أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِ ۖ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِى 93
Translations
From following me? Then have you disobeyed my order?"
Transliteration
Allā tattabi'an ۖ Afaʿasayta amrī
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records Musa's (Moses) reproach to Harun (Aaron) upon discovering the worship of the golden calf among the Israelites during his absence. Musa is expressing shock and disappointment that Harun did not follow his command to prevent this idolatry, asking rhetorically: 'Did you disobey my order?' Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that this reflects Musa's emotional distress at the people's transgression, though Harun had indeed tried to prevent them and was not truly disobedient. The ayah illustrates the gravity of abandoning divine guidance and the responsibility of leaders to uphold monotheism.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative in Surah Taha (Meccan surah) which recounts the story of Musa and the Israelites' worship of the golden calf while Musa was on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah. It occurs after Musa's return and discovery of this grave sin, highlighting the test of faith faced by the community in the absence of their prophet.
Related Hadiths
Related to the theme of following prophetic commands: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever obeys me obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys me disobeys Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 7137). Also thematically relevant: the hadith about the gravity of shirk (idolatry) in Sahih Muslim regarding the golden calf incident.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us of the critical importance of steadfastly adhering to divine commands and guiding others toward monotheism, even when facing pressure or difficulty. It teaches that leaders bear a responsibility before Allah to uphold His religion and that deviation from His orders—whether individual or collective—carries serious spiritual consequences.