﴿ وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَٰقَوْمِ لِمَ تُؤْذُونَنِى وَقَد تَّعْلَمُونَ أَنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا زَاغُوٓا۟ أَزَاغَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ ﴾

“Now when Moses spoke to his people, [it was this same truth that he had in mind:] "O my people! Why do you cause me grief, the while you know that I am an apostle of God sent unto you?" And so, when they swerved from the right way, God let their hearts swerve from the truth: for God does not bestow His guidance upon iniquitous folk.”

Moses came among the Children of Israel—at that time a people on the decline. They had no desire left to match their actions to their words. Their abasement was such that, on the one hand, they used to profess Faith before Moses while, on the other hand, they used to commit every sort of breach of trust and stooped to disobedience. They even used to make false allegations against Moses in order to justify the bad treatment they meted out to him. The relevant details have been set forth in the second chapter of the Bible, Exodus. After making a pledge, man, by breaking it is taken even further away from the Truth than before.