Quran Universe
2:51

وَإِذۡ وَٰعَدۡنَا مُوسَىٰٓ أَرۡبَعِينَ لَيۡلَةٗ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذۡتُمُ ٱلۡعِجۡلَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمۡ ظَٰلِمُونَ

Waith waAAadna moosa arbaAAeena laylatan thumma ittakhathtumu alAAijla min baAAdihi waantum thalimoona

And [recall] when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights. Then you took [for worship] the calf after him, while you were wrongdoers.

Word by word
  1. وَإِذۡAnd when
  2. وَٰعَدۡنَاWe appointed
  3. مُوسَىٰٓ(for) Musa
  4. أَرۡبَعِينَforty
  5. لَيۡلَةٗnights
  6. ثُمَّThen
  7. ٱتَّخَذۡتُمُyou took
  8. ٱلۡعِجۡلَthe calf
  9. مِنۢfrom
  10. بَعۡدِهِۦafter him
  11. وَأَنتُمۡand you
  12. ظَٰلِمُونَ(were) wrongdoers
Al-Baqarah · 2:51Madinah

Forty nights away, and they made a calf.

How fast people slip once the guide is gone

In Musa's absence
Musaforty nights with his Lord
meanwhile
the calftaken for worship
What happened so fast
I would never forgetafter what I saw
they forgot in weeksright after the sea

Musa went to meet his Lord for forty nights, soon after they crossed the sea. In his absence, they took the calf for worship, and so wronged themselves. The miracle at the sea was still fresh.

Ramadan ends and by Shawwal the night prayers are gone. Your teacher moves away and your study habit stops. When the person who held you steady leaves, it is shocking how fast things slip.

After a strong spiritual moment, I will stay on track.

Even after great signs, I can slip fast once my support is gone.

Try this

Set one small habit today that does not depend on anyone else to keep it going.

Related7:142
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And (remember) when We appointed for Musa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers)(51)Then after that We forgave you so that you might be grateful (52)And (remember) when We gave Musa the Scripture (the Tawrah)) and the criterion (of right and wrong) so that you may be guided aright (53)

The Children of Israel worshipped the Calf

Allah then said, "Remember My favor on you when I forgave you for worshipping the calf." This happened after Musa went to the meeting place with his Lord at the end of that period which was forty days. These forty days were mentioned in Surat Al-A'raf, when Allah said,

وَوَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَاثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ

(And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added (to the period) ten (more))(7:142).

It was said that these days were during the month of Dhul-Qa'dah plus the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, after the Children of Israel were delivered from Fir'awn and they safely crossed the sea. Allah's statement,

وَإِذْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ 

(And (remember) when We gave Musa the Scripture) means, the Tawrah,

وَالْفُرْقَانَ 

(And the criterion) that is that which differentiates between truth and falsehood, guidance and deviation.

لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

(So that you may be guided aright), after escaping the sea, as another Ayah in Surat Al-A'raf clearly stated,

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الْأُولَىٰ بَصَائِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(And indeed We gave Musa ـ after We had destroyed the generations of old ـ the Scripture (the Tawrah) as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might remember (or receive admonition))(28:43).