Verse 93 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as part of the Qur'anic discourse addressing the Children of Israel, examines the faith status and deviation of this nation through the concept of "Ishrb" (infusion) and the penetration of the calf into their hearts. This verse, emphasizing disbelief as the principal cause of deviation, analysesthrough a wisdom-centred and psychological approachhow disbelief transforms into a false faith and its impact on the behaviour and identity of the people. The present text, by synthesising the lecture content and the provided analyses, elucidates these concepts in an academic and exalted language to serve an erudite audience and researchers in the domains of religious sciences and psychology. The structure of this work is designed to present the concepts systematically and with profound semantic connections, while preserving all details.
Verse 93 of Surah Al-Baqarah, in a divine dialogue with the Children of Israel, refers to the profound deviation of this people from the path of true faith. The text of the verse is as follows:
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَاسْمَعُوا ۖ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِهِ إِيمَانُكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
Translation: And when We took your covenant and raised above you the Mount (Tur), [saying], Take what We have given you with might and listen. They said, We hear and disobey. And the calf was infused into their hearts because of their disbelief. Say, How evil is that which your faith commands you, if you are indeed believers.
This verse is structured into two principal segments: the first segment, up to the phrase They said, We hear and disobey, highlights the arrogance and disobedience of the people; the second segment, beginning with And the calf was infused into their hearts, analyses the causes and consequences of this deviation. The concept of "Ishrb" and the role of disbelief as the agent of the calfs penetration constitute the central theme of this verse.
The phrase And the calf was infused into their hearts (wa-ushrib f qulbihim al-ijl) refers to the deep and fluid infiltration of the calf into the hearts of the people, distinguished from the concept of "Akl" (eating or consumption). In traditional natural sciences and medicine, Akl refers to the ingestion of solids (makult), whereas Ishrb denotes the drinking of liquids (mashrbt). Solids require multiple digestive stages (from the first to the fourth digestion) to be transformed into a dilute fluid (m al-kashk), whereas liquids penetrate rapidly into the body. The Holy Quran, by employing Ishrb instead of Akl, underscores the swift and profound infiltration of the calf into the people's hearts, indicating the immediate and deep impact of this deviation.
From the perspective of traditional medicine, solids after entering the stomach undergo digestive stages to be converted into liquids capable of permeating the vessels and nerves. If the stomach is weak, this process is disrupted, resulting in ailments such as constipation or nervous weakness. The Quran, through this metaphor, likens the people's deviation to a disease that quickly permeates their hearts, similar to serum injected in hospitals to compensate for fluid loss.
Verse 93 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by emphasising the concept of Ishrb, points to the deep penetration of the calf into the hearts of the Children of Israel, resulting from their disbelief. The differentiation of Ishrb from Akl indicates the speed and depth of this deviation, which, like a flowing fluid, has seized the people's hearts and led them to calf worship.
The phrase in their hearts (f qulbihim) in the verse refers to the heart as the command centre of human beings, not the brain, which functions merely as an executive container. In the Quranic view, the heart is the locus of will, decision-making, and identity, whereas the brain and cerebellum perform executive roles. Modern science has not fully acknowledged the role of the heart as the command centre, but the Holy Quran, by emphasising the heart, considers calf worship as a profound deviation at the core of the peoples identity. The penetration of the calf into the heart signifies a complete takeover of the soul and spirit of the people.
From a psychological perspective, the heart is the site of the nafs (self)the commanding, reproachful, and peaceful nafswhich determines human behaviour. Calf worship, by permeating the heart, has transformed the peoples faith identity into disbelief. This process is akin to the infiltration of a fluid in the vessels, fully affecting the people's hearts.
Contrary to traditional exegeses that interpret And the calf was infused into their hearts as mere love of the calf, this verse refers to the penetration of the calf itself into the people's hearts, not merely affection towards it. The interpretation of love of the calf reduces the people's deviation to a moderate feeling (ubb), whereas the Quran, through Ishrb, points to the complete union of the people's hearts with the calf. The calf, like bread or rice which after digestion becomes a liquid, has penetrated from the mind into the heart and become the people's deity.
Philosophically, this unity surpasses the union of intellect and intelligible in adrs philosophy. The peoples hearts themselves have become the calf, not merely united with it. This process, similar to the digestion of solids in the stomach, has gradually transformed the people into calf worshippers.
The heart, as the command centre of human beings, was the locus of the calfs infiltration among the Children of Israel, and this infiltration transformed their faith identity into disbelief. The refutation of the love of the calf interpretation reveals that the people's deviation was deeper than a mere feeling, resulting in the full unity of their hearts with the calf.
The use of the passive verb أُشْرِبُوا (ushrib) in the verse indicates the role of nature as the agent of this process, not divine compulsion. This implies that the people, through choosing disbelief, have afflicted themselves with calf worship. Just as bread is transformed into liquid, so too the calf has penetrated the peoples hearts through their disbelief.
For example, in the killing of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), the agent is explicit and does not require mention. Similarly, here, the nature of the peoples disbelief is the agent of the calfs infusion. This process, like digestion in the stomach, is natural and voluntary, and the people accepted this deviation by their own choice.
Human beings are naturally influenced by whatever they see, hear, or touch, and these influences penetrate their hearts. This high perceptual capacity distinguishes humans from animals. The Quran, by using Ishrb, likens this process to the infiltration of the calf into the people's hearts, which, like a flowing liquid, has conquered them.
Psychologically, an individual who continuously attends to negative stimuli is akin to one accumulating impurities in the soul, distancing themselves from their original identity. The Children of Israel, by focusing on the calf, lodged it within their hearts and became calf worshippers.
The passive verb Ushrib represents the natural and voluntary process of the people's deviation resulting from their disbelief. Human susceptibility to environmental influences, especially within the heart, leads to the acceptance of deviant beliefs such as calf worship.
The Holy Quran, by emphasising Guard your gazes
