Moses was away for forty days, and his people started to get worried. They didn't know Allah had given Moses ten extra days. A man named Aaron Samiri, who was drawn to doing bad things, suggested finding a new leader because he thought Moses had broken his promise. Samiri said, "To find true guidance, you need a god, and I can help."

He collected all the gold jewellery they were given from the Egyptians, dug a hole, put the gold in it, and melted it down with a big fire. While he was making the idol, he did magic-like actions to impress those who didn't know better. From the melted gold, he made a golden calf. Samiri enticed them, telling them to worship it as their god. He said this was the god Moses was looking for when he ventured off to Mount Tur. Allah rebukes this in 20:89 and 7:149.

Then he moulded for them an idol of a calf that made a lowing sound. They said, “This is your god and the god of Moses, but Moses forgot ˹where it was˺!”20:88

It was hollow, and when the wind blew through it, it made a sound. Because they had idolatrous beliefs in their past, and saw these whilst on their journey to Jersaulem as we mentioned previously, they thought the strange sound was coming from the idol. Some of them consequently started worshipping the golden calf, despite all that Allah had shown and blessed them with.

In the absence of Moses, his people made from their ˹golden˺ jewellery an idol of a calf that made a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the ˹Right˺ Path? Still they took it as a god and were wrongdoers.7:148

Aaron, Moses's brother, was in charge while Moses was away. He felt sad and told the people, "Listen, your true God is the Most Merciful. Follow and listen to me." They responded, "We will stop worshipping this god only if Moses comes back." The people who stayed strong in their faith distanced themselves from those who worshipped idols.

Aaron had already warned them beforehand, “O my people! You are only being tested by this, for indeed your ˹one true˺ Lord is the Most Compassionate. So follow me and obey my orders.”20:90

They replied, “We will not cease to worship it until Moses returns to us.”20:91

When Moses returned, he saw them worshipping the calf and threw down the tablets in dismay.

He pulled Aaron's beard and hair, asking, "Why didn't you stop them from going down the wrong path? Why didn't you fight against this corruption?"

Aaron explained, "Please, let go of my beard! The community saw me as weak and was going to harm me. Don't let the enemies be happy about me, and don't include me with those who do wrong." Moses calmed down when he realised Aaron's difficult situation, and he handled the situation wisely and calmly.

Moses scolded ˹his brother˺, “O Aaron! What prevented you, when you saw them going astray,20:92

from following after me? How could you disobey my orders?”20:93

Aaron pleaded, “O son of my mother! Do not seize me by my beard or ˹the hair of˺ my head. I really feared that you would say, ‘You have caused division among the Children of Israel, and did not observe my word.’”20:94

When Moses returned to his people, ˹totally˺ furious and sorrowful, he said, “What an evil thing you committed in my absence! Did you want to hasten your Lord’s torment?” Then he threw down the Tablets and grabbed his brother by the hair, dragging him closer. Aaron pleaded, “O son of my mother! The people overpowered me and were about to kill me. So do not ˹humiliate me and˺ make my enemies rejoice, nor count me among the wrongdoing people.”7:150

Moses prayed, “My Lord! Forgive me and my brother! And admit us into Your mercy. You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”7:151

Moses asked the Israelites about their actions. They made excuses responding that they felt uneasy having the jewellery of the Egyptians, despite Allah allowing them to have it. He then questioned Samiri - the evil mastermind behind it.

Moses then asked, “What did you think you were doing, O  Sâmiri?”20:95

He said, “I saw what they did not see, so I took a handful ˹of dust˺ from the hoof-prints of ˹the horse of˺ the messenger-angel ˹Gabriel˺ then cast it ˹on the moulded calf˺. This is what my lower-self tempted me into.”20:96

We heard about this earlier, when angel Gabriel came to Pharaoh when the sea parted, Samiri took some of the dust from its footprints and put this into the golden calf.

Moses said, “Go away then! And for ˹the rest of your˺ life you will surely be crying, ‘Do not touch ˹me˺!’ Then you will certainly have a fate that you cannot escape. Now look at your god to which you have been devoted: we will burn it up, then scatter it in the sea completely.”20:97

˹Then Moses addressed his people,˺ “Your only god is Allah, there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. He encompasses everything in ˹His˺ knowledge.”20:98

Those who worshipped the calf will certainly be afflicted with wrath from their Lord as well as disgrace in the life of this world. This is how We reward those who invent falsehood.7:152

But those who commit evil, then repent and become ˹true˺ believers, your Lord will certainly be All-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.7:153

When Moses’ anger subsided, he took up the Tablets whose text contained guidance and mercy for those who stand in awe of their Lord.7:154

Those who worshipped the calf were punished, they had been given many clear signs but continued to go against the truth.

And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his people, “O my people! Surely you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf, so turn in repentance to your Creator and execute ˹the calf-worshippers among˺ yourselves. That is best for you in the sight of your Creator.” Then He accepted your repentance. Surely He is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.2:54

Some people did not worship the calf but still apologised for their peoples acts and asked to see/hear Allah. Some of his people, together with Moses and Aaron, washed and perfumed themselves, fasted and then waited at Mount Tur. They totaled 70 people.

Moses climbed up the mountain. They heard Allah speaking to Moses directly. Yet, some of the men were not satisfied and arrogantly asked to see Allah saying they would not believe without it. At this, thunderbolts struck them and they lay dead.

And ˹remember˺ when you said, “O Moses! We will never believe you until we see Allah with our own eyes,” so a thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on.2:55

Moses became concerned and sad. He pleaded with Allah who then brought them back to life.