And when We appointed for Moses forty nights then you took to your- selves the calf after him and you were evildoers. What a difference [there is] between one community and another! When Moses عليه السلام withdrew from the community for forty days they took the calf as their object of worship and were pleased with that. They said This is your God and the God of Moses but he has forgotten [20:88]. [On the other hand] the community of Muḥammad the Chosen ﷺ spent many years with their prophet. If they had heard anyone mention any form of [material] descrip- tion of what they worshiped they would not have spared their last breath and would have given their lives [before agreeing to such a comparison]. It is said that Moses عليه السلام entrusted his community to his brother saying Take my place with my people [7:142]. When he returned he found that they had fallen into temptation fitna. Our Prophet ﷺ relied on God and did not suggest anyone to lead the community. At the end of his life he said “the highest companions.” See how the Real attended to the care of [Muḥammad's] community in preserving their monotheism. By my life they may forfeit their [territorial] borders but they will not compromise their declaration of God's unity tawḥīd.
