(And Allah SWT said): Now what has caused you, Musa to leave your people behind in so great a haste?’ He (a.s) answered: ‘They are treading in my footsteps, while I have hastened to You, my Lord, so that You might be well pleased with me.’ Said He: ‘Then [know that] in your absence We have put your people to a test, and the Sāmiriy has led them astray.’
(Surah Taha Verses 83-85)
Came across this ayah again recently, and it made me pause to reflect on some points.
Prophet Musa (a.s) just went ahead in haste, to receive the divine message, thinking Allah will be well pleased with him in this haste and that they (bani Israel) would be following his (a.s) footsteps, but they (bani Israel) were tested by Samiri, who made a golden calf, and they bowed down to it, irrespective of the warnings given by Harun (a.s).
The haste, despite it having very good intentions, became a sorrow and anger for Prophet Musa (a.s).
When people have undergone a lot of oppression, they have been subjugated to a lot of turmoil, they generally become people who are devoid of any reason. They submit easily to any evil which appears to them as appealing. This is the general psychology of the by and large subjugated people under oppression.
Bani Israel, despite witnessing the clear signs, started worshipping the Golden Calf which used to make some sort of noise through passing of wind.
Sometimes, I wonder why did Bani Israel wander again, seeing clear signs?
A Golden Calf, they worshipped, just because it made some noise with the wind?
They took it, as their Rabb, and worshipped it devoutly.
How they can do such inexcusable stupidity?
I wonder, and wondered.
But then I realised, aren’t we stung from the same hole too?
Being without the shield, we are vulnerable everywhere.
Even though, we have the clear signs from Quran and seerah, we too go after what appears apparently made of gold, but not benefitting us at all just because they make some noise!
True! We, too, worship the golden calf, not literally but metaphorically.
We side with the left wing, thinking of it as the golden calf who should be worshipped (submitted), as they atleast make the noise (which are mere rhetorics to do this or that for the betterment) with the wind (caused by the right wing).
…And we think, how foolish were the Bani Israel!
Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal Wakeel!