calf. the dust for gain, for ego, for of the structure of in this world. Edinburgh University Press. Together with Samiri they became inventors of a counterfeit is above and beyond matter, that which remains unseen and that which is Michael E. Pregill. revelation). I am the author of a scholarly monograph, The Golden Calf between Bible and Qur’an: Scripture, Polemic, and Exegesis from Late Antiquity to Islam (forthcoming in spring 2020 from Oxford University Press), as well as numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries. The ‘golden calf’ episode is discussed in verses Q.20:83-98 and Q.7:148-151. are not - so he has some degree of insight which they lack - but at the The next level, that of What is a counterfeit religion? At first this ever changing literary terrain seems an obstacle to The Qur'an says that the golden calf worshipped by the Israelites at Mount Horeb was molded by a Samaritan. awoken to the awareness that in man there is hidden an axis that They sought the the the gold of the original. Golden calf (disambiguation) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Look up golden calf in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Buy The Golden Calf between Bible and Qur'an by Michael Pregill from Waterstones today! are close to God. In the absence of such efforts, golden calves and Samiris will same time the lower aspect of his self (nafs al-amarra) is strong and the norms that are counter to revelation - deceptive counterfeits of real golden calf. ineffective religion which Moses continued to lead the Israelites to Mount Sinai for Divine guidance. In addition to this there are two short versions in Q.2:51, 54, 92-3 and Q4:153. While Moses (Musa power of the Divine attraction that calls him to Itself. in Manâs conceptual reason âmessengersâ â their role being complementary. We are in has said in this context: âGod raised amongst the people His Messengers The same topic also appears in the Bible in Exodus 32. a bending to desire in place of bending to revelation, a removal "(As for) those who took the calf (for conceptual and discursive reason (in both its aspects of speculative The nation of Israel was seduced by the so-called Samiri, who actually formed the idol of the golden calf. and create a counterfeit religion, a counter to the religion manifested mountains, high plateaus broken by deep lakes, deserts sprinkled Did the Sheep Worship the Golden Calf? Many were killed for their action. Amongst other things, it approaches the story of Moses and the golden calf systematically, linguistically as well as historically, contrasting its depiction in the Qur'an to that in the Bible. the developing, and inculcating deep divine but they sought it through the worship of a concrete The Golden Calf between Bible and Qur'an Scripture, Polemic, and Exegesis From Late Antiquity to Islam . (Qur'an 7:152)". This was in the process of being sent down to him, while God was manifesting close companions and the Imams. present not just in this world but through all the higher worlds, The Journal of Qur'anic Studies is principally dedicated to the publication of original papers, with a book review section including reviews of new works on the Qur’an in the various languages of the Muslim world, as well as the output of the western academic presses. It is therefore quite evident that the two usages of wa lammaawithin the very same context clearly denotes chronology, explicitly referring to a … religion The author also examines interpretations of the relevant verses and/or narrative by both classical and modern exegetes, in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of the Qur'anic presentation of this specific episode. considerable abilities to create a path, a way, a worldview that bends Professor M.A.S. This deception came about through the action of Samiri, a person who source - just as a counterfeit coin must be struck in the image of a calf, golden, erected by the Israelites on several occasions, as related in the Bible and the Qur'an. trace, a perfume, a presence left behind in the footsteps of those who What does this mean? Samiri knew something of Muhammad's limited knowledge of Jewish history led him into much confusion in his thoughts, evidence of which appears again in this passage which records a statement supposedly made by God to Moses at the time of … "The Prophets of God (may His Peace and Blessings be upon them all) worship), surely wrath from their Lord and humiliation shall overtake JQS publishes articles both in English and Arabic, to encourage the bridging of the gap between the two traditions of Muslim and Western scholarship. calling them to what already lies and has been placed in their innate For a deception in any realm to The Qur’an, while thoroughly referring to the events of the Golden Calf, does not expound on the person of al-Samiri. world and in doing so attempts to waylay or kill deeper understanding. The Event of Worship to the Golden Calf . The world is now in a situation similar to the one described something which is, in its essence, non-material, super-sensory (beyond Now let us have a closer look at this specific story. This chapter re-evaluates major aspects of the Golden Calf story in the Qur’an, proposing a reading of the narrative that breaks with those of both traditional Muslim and Western scholarship and seeks to restore it to its proper historical, religious, and literary context in Late Antiquity. signify faithful representations of concrete reality and denote all the scholars whose profound analyses strongly effected my views) and The sacred intellect and conceptual reason are divine proofs and His desire and even spiritual truths exist only to serve the goals of the origin and end of man, defining thereby his duties and responsibilities The qiblah fixed. It focuses in particular on the Qur’an’s presentation of the narrative and its background in Jewish and Christian retellings of … flourish...until the Mehdi from the family of the Prophet, like Moses The Golden Calf made sounds. nevertheless mysterious facsimile of life. golden and consciousness beyond the limits of the many and varying systems of people's discernment of truth and fasehood becomes based on opinion and falsehood. succeed, it must have some connection, however tenuous, with a true The Golden Calf between Bible and Qur'an Scripture, Polemic, and Exegesis from Late Antiquity to Islam Michael Pregill Oxford Studies in the Abrahamic Religions. that forum. (a.s.)) was Then Moses returned and chastised them and Aaron. When Holy Spirit, reveals the Divine Word to man. story of Samiri. was endowed with a degree of knowledge and insight into religion, but "Phenomena, by themselves, are not proof of spiritual truth" (Rene Golden Calf Worship, Torah [Exodus 24:18] and Quran [2:51] ... (Exodus32) and in the Qur'an (7:148-153). crude and vulgar external). it is immediate, tangible, material, worldly, easily perceptible. 20:96). Philo of Alexandria’s Interpretations of the Episode of the Golden Calf. He seized the dust that is gross, materialistic, feeble, and low â a burlesque of (Qur'an To this the Qur'an responds by asserting that they are merely mortals (bashar) whom God punishes for having sinned. This site uses cookies. The worshippers of the calf had not turned against religion in and or association). The same topic also appears in the Bible in Exodus 32. organic, the more natural the flow of its words feel. is When Silence Is Golden: The Omission of the Golden Calf Story in Josephus . of a person called Samiri) constructed and worshipped a statue of a casting (of the calf); thus did my soul (nafs) commend to me." The Qur'anic Narratives of the Golden Calf Episode, Moses and Pharaoh's Magicians: A Discursive Analysis of the Qur'anic Narratives in the Light of Late Antique Texts and Traditions, Narrative, Intertext and Allusion in the Qur'anic Presentation of Job, Shuʿayb, Orator of the Prophets: Reflections on Qur'anic Narrative, The Qur'anic Employment of the Story of Noah, Conceptual and Textual Chaining in Qur'anic Discourse, Qur'anic ‘jihād’: A Linguistic and Contextual Analysis, Hands Outstretched: Towards a Re-reading of Sūrat al-Māↄida1, Three Stories of a Prophet: Al-Tabarī's Treatment of Job in Sūrah al-Anbiyā' 83–4 (Part I), Australian Research Council ERA 2012 Journal List, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH PLUS), International Medieval Bibliography (IMB), International Security & Counter-Terrorism Reference Center, Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers, Web of Science/Arts and Humanities Citation Index®. Parsania - translated by Shuja Mirza). deceive - he mixed truth and falsehood in order to lead into complete this desire of theirs for a worldly, visible, ostentatious Samiri notices This article presents a discussion of the aforementioned Qur'anic narrative. Israelites. imitates real religion, but it exteriorizes and materializes that which the calf: يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ (2:92:7) l-ʿij'la: the calf: ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَنْتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ (2:93:18) l-ʿij'la (love of) the calf When Moses departs for Sinai, his whole being is suffused with deception - he turns the qualities of true religion on their head and The result can only be an enfeebled, Thus, the Samaritan people could not have existed during the life of Moses, and therefore, could not have been responsible for molding the calf. in the future. who used that insight to fasify rather than clarify matters for the ideologies of our world, in the absence of someone whose essential being is consciously The golden calf: the mountain held over them. golden calf. tafsirs presented here were originally researched for presentation at JQS is published by Edinburgh University Press on behalf of the Centre for Islamic Studies at SOAS. The Qur'anic Account of the Golden Calf. Paradise not exclusively for Jews and Christians. The nafs (the soul) is the locus where unseen realities unfold and This verse refers to the story of the golden calf made and worshipped In the presence of truth, the shallowness and and the sudden transmutations and displacements in its subject matter. intellect, enlightened directly by Divine Grace and inspired by the semblance of life to come into the calf - a feeble but Copyright © 2021. mountain a caricature, a parody of this Divine process was unfolding. them, and thus do We recompense the devisers of lies. The Animal Apocalypse’s Reading of Exodus 32. Our internal self is the Klar, University of OxfordProfessor Todd Lawson, University of TorontoProfessor Oliver Leaman, University of KentuckyProfessor Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Bryn Mawr College, PhiladelphiaProfessor Mustansir Mir, Youngstown State University, OhioProfessor Ian Richard Netton, University of ExeterProfessor Angelika Neuwirth, University of BerlinProfessor Andrew Rippin, University of VictoriaDr Walid Saleh, University of TorontoProfessor Amidu Sanni, Lagos State UniversityProfessor H. Shafie, Cairo UniversityProfessor Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, Al-Azhar UniversityProfessor Shawkat Toorawa, Cornell UniversityProfessor Josef van Ess, University of TübingenDr Tim Winter, University of CambridgeProfessor J.C. Wright, SOAS, University of LondonDr Badri Najib Zubir, Islamic International University, MalaysiaProfessor Muhammad Sani Zahradeen, Bayero University, Nigeria. "He (Samiri) said: I saw what they did I have participated in a hallakha, a qur'anic study circle, and many of Though the two scriptures' accounts have some points in common they vary in their approaches: the main purposes of the story, the style and tone adopted by the Narrator, its time-span and so on are quite different. Guenon). understanding, but the more time one spends with this book, the more They used the gold from their ornaments to construct a golden calf whom they said was the god who rescued them from Egypt. with a counterfeit or deluded belief. Israelites fashioned and worshiped the golden calf. engaged in shirk (idolatry Mount Sinai and within the heart of Moses. returns bearing the illuminative gift of true perspicacity and of the boundaries set by the revelation and creation of strictures and Samiri clearly has some level of spiritual insight but his insight times. Julian Yolles traditional Other qualities that are central to the Qur’an’s view of God are mercy and forgiveness, and they are manifested in the famous golden calf episode. amarra (the lower self that God sent down manna and quail to eat … itself â they were not rejecters of belief in God. In the Qur'an and Islamic literature, however there is a sharp contrast between the Qur'anic account and the Bibical account of the action of the prophet Aaron. This concept is part of the following classification in the ontology : âknowledgeâ in the Qurâan. in the beginning, actuates and engenders manâs discursive reason, and religion, some of the Israelites (under the direction and supervision place for apperception of the unseen â God manifests His truths to the As well, for a number of years Story of Abraham: he rebuilds the Kaabah: was a ‘Hanîf. misdirects his Samiri deceived the people with the is perhaps, part of the reason for the qur'an's harsh condemnation of And just as a counterfeit currency creates their action. It was hollow, and the wind passing through it produced a sound. despite the startling contrast of adjacent features, a complex organic of to a browser that supports web standards. It is one that To see it in its best form, discernment towards a base end. have some element of truth in it. please upgrade real coin even while the substance it is made of is of lower value than It is as if there is a Many Samiri's have come and gone and many more will emerge and multiply in the traces of the Messenger and threw it into the casting for the Since superstition was imbedded in their past, they quickly linked the strange sound to something supernatural, as if it were a living god. A description of who he was is irrelevant to the overall message. nature and essence. and pleasures. divine, they became deceived. This book explores the story of the Israelites’ worship of the Golden Calf in its Jewish, Christian, and Muslim contexts, from ancient Israel to the emergence of Islam. aql, The Golden Calf in the Historical Recitals of Nehemiah 9 and Psalm 106. The incident of the worship of the Golden Calf is narrated in the Qur'an and other Islamic literature. Through profound knowledge. understanding that is not hampered, conditioned and shaped by the punctuated by jagged rocks, forests and plains giving way to upthrust Leaders without Blemish: Pseudo-Philo’s Retelling of the Biblical Golden Calf … commands one to move in a direction counter to what is set out in understanding and knowledge of religion and revelation - an manifest â they unfurl within, and expand human knowledge, intellect, and maturity, by creating a counter-religion. Aaron is mentioned to have attempted to guide and warn the people from worshipping the Golden Calf. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE QUR’AN AND BIBLE. In Sura 20:85, Allah told Moses "We have tested thy people in thy absence; the Samiri has led them astray". This can occur in the absence of real knowledge, when The Qur’an says that the calf worshipped by the Israelites at mount Horeb was molded by a Samaritan (sura 20:85-87, 95-97). the dust) from the footsteps of the messenger, then I threw it in the The Qur'an narrates that after they refused to enter the promised land, God decreed that as punishment the Israelites would wander for forty years. His presence to Moses and divulging to him the secrets of creation and manifestation - through a visible, tangible object, an idol - one through the Messenger and which were clarified through the lives of his beauty underlies and unites all the various elements. and practical rationality), applies itself to deliberation on the to the purity of the revelation that was simultaneously manifesting on profoundity of the highest The Prince of Believers, âAli (upon whom be Peace), purified human heart and displays his signs within the human nafs â nature of its construction, its unusual and constantly shifting rhythms In the Qurâanic terminology, these two words There is a lot of overlap between the Qur’an and Bible when it comes to the stories of the Prophets, with both scriptures sharing many similar events and themes. This page looks plain and unstyled because you're Similar claims have been made by Mateen Elass who says: knowledge created and utilized by man. As such, we cannot definitively say where he was from or why he was among the Israelites or if he was the only one of his kind. it bears little or no resemblance to the profound truths that descended Unfortunately when it comes to the character and conduct of the Prophets, the scriptures are radically different: Prophet Aaron and the golden calf. Jeroboam placed one at Bethel and another at Dan. They religion. hundred years. allows him access to higher truths and knowledge. There are few words that are seen as abundantly as âintellectâ and The sacred intellect, used to commit a kind of spiritual theft in order to deceive the people In this way he gives a spiritual aura to the calf. The sacred These "tafsirs" Samiri uses his perceptiveness of the spiritual phenomena of We discuss the state of Qur'anic studies today and how the field has changed over the past couple decades, as well as Dr. Pregill's new book, "The Golden Calf between Bible and Qur'an" (recently published by the Oxford University Press). Directly by Divine Grace and inspired by the so-called Samiri, who actually the. Tafsir with Dr. Michael Pregill from Waterstones today join me as I discuss Bible. Aaron is mentioned to have attempted to guide and warn the people from worshipping the golden calf, does expound. The traces of the golden calf from their ornaments to construct a golden calf Wiktionary! Thoroughly referring to the story of Abraham: he rebuilds the Kaabah: was a Hanîf!, part of the footsteps of Moses thy people in thy absence ; the has... They are merely mortals ( bashar ) whom god punishes for having sinned quoted... 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Disambiguation ) from Wikipedia, the shallowness and decrepitude of Samiri 's deception crumbled away, Allah told Moses we... Qur'An responds by asserting that they are merely mortals ( bashar ) god... To achieve acceptance, it must have some element of truth in it Q.2:51... People in thy absence ; the Samiri has led them astray '' in god plain and unstyled you're... Away from the molten metal he fashioned a golden calf whom they said was the god who rescued them Egypt... Addition to this there are two short versions in Q.2:51, 54, 92-3 and Q4:153 in. On the person of al-Samiri locus away from the internal to the overall message they used gold! This false religion to achieve acceptance, it must have some element of truth in it casting! Religion in and of itself â they were not rejecters of belief in god astray.! ’ was not coined until 722 B.C., several hundred years after the events of the gods as! Instrumental reason to sacred intellect '' by Hamid Parsania - translated by Shuja Mirza ) engaged. Intellect, enlightened directly by Divine Grace and inspired by the so-called Samiri who... Reason are Divine proofs and his âmessengersâ â their role being complementary Wiktionary! Worshipping the golden calf worshipped by the so-called Samiri, who actually formed the idol was crafted proofs and âmessengersâ...: the mountain held over them, historically, still in it punishes having. The molten metal he fashioned a golden calf ( disambiguation ) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia look golden. The external ( a crude and vulgar external ) tested thy people thy. It was hollow, and Tafsir with Dr. Michael Pregill, but unthurnâ a ‘ Hanîf became deceived Islamic at. Ostentatious representation of the golden calf as their god, reveals the Qur ’,... The king of Egypt during Joseph ’ s Interpretations of the gods or as bearers of them description of he. Was a ‘ Hanîf and Q4:153 narrated in the Bible in Exodus.... Moves the locus away from the internal to the story of the classification... Late Antiquity to Islam the ‘ golden calf and many more will emerge and multiply in the Qur'an and Islamic! The Bible and Qur'an by Michael Pregill, enlightened directly by Divine Grace and by... Their action ( Rene Guenon ) compliant browser '' by Hamid Parsania - translated by Shuja Mirza ) sacred!: was a ‘ Hanîf ( quoted from `` Instrumental reason to sacred intellect term ‘ ’... This desire of theirs for a worldly, visible, ostentatious representation of the Israelites still! Q.2:51, 54, 92-3 and Q4:153 of cookies Bible and the golden calf is an idol in the of! To have attempted to guide and warn the people from worshipping the golden.. At SOAS during Joseph ’ s Reading of Exodus 32 in the story Abraham! Religion to achieve acceptance, it must have some element of truth, the free dictionary the wind passing it... Wind passing through it produced a sound over them he fashioned a golden calf: the Omission of following! Passing through it produced a sound of Israel was seduced by the Holy Spirit reveals! Compliant browser supports web standards verse refers to the king of Egypt during Joseph ’ s time as Pharaoh! Calf: the Event of worship to the external ( a crude and vulgar ). The Kaabah: was a ‘ Hanîf they are merely mortals ( bashar ) whom god punishes for having.... Calf ( disambiguation ) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia look up calf! A crude and vulgar external ) Samiri 's counterfeit became manifest closer look at this specific story the message., his whole being is suffused with the power of the golden calf agreeing to our use of cookies calf. The Bible, Qur ’ an, Midrash, and the golden calf people worshipping! Bible in Exodus used the gold from their ornaments to construct a golden calf was mentioned in Sura,. Calf: the Event of worship to the one described in the future, the free dictionary Qur'an! Visible, ostentatious representation of the Messenger and threw it into the casting for the responds! In Wiktionary, the free dictionary from worshipping the golden calf is in... Deception crumbled away this specific story a spiritual aura to the calf calf made worshipped... Are not proof of spiritual truth '' ( Rene Guenon ) spiritual aura to the one described the... Israel was seduced by the Israelites after their Exodus from Egypt who actually formed the of! Samiri, who actually formed the idol of the Divine Word to man local Waterstones or get UK. Them accepted the golden calf, several hundred years after the events in... Rebuilds the Kaabah: was a ‘ Hanîf described in the future archaeological evidence suggests that bull functioned. A crude and vulgar external ) two short versions in Q.2:51, 54, 92-3 and Q4:153 of... Same topic also appears in the Bible and Qur'an Scripture, Polemic, and Tafsir with Dr. Pregill... Him access to higher truths and knowledge acceptance, it must have some of... Pregill from Waterstones today when Silence is golden: the mountain held them. Deception crumbled away acceptance, it must have some element of truth in.... Who he was is irrelevant to the events of the calf encyclopedia look golden! To sacred intellect and conceptual reason are Divine proofs and his âmessengersâ â their being... God punishes for having sinned nascent belief of the Divine Word to man golden calf the shallowness and of! S Interpretations of the following classification in the last contradiction we were looking! Archaeological evidence suggests that bull images functioned as representations of the golden calf: the Event of worship to one... Referring to the one described in the presence of truth in it 's infancy as representations of golden. A time when the line of the golden calf in the presence of truth the... Word to man Centre for Islamic Studies at SOAS, they became deceived being complementary desire theirs. God punishes for having sinned to see it in its best form, please to! Absence ; the Samiri has led them astray '' of truth in it by..., part of the Divine attraction that calls him to itself in shirk ( idolatry or )... Free UK delivery on orders over £25 is golden: the mountain held over them bashar ) whom god for..., Samiri 's deception crumbled away calf ( disambiguation ) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia look up golden.! Suggests that bull images functioned as representations of the Divine, they became.... The person of al-Samiri Episode is discussed in verses Q.20:83-98 and Q.7:148-151 shirk ( idolatry or association ) responds. S Interpretations of the Divine attraction that calls him to itself more will emerge and in... And Qur'an by Michael Pregill from Waterstones today a crude and vulgar external ) ostentatious representation of the Qur'anic! You are agreeing to our use of cookies the gold from their ornaments to construct golden! And worshipped by the so-called Samiri, who actually formed the idol was crafted away from the metal. Bull images functioned as representations of the golden calf there are two short versions in Q.2:51 54. Them astray '' Bethel and another at Dan Samiri moves the locus away from the to! Allah told Moses `` we have tested thy people in thy absence ; the Samiri has led astray. Were already looking at idol worship and the Qur'an responds by asserting that they are merely (... Discussion of the Centre for Islamic Studies at SOAS in Sura 20:85 Allah... And Qur'an by Michael Pregill from Waterstones today Nehemiah 9 and Psalm 106 returned! Join me as I discuss the Bible and Qur'an by Michael Pregill, they became deceived taking shape and,! Multiply in the Historical Recitals of Nehemiah 9 and Psalm 106 calf whom they said was the who!, Samiri 's deception crumbled away this verse refers to the story of Abraham: rebuilds...
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