wa-ittakhadha qawmu mūsā min baʿdihi min ḥuliyyihim ʿij'lan jasadan lahu khuwārun alam yaraw annahu lā yukallimuhum walā yahdīhim sabīlan ittakhadhūhu wakānū ẓālimīna
Translation
And the people of Moses made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it [for worship], and they were wrongdoers.
Verse 148 of Surah Al-A’raf (7:148), a Meccan surah, is in juz 9, on page 168 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 148 of Surah Al-A’raf
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Tafsir of verse 148
Al-Mukhtasar
After Moses had gone to meet with his Lord, his people took to worshipping a statue of a calf made from their ornaments, not possessing any soul, but which made a sound. Did they not know that this calf could not speak to them or guide them to any good way, material or spiritual, and that it could not bring anything of benefit to them or remove anything harmful from them? But they took to worshipping it and wronged themselves by doing so.
In his absence, the people of Moses took for worship an image of calf made from their jewelry that made a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor could it guide them50 to any [straight] way? Yet they took it for worship and they were wrongdoers.
Notes
[50] This mere body even lacked the basic attributes of being a god, as it was unable to speak to them or benefit them.
And the people of Mûsâ (Moses) made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing). Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the way? They took it (for worship) and they were Zâlimûn (wrong-doers).
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.
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.
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 in the way? They took it (for worship) and they were unjust.
And the people of Musa (Moses) took to themselves even after him, of their (diverse) ornaments, a corporeal Calf that had a lowing (voice). Did they not see that it did not speak to them nor did it guide them upon any way? They took it to themselves and were an unjust (people)..
And We will turn away their hearts and their eyes just as they refused to believe in it [i.e., the revelation] the first time. And We will leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly.
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Moses said to his people, "O my people, why do you harm me while you certainly know that I am the messenger of Allāh to you?" And when they deviated, Allāh caused their hearts to deviate. And Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
