إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلْعِجْلَ سَيَنَالُهُمْ غَضَبٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَذِلَّةٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُفْتَرِينَ 152
Translations
Indeed, those who took the calf [for worship] will obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world, and thus do We recompense the inventors [of falsehood].
Transliteration
Inna alladhina ittakhadhu al-'ijla sayanaluhum ghadabun min rabbihim wa dhillatun fi al-hayati al-dunya wa kadhalika najzi al-muftareen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns of severe consequences for those who worshipped the golden calf during Prophet Musa's absence: they will face Allah's wrath and humiliation in this worldly life. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this punishment serves as a deterrent against idolatry and fabricating false religious practices, and the phrase 'thus do We recompense the liars' extends this principle to all who fabricate lies against Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the extended narrative of Surah Al-A'raf (verses 138-156) which recounts the story of the Israelites' worship of the golden calf after Musa departed to receive the Torah. The Bani Israel had asked Harun to make them gods, and in his absence they crafted and worshipped the calf, representing a grave violation of monotheistic faith. This context underscores the severity of associating partners with Allah.
Related Hadiths
The principle of divine punishment for idolatry is reinforced in numerous hadiths, such as in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against shirk (associating partners with Allah) as the gravest sin. Related to consequences in this life, Sunan Ibn Majah records that nations that disobey Allah face humiliation and disgrace in their worldly affairs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that abandoning monotheism and worshipping false deities brings both divine wrath and practical worldly consequences—humiliation and disgrace. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder that deviating from sincere worship of Allah alone, whether through literal idolatry or spiritual negligence, inevitably results in spiritual and moral degradation that manifests in one's life.
Related Ayahs
تِلْكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآئِهَا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَمَا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِمَا كَذَّبُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
Those cities - We relate to you, [O Muḥammad], some of their news. And certainly did their messengers come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in that which they had denied before. Thus does Allāh seal over the hearts of the disbelievers.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ ٱلْأُمِّىَّ ٱلَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَىٰهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَٱلْأَغْلَـٰلَ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., described] in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and prohibits them from what is wrong and makes lawful for them what is good and forbids them from what is evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.
أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play?
سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ كُلَّ ءَايَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَا وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ سَبِيلَ ٱلرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ سَبِيلَ ٱلْغَىِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا غَـٰفِلِينَ
I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them.