سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 138
وَجَـٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ ﴿138﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And We brought the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship). They said: "O Mûsâ (Moses)! Make for us an ilâh (a god) as they have âlihah (gods)." He said: "Verily, you are a people who know not (the Majesty and Greatness of Allâh and what is obligatory upon you, i.e. to worship none but Allâh Alone, the One and the Only God of all that exists)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَجَـٰوَزْنَا
wajāwaznā
And We led across
بِبَنِىٓ
bibanī
(the) Children
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
is'rāīla
(of) Israel
ٱلْبَحْرَ
l-baḥra
the sea
فَأَتَوْا۟
fa-ataw
Then they came
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
upon
قَوْمٍۢ
qawmin
a people
يَعْكُفُونَ
yaʿkufūna
devoted
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
to
أَصْنَامٍۢ
aṣnāmin
idols
لَّهُمْ ۚ
lahum
of theirs
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
يَـٰمُوسَى
yāmūsā
O Musa
ٱجْعَل
ij'ʿal
Make
لَّنَآ
lanā
for us
إِلَـٰهًۭا
ilāhan
a god
كَمَا
kamā
like what
لَهُمْ
lahum
they have
ءَالِهَةٌۭ ۚ
ālihatun
gods
قَالَ
qāla
He said
إِنَّكُمْ
innakum
Indeed, you
قَوْمٌۭ
qawmun
(are) a people
تَجْهَلُونَ
tajhalūna
ignorant
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
And when We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, they came upon a people devoted to idols. They said, "O Moses! Make for us a god just as they have gods." Moses said, "Indeed, you are an ignorant people." [134]
[134]
The Request for Calf Worship:
Although the Children of Israel had believed in Sayyiduna Musa (Moses) ؑ and had professed their monotheism, the germs of calf worship still remained within them, in which they had spent their lives. As soon as they crossed the sea, they saw some people who had placed a brass idol of a calf in their place of worship and were engaged in its worship. Seeing them, the Children of Israel were reminded of their old ways and felt a longing for calf worship, to the extent that they even expressed this to Musa ؑ. Musa ؑ said to them, "What ignorant words are you uttering? Have you still not understood that only Allah is worthy of worship?"
The Illness of Tangible Images and the Notion of the Shaykh’s Image, and Dhat Anwat:
Idol worshippers generally say that they do not worship these idols, but rather worship Allah alone. However, since it is human nature to be more inclined towards something tangible, by placing an idol before them, they feel more attentive towards Allah. Muslims do not place anyone’s idol before them, but they so firmly fix the image or imagination of their Shaykh in their minds that his image or imagination remains before their eyes, and they say that they worship Allah alone. All such things are a prelude to shirk (associating partners with Allah), and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has forbidden every such thing in which even a suspicion of shirk is found. Thus, once the Prophet ﷺ went to a battle, and there the Muslims saw a lote tree. They expressed the desire to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that just as the disbelievers had designated a tree upon which they hung their clothes and weapons and gathered around it, and called it Dhat Anwat, in the same way, he should designate a Dhat Anwat for them as well. The Prophet ﷺ said, "This is just like when the Children of Israel said to Musa ؑ, 'Make for us an idol just as they have idols.'" [ترمذي۔ ابواب الفتن۔ باب لتركبن سنن من كان قبلكم]
[134]
The Request for Calf Worship:
Although the Children of Israel had believed in Sayyiduna Musa (Moses) ؑ and had professed their monotheism, the germs of calf worship still remained within them, in which they had spent their lives. As soon as they crossed the sea, they saw some people who had placed a brass idol of a calf in their place of worship and were engaged in its worship. Seeing them, the Children of Israel were reminded of their old ways and felt a longing for calf worship, to the extent that they even expressed this to Musa ؑ. Musa ؑ said to them, "What ignorant words are you uttering? Have you still not understood that only Allah is worthy of worship?"
The Illness of Tangible Images and the Notion of the Shaykh’s Image, and Dhat Anwat:
Idol worshippers generally say that they do not worship these idols, but rather worship Allah alone. However, since it is human nature to be more inclined towards something tangible, by placing an idol before them, they feel more attentive towards Allah. Muslims do not place anyone’s idol before them, but they so firmly fix the image or imagination of their Shaykh in their minds that his image or imagination remains before their eyes, and they say that they worship Allah alone. All such things are a prelude to shirk (associating partners with Allah), and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has forbidden every such thing in which even a suspicion of shirk is found. Thus, once the Prophet ﷺ went to a battle, and there the Muslims saw a lote tree. They expressed the desire to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that just as the disbelievers had designated a tree upon which they hung their clothes and weapons and gathered around it, and called it Dhat Anwat, in the same way, he should designate a Dhat Anwat for them as well. The Prophet ﷺ said, "This is just like when the Children of Israel said to Musa ؑ, 'Make for us an idol just as they have idols.'" [ترمذي۔ ابواب الفتن۔ باب لتركبن سنن من كان قبلكم]
