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qālū mā ʾakhlafnā mawʿidaka bi-malkinā wa-lākinnā ḥummilnā ʾawzāran min zīnati l-qawmi fa-qadhafnāhā fa-ka-dhālika ʾalqā s-sāmiriyyu
They said, ‘We did not fail our tryst with you of our own accord, but we were laden with the weight of those people’s ornaments, and we cast them [into the fire] and so did the Samiri.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Ta Ha – Verse 87
87. “They said: ‘We did not fail in our tryst with you of our own accord, but we were laden with burdens of ornaments of the people, then we cast them (in the fire), and thus did the Samiri suggest’.”
In order to flee from punishment, sinners usually take refuge to some pretexts, such as compulsion, aversion, and outward coercion. A society, the Faith of which is feeble and it easily accepts an undue sovereignty, by means of an adroit trick, may lose every thing it has. It was for this reason that when the Children of Israel found themselves before the intensive protest of Moses (as) and understood that they had done an indecent action, tried to bring some pretexts.
The verse says:
That is, in fact, we ourselves did not tend to Calf worship by our will, but it was Samiri who suggested it. The verse continues saying: