Allah mentions the words that the ignorant ones among the Children of Israel uttered to Musa after they crossed the sea and witnessed Allah's Ayat and great power.

﴿ظپظژط£ظژطھظژظˆظ’ط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظƒظڈظپظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط£ظژطµظ’ظ†ظژط§ظ…ظچ ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(And they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship).) Some scholars of Tafsir said that the people mentioned here were from Canaan, or from the tribe of Lakhm. Ibn Jarir commented, "They were worshipping idols that they made in the shape of cows, and this influenced the Children of Israel later when they worshipped the calf. They said here,

﴿ظٹظژظ…ظڈظˆط³ظژظ‰ ط§ط¬ظ’ط¹ظژظ„ظ’ ظ„ظ‘ظژظ†ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظ‹ط§ ظƒظژظ…ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط©ظŒ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظŒ طھظژط¬ظ’ظ‡ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

("O Musa! Make for us a god as they have gods.'' He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people.'') Musa replied, you are ignorant of Allah's greatness and majesty and His purity from any partners or anything resembling Him.

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظژظ€ط¤ظڈظ„ط§ط،ظگ ظ…ظڈطھظژط¨ظ‘ظژط±ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ﴾

("Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in) they will perish,

﴿ظˆظژط¨ظژط·ظژظ„ظژ ظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

("and all that they are doing is in vain.'') Commenting on this Ayah, Imam Abu Ja`far bin Jarir reported from Abu Waqid Al-Laythi that they (the Companions) went out from Makkah with the Messenger of Allah for (the battle of) Hunayn. Abu Waqid said, "Some of the disbelievers had a lote tree whose vicinity they used to remain in, and upon which they would hang their weapons on. That tree was called `Dhat Al-Anwat'. So when we passed by a huge, green lote tree, we said, `O Messenger of Allah! Appoint for us a Dhat Al-Anwat as they have.' He said,

آ«ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹ ظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظگظٹ ط¨ظگظٹظژط¯ظگظ‡ظگ ظƒظژظ…ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظڈ ظ…ظڈظˆط³ظژظ‰ ظ„ظگظ…ظڈظˆط³ظژظ‰:

(by He in Whose Hand is my soul! You said just as what the people of Musa said to him:

﴿ط§ط¬ظ’ط¹ظژظ„ظ’ ظ„ظ‘ظژظ†ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظ‹ط§ ظƒظژظ…ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط©ظŒ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظŒ طھظژط¬ظ’ظ‡ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظژظ€ط¤ظڈظ„ط¢ط، ظ…ظڈطھظژط¨ظ‘ظژط±ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط¨ظژظ€ط·ظگظ„ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ-﴾

( ("Make for us a god as they have gods.'' He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people. Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in, and all that they are doing is in vain.''))''

﴿ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط£ظژط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط£ظژط¨ظ’ط؛ظگظٹظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظپظژط¶ظ‘ظژظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ„ظژظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ط¬ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ„ظگ ظپظگط±ظ’ط¹ظژظˆظ†ظژ ظٹظژط³ظڈظˆظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط³ظڈظˆط،ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظگ ظٹظڈظ‚ظژطھظ‘ظگظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط£ظژط¨ظ’ظ†ظژط¢ط،ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظٹظژط³ظ’طھظژط­ظ’ظٹظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ†ظگط³ظژط¢ط،ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظپظگظٹ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظژظ„ط§ط،ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ط±ظ‘ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژط¸ظگظٹظ…ظŒ ﴾

(140. He said: "Shall I seek for you an ilah (a god) other than Allah, while He has given you superiority over the nations.'') (141. And (remember) when We rescued you from Fir`awn's people, who were afflicting you with the worst torment, killing your sons and letting your women live. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.)