Tarikh (al-Tabari) 219
The story of Moses the one who spoke with Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
قِصَّةُ عِبَادَتِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ فِي غَيْبَةِ كَلِيمِ اللَّهِ مُوسَى ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حِينَ ذَهَبَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، إِلَى مِيقَاتِ رَبِّهِ، فَمَكَثَ عَلَى الطُّورِ يُنَاجِيهِ رَبُّهُ، وَيَسْأَلُهُ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ كَثِيرَةٍ، وَهُوَ تَعَالَى يُجِيبُهُ عَنْهَا، فَعَمَدَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ: السَّامِرِيُّ. وَكَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَاجَرْمَى، وَقِيلَ: مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ. وَاسْمُ السَّامِرِيِّ مُنَجَّا، كَذَلِكَ ضَبَطَهُ ابْنُ الْمُنَادِي. فَأَخَذَ السامريي مَا كَانَ اسْتَعَارُوهُ مِنَ الْحُلِيِّ فَصَاغَ مِنْهُ عِجْلًا، وَأَلْقَى فِيهِ قَبْضَةً مِنَ التُّرَابِ، كَانَ أَخَذَهَا مِنْ أَثَرِ فَرَسِ جِبْرِيلَ، حِينَ رَآهُ يَوْمَ أَغْرَقَ اللَّهُ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا أَلْقَاهَا فِيهِ خَارَ كَمَا يَخُورُ الْعِجْلُ الْحَقِيقِيُّ، وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ اسْتَحَالَ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا. أَيْ لَحْمًا وَدَمًا، حَيًّا يَخُورُ. قَالَهُ قَتَادَةُ وَغَيْرُهُ. وَقِيلَ: بَلْ كَانَتِ الرِّيحُ إِذَا دَخَلَتْ مِنْ دُبُرِهِ، خَرَجَتْ مِنْ فَمِهِ، فَيَخُورُ كَمَا تَخُورُ الْبَقَرَةُ، فَيَرْقُصُونَ حَوْلَهُ وَيَفْرَحُونَ. فَقَالُوا هَذَا إِلَهُكُمْ وَإِلَهُ مُوسَى فَنَسِيَ أَيْ فَنَسِيَ مُوسَى رَبَّهُ عِنْدَنَا، وَذَهَبَ يَتَطَلَّبُهُ، وَهُوَ هَاهُنَا. تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا، وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ وَصِفَاتُهُ، وَتَضَاعَفَتْ آلَاؤُهُ وَعِدَاتُهُ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، مُبَيِّنًا لَهُمْ بُطْلَانَ مَا ذَهَبُوا إِلَيْهِ، وَمَا عَوَّلُوا عَلَيْهِ، مِنْ إِلَهِيَّةِ هَذَا الَّذِي قُصَارَاهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ حَيَوَانًا بَهِيمًا وَشَيْطَانًا رَجِيمًا: أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَلَّا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا وَقَالَ: أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا اتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّ هَذَا الْحَيَوَانَ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ، وَلَا يَرُدُّ جَوَابًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا، وَلَا يَهْدِي إِلَى رُشْدٍ، اتَّخَذُوهُ وَهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَالِمُونَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ بُطْلَانَ مَا هُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْجَهْلِ وَالضَّلَالِ، وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ أَيْ; نَدِمُوا عَلَى مَا صَنَعُوا، وَرَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّوا قَالُوا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ. وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، إِلَيْهِمْ، وَرَأَى مَا هُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الْعِجْلِ، وَمَعَهُ الْأَلْوَاحُ الْمُتَضَمِّنَةُ التَّوْرَاةَ، أَلْقَاهَا، فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ كَسَرَهَا. وَهَكَذَا هُوَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَبْدَلَهُ غَيْرَهَا. وَلَيْسَ فِي اللَّفْظِ الْقُرْآنِيِّ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ أَلْقَاهَا حِينَ عَايَنَ مَا عَايَنَ. وَعِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، أَنَّهُمَا كَانَا لَوْحَيْنِ. وَظَاهِرُ الْقُرْآنِ أَنَّهَا أَلْوَاحٌ مُتَعَدِّدَةٌ، وَلَمْ يَتَأَثَّرْ بِمُجَرَّدِ الْخَبَرِ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، عَنْ عِبَادَةِ الْعِجْلِ، فَأَمَرَهُ بِمُعَايَنَةِ ذَلِكَ. وَلِهَذَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ، وَابْنُ حِبَّانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: لَيْسَ الْخَبَرُ كَالْمُعَايَنَةِ. ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَعَنَّفَهُمْ، وَوَبَّخَهُمْ، وَهَجَّنَهُمْ فِي صَنِيعِهِمْ، هَذَا الْقَبِيحِ، فَاعْتَذَرُوا إِلَيْهِ بِمَا لَيْسَ بِصَحِيح; قَالُوا: إِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِنْ زِينَةِ الْقَوْمِ فَقَذَفْنَاهَا فَكَذَلِكَ أَلْقَى السَّامِرِيُّ تَحَرَّجُوا مِنْ تَمَلُّكِ حُلِيِّ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ، وَهُمْ أَهْلُ حَرْبٍ، وَقَدْ أَمَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَخْذِهِ، وَأَبَاحَهُ لَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَتَحَرَّجُوا بِجَهْلِهِمْ، وَقِلَّةِ عِلْمِهِمْ وَعَقْلِهِمْ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الْعِجْلِ الْجَسَدِ، الَّذِي لَهُ خُوَارٌ، مَعَ الْوَاحِدِ الْأَحَدِ، الْفَرْدِ الصَّمَدِ الْقَهَّارِ. ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى أَخِيهِ هَارُونَ، عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ، قَائِلًا لَهُ: قَالَ يَا هَارُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّوا أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِ أَيْ; هَلَّا لَمَّا رَأَيْتَ مَا صَنَعُوا اتَّبَعْتَنِي فَأَعْلَمْتَنِي بِمَا فَعَلُوا، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَيْ; تَرَكْتَهُمْ وَجِئْتَنِي، وَأَنْتَ قَدِ اسْتَخْلَفْتَنِي فِيهِمْ، قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِأَخِي وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ وَقَدْ كَانَ هَارُونُ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، نَهَاهُمْ عَنْ هَذَا الصَّنِيعِ الْفَظِيعِ أَشَدَّ النَّهْيِ، وَزَجَرَهُمْ عَنْهُ أَتَمَّ الزَّجْرِ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِنْ قَبْلُ يَاقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنْتُمْ أَيْ; إِنَّمَا قَدَّرَ اللَّهُ أَمَرَ هَذَا الْعِجْلِ، وَجَعَلَهُ يَخُورُ فِتْنَةً وَاخْتِبَارًا لَكُمْ. وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ أَيْ; لَا هَذَا الْعِجْلُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي أَيْ; فِيمَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ، وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِي قَالُوا لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَى يَشْهَدُ اللَّهُ لِهَارُونَ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا، أَنَّهُ نَهَاهُمْ وَزَجَرَهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمْ يُطِيعُوهُ وَلَمْ يَتَّبِعُوهُ، سؤال موسى السامري عن سبب فعله ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، عَلَى السَّامِرِيِّ قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكَ يَا سَامِرِيُّ أَيْ; مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ. قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُوا بِهِ أَيْ; رَأَيْتُ جِبْرَائِيلَ، وَهُوَ رَاكِبٌ فَرَسًا فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ أَيْ; مِنْ أَثَرِ فَرَسِ جِبْرِيلَ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَنَّهُ رَآهُ وَكَانَ كُلَّمَا وَطِئَتْ بِحَوَافِرِهَا عَلَى مَوْضِعٍ، اخْضَرَّ وَأَعْشَبَ، فَأَخَذَ مِنْ أَثَرِ حَافِرِهَا، فَلَمَّا أَلْقَاهُ فِي هَذَا الْعِجْلِ الْمَصْنُوعِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ، كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا كَانَ، وَلِهَذَا قَالَ: فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذَلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِي نَفْسِي قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ أَنْ تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ وَهَذَا دُعَاءٌ عَلَيْهِ بِأَنْ لَا يَمَسَّ أَحَدًا; مُعَاقَبَةً لَهُ عَلَى مَسِّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَسُّهُ. هَذَا مُعَاقَبَةٌ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، ثُمَّ تَوَعَّدَهُ فِي الْأُخْرَى فَقَالَ: وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَنْ تُخْلَفَهُ قُرِئَ: ( لَنْ نُخْلِفَهُ ). وَانْظُرْ إِلَى إِلَهِكَ الَّذِي ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا لَنُحَرِّقَنَّهُ ثُمَّ لَنَنْسِفَنَّهُ فِي الْيَمِّ نَسْفًا قَالَ: فَعَمَدَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، إِلَى هَذَا الْعِجْلِ فَحَرَقَهُ، قِيلَ: بِالنَّارِ. كَمَا قَالَهُ قَتَادَةُ، وَغَيْرُهُ. وَقِيلَ: بِالْمَبَارِدِ. كَمَا قَالَهُ عَلِيٌّ، وَابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَغَيْرُهُمَا. وَهُوَ نَصُّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ. ثُمَّ ذَرَّاهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ، وَأَمَرَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَشَرِبُوا، فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ عَابِدِيهِ، عَلَّقَ عَلَى شِفَاهِهِمْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الرَّمَادِ مِنْهُ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ، وَقِيلَ: بَلِ اصْفَرَّتْ أَلْوَانُهُمْ. غضب الله على من عبدوا العجل ثُمَّ قَالَ تَعَالَى إِخْبَارًا عَنْ مُوسَى أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَهُمْ: إِنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَسِعَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا الْعِجْلَ سَيَنَالُهُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَذِلَّةٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُفْتَرِينَ وَهَكَذَا وَقَعَ، وَقَدْ قَالَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُفْتَرِينَ مُسَجَّلَةٌ لِكُلِّ صَاحِبِ بِدْعَةٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ. ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَ تَعَالَى عَنْ حِلْمِهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ بِخَلْقِهِ، وَإِحْسَانِهِ عَلَى عَبِيدِهِ فِي قَبُولِهِ تَوْبَةَ مَنْ تَابَ إِلَيْهِ، بِتَوْبَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ: وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهَا وَآمَنُوا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ لَكِنْ لَمْ يَقْبَلِ اللَّهُ تَوْبَةَ عَابِدِي الْعِجْلِ إِلَّا بِالْقَتْلِ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 54 ]. فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُمْ أَصْبَحُوا يَوْمًا وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مَنْ لَمْ يَعْبُدِ الْعِجْلَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمُ السُّيُوفَ، وَأَلْقَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ضَبَابًا، حَتَّى لَا يَعْرِفَ الْقَرِيبُ قَرِيبَهُ، وَلَا النَّسِيبُ نَسِيبَهُ، ثُمَّ مَالُوا عَلَى عَابِدِيهِ، فَقَتَلُوهُمْ، وَحَصَدُوهُمْ. فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُمْ قَتَلُوا فِي صَبِيحَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفًا. ثُمَّ قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عَنْ مُوسَى الْغَضَبُ أَخَذَ الْأَلْوَاحَ وَفِي نُسْخَتِهَا هُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِرَبِّهِمْ يَرْهَبُونَ اسْتَدَلَّ بَعْضُهُمْ بِقَوْلِهِ: وَفِي نُسْخَتِهَا عَلَى أَنَّهَا تَكَسَّرَتْ، وَفِي هَذَا الِاسْتِدْلَالِ نَظَرٌ، وَلَيْسَ فِي اللَّفْظِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهَا تَكَسَّرَتْ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فِي حَدِيثِ الْفُتُونِ، كَمَا سَيَأْتِي، أَنَّ عِبَادَتَهُمُ الْعِجْلَ كَانَتْ عَلَى أَثَرِ خُرُوجِهِمْ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ، وَمَا هُوَ بِبَعِيدٍ; لِأَنَّهُمْ حِينَ خَرَجُوا قَالُوا يَامُوسَى اجْعَلْ لَنَا إِلَهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ. وَهَكَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، فَإِنَّ عِبَادَتَهُمُ الْعِجْلَ كَانَتْ قَبْلَ مَجِيئِهِمْ بِلَادَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ لَمَّا أُمِرُوا بِقَتْلِ مَنْ عَبَدَ الْعِجْلَ، قَتَلُوا فِي أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ ثَلَاثَةَ آلَافٍ. ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ مُوسَى يَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ، فَغُفِرَ لَهُمْ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ.
Translation
✧ The story of their worshiping the calf during the absence of the one who spoke with Allah, Moses ﷺ. When Moses ﷺ went to the appointed time of his Lord, he remained on the mount, his Lord conversing with him, and Moses ﷺ asking Him about many things, while He, exalted, answered him concerning them. Then a man among them called al-Sāmirī took charge. He was from the people of Bājarmā, and it is said: from the Children of Israel. The name of al-Sāmirī was Munajjā; thus did Ibn al-Munādī record it. So al-Sāmirī took the ornaments they had borrowed and fashioned from them a calf, and cast into it a handful of dust he had taken from the hoofprint of Gabriel's horse when he saw him on the day Allah drowned Pharaoh at his hands. When he cast it into it, it lowed as a real calf lows. It is said that it turned into a calf of flesh, that is, flesh and blood, alive, lowing. This was said by Qatādah and others. It is also said: rather, when the wind entered from its rear and exited from its mouth, it lowed as a cow lows, and they danced around it and rejoiced. They said: "This is your god and the god of Moses, but he forgot," meaning Moses forgot his Lord among us and went seeking Him, while He is here. Exalted is Allah above what they say, with great exaltation, and sanctified are His names and attributes, and multiplied are His blessings and promises. Allah, exalted, said, making clear to them the falsity of what they went to and relied upon, of the divinity of this thing whose utmost is to be a dumb animal and a stoned devil: "Do they not see that it does not return to them a word and does not possess for them harm or benefit?" And He said: "Did they not see that it does not speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it and were wrongdoers." So He mentioned that this animal does not speak, does not return an answer, does not possess harm or benefit, and does not guide to right guidance. They took it while wronging themselves, knowing in themselves the falsity of what they were upon of ignorance and error. And when they were seized with remorse, that is, they regretted what they had done and saw that they had gone astray, they said: "If our Lord does not have mercy on us and forgive us, we will surely be among the losers." And when Moses ﷺ returned to them and saw what they were upon of worshiping the calf, and with him were the tablets containing the Torah, he cast them down. It is said that he broke them. Thus it is according to the People of the Book, and that Allah replaced them with others. There is nothing in the Qur'anic wording to indicate that, except that he cast them when he witnessed what he witnessed. According to the People of the Book, they were two tablets. The apparent meaning of the Qur'an is that they were multiple tablets. He was not affected by the mere report from Allah, exalted, about the worship of the calf, so He commanded him to witness that. For this reason, it came in the hadith narrated by Imam Aḥmad and Ibn Ḥibbān from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "A report is not like eyewitness." Then he turned to them and rebuked them, reproached them, and denounced their ugly deed. They offered him an excuse that was not sound; they said: "We were made to carry burdens of the people's ornaments, so we cast them, and thus did al-Sāmirī cast." They were scrupulous about possessing the ornaments of Pharaoh's people, though they were people of war, and Allah had commanded them to take them and made them lawful. Yet they were not scrupulous, in their ignorance, lack of knowledge, and lack of intellect, about worshiping the corporeal calf that lows, instead of the One, the Unique, the Eternal Refuge, the Subduer. Then he turned to his brother Aaron (peace be upon them), saying to him: "He said: O Aaron, what prevented you, when you saw them go astray, from following me?" Meaning: why, when you saw what they did, did you not follow me and inform me of what they did? He said: "I feared that you would say: You have divided the Children of Israel," meaning: you left them and came to me, while you had appointed me as successor over them. He said: "My Lord, forgive me and my brother and admit us into Your mercy, for You are the most merciful of the merciful." And Aaron ﷺ had forbidden them from this abominable deed with the strongest prohibition and restrained them with the fullest restraint. Allah, exalted, said: "And Aaron had already said to them before: O my people, you are only being tested by it," meaning: Allah decreed the matter of this calf and made it low as a trial and test for you. "And indeed, your Lord is the Most Merciful," meaning: not this calf. "So follow me," meaning: in what I say to you, "and obey my command." They said: "We will never cease being devoted to it until Moses returns to us." Allah bears witness for Aaron ﷺ, and sufficient is Allah as witness, that he forbade them and restrained them from that, but they did not obey him or follow him. Moses' questioning of al-Sāmirī about the reason for his action. Then Moses ﷺ turned to al-Sāmirī and said: "So what is your case, O Sāmirī?" Meaning: what carried you to what you did? He said: "I perceived what they did not perceive," meaning: I saw Gabriel riding a horse, so I took a handful from the trace of the messenger, meaning: from the hoofprint of Gabriel's horse. Some have mentioned that he saw him, and whenever its hooves trod upon a place, it became green and grassy, so he took from the trace of its hoof. When he cast it into this calf made of gold, its affair became what it became. For this reason he said: "So I cast it, and thus did my soul prompt me." He said: "Then go, for indeed in life you will say: No touching." This is a supplication against him that he should not touch anyone, as a punishment for his touching what he had no right to touch. This is a punishment for him in this world, then he threatened him in the Hereafter, saying: "And indeed, you have an appointment which you will not fail to keep." It is read: "which We will not fail to keep." "And look at your god to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and then scatter it into the sea, scattering." He said: Moses ﷺ then took this calf and burned it. It is said: with fire, as said by Qatādah and others. It is said: with files, as said by ʿAlī, Ibn ʿAbbās, and others. This is the text of the People of the Book. Then he scattered it into the sea, and commanded the Children of Israel to drink. Whoever was among its worshipers, some of that ash clung to their lips, indicating them. It is said: rather, their colors turned yellow. Allah's wrath upon those who worshiped the calf. Then He, exalted, said, informing about Moses, that he said to them: "Your god is only Allah, besides whom there is no deity. He encompasses all things in knowledge." And He, exalted, said: "Indeed, those who took the calf will be afflicted with wrath from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world. Thus do We recompense the fabricators." And thus it occurred. Some of the predecessors said: "Thus do We recompense the fabricators" is recorded for every innovator until the Day of Resurrection. Then He, exalted, informed of His forbearance and mercy toward His creation, and His kindness to His servants in accepting the repentance of whoever repents to Him, by turning to him. He said: "But those who committed evil deeds and then repented after them and believed, indeed your Lord, after that, is Forgiving and Merciful." However, Allah did not accept the repentance of the worshipers of the calf except by killing, as He, exalted, said: "And when Moses said to his people: O my people, you have wronged yourselves by taking the calf, so repent to your Creator and kill yourselves. That is better for you with your Creator. Then He turned to you. Indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful" [Al-Baqarah: 54]. It is said that one morning they arose, and those who had not worshiped the calf took swords in their hands, and Allah cast a fog over them so that a relative would not recognize his relative, nor a kinsman his kinsman. Then they fell upon its worshipers and killed them, and mowed them down. It is said that they killed seventy thousand in a single morning. Then He, exalted, said: "And when the anger subsided from Moses, he took the tablets, and in their inscription was guidance and mercy for those who fear their Lord." Some inferred from His saying: "in their inscription" that they were broken. But in this inference there is room for consideration, and there is nothing in the wording to indicate that they were broken, and Allah knows best. Ibn ʿAbbās mentioned in the hadith of al-Futūn, as will come, that their worship of the calf occurred immediately after their exit from the sea, and that is not far-fetched, because when they came out, they said: "O Moses, make for us a god as they have gods." Thus it is according to the People of the Book, for their worship of the calf occurred before their coming to the land of Jerusalem. That is because when they were commanded to kill those who worshiped the calf, they killed three thousand on the first day. Then Moses went to seek forgiveness for them, and they were forgiven, on condition that they enter the holy land.
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