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wa-ttakhadha qawmu mūsā min baʿdihī min ḥuliyyihim ʿijlan jasadan lahū khuwārun ʾa-lam yaraw ʾannahū lā yukallimuhum wa-lā yahdīhim sabīlan-i ittakhadhūhu wa-kānū ẓālimīna
The people of Moses took up in his absence a calf [cast] from their ornaments—a body that gave out a lowing sound. Did they not regard that it did not speak to them, nor did it guide them to any way? They took it up [for worship] and they were wrongdoers.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-‘Araf – Verse 148
148. “And the people of Moses made of their ornaments a calf after him, a (mere) body that lowed. Did they not see that it did not speak to them, nor did it guide them to any way? They took it (for worship) and they were unjust.”
Through these verses one of the lamentable and surprising events has been referred to. It happened among the Children of Israel after going Moses (as) to the tryst. That event was their worshipping Calf, which was arranged by a person called ‘Sāmiri’ and by means of some golden ornaments offered by the Children of Israel. The verse implies that after going Moses to the tryst, his people made a calf out of their ornaments which was only a lifeless body with the mooing sound of a cow which they worshipped. At first, it says:
Then the Qur’ān, scorning them, says:
The objective meaning of this question is that a true deity should recognize the right and wrong and be able to guide his followers. He should save the ability of speaking with his worshippers and guide them to the straight way, and teach them the way of worship. In fact, they were unjust to their own selves. That is why the verse says: