" the event of the ‘golden calf ’ stands for love of this-worldly things as objects of worship (v. 51). This event happened soon after the great blessing of Bani Israel’s deliverance from the Pharaoh. The Book and the covenant had yet to come. This love, when it competes with and overwhelms the love for Allah, is the root cause of decadence. "

― Khurram Murad , Key to al-Baqarah: The Longest Surah of the Qur'an