Who was As-Samiri?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

 
 
 
As-Samiri is mentioned in the Noble Quran in Verses 20:85, 20:87 and 20:95 (Surah Ta Ha).
 
"He said: Indeed! We have tried your folk in your absence, and As-Samiri has misled them."  20:85
 
"They said: We broke not tryst with you of our own will, but we were laden with burdens of ornaments of the folk, then cast them (in the fire), for thus As-Samiri proposed."  20:87
 
"(Moses) said: And what have you to say, O Samiri ?"   20:95 
 
 
Not many details are known about this person except that he was a hardcore disbeliever and a misleader in the era of Prophet Moses (on whom be peace) and he was the one who misled the followers of Prophet Musa or Moses (pbuh) when Prophet Musa went to receive the Divine Commandments.   Most likely, As-Samiri was an Egyptian, not a Hebrew.   
 
Referring to the contents of the Noble Quran from verses 20:85 to 20:99 of Surah Ta Ha, Prophet Moses brought the Israelites (the Hebrew slaves who worked for the Pharaoh in Egypt) across the sea and rescued them from his tyranny.  Then Moses left for some days, leaving the people in the care of his brother, Haroon or Aaron.  Moses went in seclusion to communicate with Allah Almighty and to receive the Torah.  While in the presence of Allah, Moses was already informed by Allah that his folks had gone stray, being misled by As-Samiri as stated in Verse 20:85 above.
 
When Moses returned to his people, much to his shock and disappointment he discovered that they had forgotten about worshiping Allah, the One and Only.  Instead they became idolaters.  They made a calf by melting their gold ornaments and began worshiping it.  Prophet Moses was very upset and angry and asked his brother, Haroon, why he did not stop them.  Haroon said that he preferred to wait till Moses returned otherwise it may seem to him that his brother caused division between the people. 
 
Then, when Moses asked As-Samiri what he had to say about this, As-Samiri replied as stated in Verse 20:96
 
"He said: I perceived what they perceive not, so I seized a handful from the footsteps of the messenger, and then threw it in. Thus my soul commended to me."
 
Quoting the tafseer of Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall of Verse 20:96
 
"The explanation usually given is that As-Samiri had seen the Angel Gabriel pass by, and had taken some of the dust which he had hallowed, and thrown it into the image of a calf, thus giving it a semblance of life.  Others say that As-Samiri was an adept of the Egyptian idolatry who had believed for a little while and half-heartedly in Allah, the One and Only.."
 
Of course, Prophet Moses reprimanded his people and as stated in Verse 20:97, destroyed this idol which As-Samiri along with others had made in Prophet Moses' absence. 
 
Thus, As-Samiri was one of the Egyptians, a disbeliever at heart and a deceiver.

[Zainab_M]

Thank you sister, for this important information.  Everyone should know about this man, As-Samiri.  He was the chief culprit behind misguiding the people whom Prophet Moses (pbuh) rescued from Pharaoh.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Thanks sis.  Very useful info.  

[Ruhi_Rose]

And I suppose, in the beginning, as soon as Prophet Moses arrived and encountered this rude shock of his people going astray into idolatry, he first got angry at his brother, Prophet Aaron .. right?

I'm trying to check out this event, so I thought I'd confirm it.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Yes, Prophet Moses did get angry and upset with his brother for a moment after he returned with the Divine Scripture.  Verses 20:92-94 are the Quranic evidences that at first Moses turned in anger towards Aaron.  The following was the conversation between them.

"He (Musa) said: O Haroon! What held you back when you did see them gone astray, That you followed me not ?  Have you then disobeyed my order ?  He said: O son of my mother! Clutch not my beard nor my head! I feared lest you should say: You have caused division among the Children of Israel, and have not waited for my word."  (20:92-94)  Surah Ta Ha.

Prophet Moses was too shocked to see so much of his efforts being wasted.  He thought perhaps his brother, Prophet Haroon, didn't bother to control them.  But after Haroon explained his situation as given above, then Moses understood his brother's helplessness and turned to question As-Samiri, the person responsible for misleading the people.  Moses also questioned the people and the idol in the shape of a golden calf was destroyed.

Some Bible writers have as usual cooked up some very false stories about Prophet Haroon or Aaron claiming to the affect that he was not averse or perhaps unconcerned about the deviation of the people.  This is a malicious lie.  Haroon was the brother of Musa, they were both Prophets and helpers of one another who were chosen by Allah, The Exalted.   Haroon had every intention of preventing the people from deviating, but the people got tempted by the pagan deceiver, As-Samiri, and didn't bother to obey Haroon.

Verse 20:90 (quoted at the end) confirms that Aaron warned the people that they were being led astray by As-Samiri.  Apparently certain other unknown persons who participated in the Exodus also joined As-Samiri in misguiding the people.  Haroon or Aaron cautioned the people against such deviants and told them to follow him, not them.  But the people behaved heedlessly.   

"And Haroon had already told them before [the return of Musa], "O my people, you are only being tested by it, and indeed, your Rab is the Most Merciful, so follow me and obey my order.""  (20:90)  Surah Ta Ha.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Thanks sis.  That helped a lot.  Alhumdulilah.