قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِنۢ بَعْدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ ٱلسَّامِرِىُّ 85
Translations
[Allāh] said, "But indeed, We have tried your people after you [departed], and the Sāmirī has led them astray."
Transliteration
Qala fa-inna qad fatanna qawmaka min ba'dika wa-aadallahummu as-samiri
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah informs Musa that after his departure to receive the Torah, his people were tested (fitna) and led astray by as-Samiri, who crafted the golden calf for them to worship. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this test was a trial of their faith to reveal their true spiritual condition, and as-Samiri's influence represented how easily people can be misguided from monotheism toward idolatry when leadership is absent. The ayah emphasizes that even a divinely guided community can fall into grave error through the persuasion of a single misguided individual.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the narrative of Musa's journey to Mount Sinai (20:11-98), where he was commanded to receive the Torah tablets. The context shows the forty-day absence of Musa and the vulnerability of Bani Israel without direct prophetic guidance, making them susceptible to as-Samiri's deception and idol-making.
Related Hadiths
The incident of the golden calf is referenced in Sahih Bukhari (3:4385) regarding the people's deviation. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Majah contains hadiths about trials (fitna) separating the sincere believers from the hypocrites, directly relating to the concept of 'fatanna' (tested/tried) in this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even believers guided by prophets can be vulnerable to misguidance when they lack firm connection to divine truth and are influenced by charismatic but corrupt individuals. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of personal Islamic knowledge, critical thinking, and holding fast to authentic sources of faith rather than blindly following persuasive figures.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتْكَ ءَايَـٰتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ
[Allāh] will say, "Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot [i.e., disregarded] them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten."
إِذْ تَمْشِىٓ أُخْتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ مَن يَكْفُلُهُۥ ۖ فَرَجَعْنَـٰكَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ كَىْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلَا تَحْزَنَ ۚ وَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا فَنَجَّيْنَـٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّـٰكَ فُتُونًا ۚ فَلَبِثْتَ سِنِينَ فِىٓ أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلَىٰ قَدَرٍ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ
[And We favored you] when your sister went and said, 'Shall I direct you to someone who will be responsible for him?' So We restored you to your mother that she might be content and not grieve. And you killed someone, but We saved you from retaliation and tried you with a [severe] trial. And you remained [some] years among the people of Madyan. Then you came [here] at the decreed time, O Moses.
إِنَّا قَدْ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْنَآ أَنَّ ٱلْعَذَابَ عَلَىٰ مَن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Indeed, it has been revealed to us that the punishment will be upon whoever denies and turns away.'"
مَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَىٰٓ
We have not sent down to you the Qur’ān that you be distressed