قَالُوا۟ لَن نَّبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَـٰكِفِينَ حَتَّىٰ يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ 91
Translations
They said, "We will never cease being devoted to it [i.e., the calf] until Moses returns to us."
Transliteration
Qalū lan nabrah alayhi ʿākifīn hattā yarjiʿ ilaynā Mūsā
Tafsir (Explanation)
The people of Israel declared their firm resolve to remain devoted to the golden calf until Prophet Musa returned to them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this statement reflects their stubborn attachment to idolatry and their refusal to abandon the calf despite its falsehood. The word 'ākifīn (clinging/devoted) emphasizes their deliberate persistence in misguidance, demonstrating how easily a community can be led astray when faith is weak and leadership is absent.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of the golden calf incident after Musa departed for forty nights to receive the Torah. During his absence, Samiri deceived the Israelites by crafting a golden calf, and when confronted, the people stubbornly refused to abandon it, insisting they would wait for Musa's return before reconsidering. This passage illustrates the test of faith that befell Bani Isra'il during a period of prophetic absence.
Related Hadiths
While no single hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sahih Bukhari contains hadiths about the golden calf incident wherein the Prophet ﷺ discussed how the Israelites' transgression occurred due to their heedlessness and weak conviction. Thematically related is the hadith in Tirmidhi about following false leadership and abandoning truth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns against the dangers of blind devotion to falsehood and emphasizes that proximity to a leader or prophet does not guarantee righteousness if one's own conviction is hollow. In modern times, it serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in faith during trials and to question narratives that contradict divine guidance, rather than blindly following the crowd.