not have mercy on us and forgive us, we shall be lost. '

SHAKIR: and when they repented and saw that they had gone astray, they said: if our lord show not mercy to us and forgive us we shall certainly be of the losers

PICKTHAL: and when they feared the consequences thereof and saw that they had gone astray, they said: unless our lord have mercy on us and forgive us, we verily are of the lost.

YUSUFALI: when they repented, and saw that they had erred, they said: "if our lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall indeed be of those who perish."

About the Author

Co-Chief editor, October Weekly magazine, Cairo, Egypt.