Going over the Red Sea

To flee Fir’awn’s tyranny, the Prophet Musa (a.s.) led his followers out of Egypt. Prophet Musa (a.s.) struck the seawater with his staff as they approached the sea. They had to walk over a split in the sea to get to the other side. Following them, Fir’awn and his army perished in the water.

Israelites’ urge to Idol Worshipping

The Prophet Musa (a.s.)‘s people then left for their new place. They passed a group of pagans worshipping a golden calf on the way. They expressed their admiration by asking, “O Mūsā, make for us a god just as they have
They expressed their admiration by asking, “O Mūsā, make for us a god just as they have He scolded them and instructed them on the value of the one true God and the perils of idolatry.

He said, “Is it other than Allah I should desire for you as a god, while He has graced you
over all nations?” (Q 7:140).

Prophet Musa travels to Mount Sinai

Prophet Musa (a.s.) traveled to Mount Sinai with 70 people of his tribe in order to consult with God and obtain the Tablet of Guidance. He informed his community that he would be gone for thirty nights. But, ten extra nights were added to the timespan. While he was abroad, his followers started to get restless.

Receiving the Torah (Tawrrah)

It was a huge honor for them when Prophet Musa (a.s.) was given the Tawrah, which contained their Shari’ah Law, at this time. They were people who formerly worshipped deities other than Allah.
Everyone with decent judgment and reason could understand that what they were doing was wrong and foolish.

Israelis are tempted by Samiri.

Who is Samiri? Samiri was a member of the group that left Egypt along with Prophet Musa (a.s.). He worked as a blacksmith for a living. One of the first to cross the water was he. He noticed the angel Jibrail at the back, riding his horse, as he watched the last humans emerge from the water. Samiri gathered the sand from the horse’s hoofprints as Jibrail went by. He set it aside with the idea that he would utilize it later.

While Prophet Musa (a.s.) was away, Samiri came up with a strategy. He was aware of individuals asking Prophet Musa (a.s.) to create an idol for them. He had always desired the chance to reinstate idol worship among the populace. Samiri understood it was an opportune time for him now that they were angry with Prophet Musa (a.s.)’s prolonged absence and refused to pay attention to Prophet Musa (a.s.)’s subordinate Prophet Harun (a.s.). He informed them that Prophet Musa (a.s.) was still away and that they required a guide. He even stated that they required a deity. He persuaded them that Prophet Musa (a.s.) wouldn’t return and that he could create the idol they desired for them as a result.

Samiri created a calf mould out of clay. He requested that everyone bring him any gold they might have. When the fire was hot, he ordered everyone to drop their gold into a big pot. His personal gold was also cast. Then, while muttering like a magician, he took the sand he had and excitedly flung it into the pot. He threw the kettle on the flames. He created a clay mould and then poured the molten gold into it once the gold had melted.

Samiri broke open the gold after it cooled. A golden calf sprang to life. Samiri put his mouth over a hole in the leg and inhaled deeply before blowing inside. He had intended for it to simulate a real cow’s sound. People began to worship it as their god as a result of their excitement. When word of this quickly circulated across the camp, a large crowd gathered. They adopted the gleaming golden calf as their idol after seeing it.

Return of Prophet Musa (a.s.)

The golden calf was surrounded by singing and dancing when Prophet Musa (a.s.) returned. He questioned them about their actions since he was furious with them. While he was away, he had left his brother Harun (a.s) in charge, so he spoke with him. They didn’t heed to him, the Prophet Harun (a.s.) told him. Only a few individuals remained with him and refused to worship the calf. Moreover, Prophet Musa (a.s.) spoke with Samiri.

As-Samiri (magician)

Samiri the magician said that ” This is your god and the god of Musa. ”

As a result, they developed a fanatical devotion to the calf and began to adore it like they had never loved anything else before. As-Samiri gave up the Islamic faith he had been practicing.

The Golden Calf

Bahmut was the name of this golden calf. They said that all they were doing was getting rid of the Coptic jewellery. They ended up worshipping the calf as a result of casting the jewellery into the fire pit. They therefore set out to do rid of something repulsive but ended up doing something far worse.

As-Samiri was asked by Hazrat Musa, “What made you act the way you did? What gave you the notion that led you to act in this way?”

As-Samiri was a member of the Bajarma people, who worshipped cows. He still harboured a deep fondness for cow worship. He nevertheless presented himself as having embraced Islam alongside the Children of Israel. Musa bin Zafar was his name. He came from the Samarra village. (Tafsir of Quran verses 20:95 to 20:98)

“I saw Jibril when he came to destroy Fir’awn,” Samiri remarked.
As a result, I gathered a few Qabdah palmfuls off Jibril’s horse’s foot print.”  As-Samiri hurled what was in his palm onto the Children of Israel’s jewellery, causing it to transform into a calf’s body and emit a faint moan. The sound came from the wind that blew into it. “I flung it together with those who were flinging jewellery, my inner self suggested to me,” he continued.

Hazrat Musa said: “Then go away! And verily, your punishment in this life will be that you will say: `Touch me not.” i.e., individuals who still suffer from their illness today still advise “Do not touch.”

To them, Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was saying, “This is not your god. Your God is only Allah, the One Whom there is no true God except Him. Worship is not befitting to anyone except Him. For everything is in need of Him and everything is His servant.”

Lessons learned from the Story of Samiri and Golden Calf

– Individuals are resistive to change and frequently long for their old routines.

– It is crucial to have a leader present.

– Hypocrites identify people’s vulnerabilities and take advantage of them

– The bulk of individuals frequently follow false information

– A person who lacks faith may stop worshipping Allah and start to devote himself to other deities.

This was the Story of Samiri the Magician and the Golden Calf. Read more Islamic Blogs or Follow us on social media for daily Islamic reminders.