The Holy Quran 20:87 — Surah Taha

Arabic text

قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَخْلَفْنَا مَوْعِدَكَ بِمَلْكِنَا وَلَـٰكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَآ أَوْزَارًا مِّن زِينَةِ ٱلْقَوْمِ فَقَذَفْنَـٰهَا فَكَذَٰلِكَ أَلْقَى ٱلسَّامِرِىُّ

Translation

They (the Bani Israa'eel) said, "We have not broken the promise (we) made with you of our own accord, but we were laden with the burdens of a nation (we were carrying jewellery belonging to the people of Fir'oun, which they lent to us) and we cast it off (threw it to smelt in a fire). In this way (with all the gold jewellery smelted,) Saamiri cast (the mould of the calf and then threw the sand from footprints of Jibra'eel عليه الصلاة والسلام's horse into it, causing the calf to make sounds)."

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

The jewellery and the golden calf: that is, we did not do this of our own choice or by ourselves; it was the Samiri who made us do it. What happened was this: the jewellery of Pharaoh's people lay upon us as a burden, and we could not understand what to do with it. After consulting among ourselves, we threw it off.

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