Who took the calf [7:152]

Question:

Who are those who took the calf in the 152nd verse of the 7th chapter “Al-A’raf”?

Response:

As-Sindi reported that Imam Al-Baqir (a.) said: “No servant cherishes a sincere faith in God for forty days or remembers God in a beautiful way, for forty days except that God makes him abstain from this world and makes him see its sickness and healing, so that He establishes wisdom in his heart and makes his tongue speak with it.” He then read: “Those, who took the calf will meet with the anger from their Lord and with humiliation in this worldly life. Thus do We repay those who fabricate lies.” (7:152) He said: “So consider an innovator as nothing but a humiliated one and the one, who lies about God and His Messenger (s.) and the people of His Household (a.), as nothing but a humiliated one.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 2 Page 16 Hadith 6]

بهذا الاسناد عن سفيان بن عيينة, عن السندي, عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: ما أخلص العبد الايمان بالله عز وجل أربعين يوما أو قال: ما أجمل عبد ذكر الله عز وجل أربعين يوما إلا زهده الله عز وجل في الدنيا وبصره داءها ودواءها فأثبت الحكمة في قلبه وأنطق بها لسانه ثم تلا: إن الذين اتخذوا العجل سينالهم غضب من ربهم وذلة في الحياة الدنيا وكذلك نجزي المفترين فلا ترى صاحب بدعة إلا ذليلا ومفتريا على الله عز وجل وعلى رسوله صلى الله عليه وآله وعلى أهل بيته صلوات الله عليهم إلا ذليلا

Muhammad ibn Umarah reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Three used to lie about Prophet Muhammad (s.): Abu Hurairah, Anas Ibn Malik and a woman.” Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi wrote: “This refers to Aishah.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar, Vol. 2 page 217 Hadith 11]

الخصال: الطالقاني، عن الجلودي، عن محمد بن زكريا، عن جعفر بن محمد بن عمارة قال: سمعت جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام يقول: ثلاثة كانوا يكذبون على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أبو هريرة وأنس بن مالك وامرأة. قال العلامة المجلسي رحمه الله: يعني عائشة

Dawud Ibn Farqad reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “I presented a need to my Lord and therefore retreated to the house of prayer. This is exactly how I proceed when a need appears to me. When I was performing the prayer in the garden, a man was above my head. I said: “To whom does this man belong?” He said: “To the people of Kufa.” I said: “To whom does the man belong?” He said: “To Aslam.” I said: “To whom does the man belong?” He said: “To those who declare Zaid (a.) as Imam.” I said: “O brother of Aslam, who do you know of them?” He said: “I know their greatest and master and wisest and most excellent, Harun ibn Sa’d.” I said: “O brother of Aslam, this one is the chief of the followers of the calf, just as you heard God say: “Those, who took the calf will meet with the anger from their Lord and with humiliation in this worldly life.” (7:152) The Zaidite is indeed Muhammad ibn Salim, the seller of pipes.” [Tafsir Al-Ayyashi, Volume 2 page 29 – 30 Hadith 82]

عن داود بن فرقد قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: عرضت إلى ربى حاجة فهجرت فيها إلى المسجد وكذلك أفعل إذا عرضت بي الحاجة، فبينا انا اصلى في الروضة إذا رجل على رأسي، قال: فقلت: ممن الرجل؟ فقال: من أهل الكوفة قال: قلت: ممن الرجل؟ قال: من أسلم قال: فقلت: ممن الرجل؟ قال: من الزيدية قال: قلت: يا أخا أسلم من تعرف منهم؟ قال: أعرف خيرهم وسيدهم ورشيدهم وأفضلهم هارون بن سعد، قلت: يا أخا أسلم ذاك رأس العجلية كما سمعت الله يقول: ان الذين اتخذوا العجل سينالهم غضب من ربهم وذلة في الحياة الدنيا وإنما الزيدي حقا محمد بن سالم بياع القصب