قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِنۢ بَعْدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ ٱلسَّامِرِىُّ 85
Translations
[Allāh] said, "But indeed, We have tried your people after you [departed], and the Sāmirī has led them astray."
Transliteration
Qala fa-inna qad fatanna qawmaka min ba'dika wa-aadallahummu as-samiri
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah informs Musa that after his departure to receive the Torah, his people were tested (fitna) and led astray by as-Samiri, who crafted the golden calf for them to worship. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this test was a trial of their faith to reveal their true spiritual condition, and as-Samiri's influence represented how easily people can be misguided from monotheism toward idolatry when leadership is absent. The ayah emphasizes that even a divinely guided community can fall into grave error through the persuasion of a single misguided individual.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the narrative of Musa's journey to Mount Sinai (20:11-98), where he was commanded to receive the Torah tablets. The context shows the forty-day absence of Musa and the vulnerability of Bani Israel without direct prophetic guidance, making them susceptible to as-Samiri's deception and idol-making.
Related Hadiths
The incident of the golden calf is referenced in Sahih Bukhari (3:4385) regarding the people's deviation. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Majah contains hadiths about trials (fitna) separating the sincere believers from the hypocrites, directly relating to the concept of 'fatanna' (tested/tried) in this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even believers guided by prophets can be vulnerable to misguidance when they lack firm connection to divine truth and are influenced by charismatic but corrupt individuals. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of personal Islamic knowledge, critical thinking, and holding fast to authentic sources of faith rather than blindly following persuasive figures.