:88. "Then he brought out (of the fire) before the (people) the image of a calf: It seemed to low: so they said: This is your god, and the god of Moses, but (Moses) has forgotten!"
:89. Could they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?
:90. Aaron had already, before this said to them: "O my people! ye are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is (Allah) Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command."
:91. They had said: "We will not abandon this cult, but we will devote ourselves to it until Moses returns to us."
:92. (Moses) said: "O Aaron! what kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong,
:93. "From following me? Didst thou then disobey my order?"
:94. (Aaron) replied: "O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by my beard nor by (the hair of) my head! Truly I feared lest thou shouldst say, 'Thou has caused a division among the children of Israel, and thou didst not respect my word!'"
:95. (Moses) said: "What then is thy case, O Samiri?"
:96. He replied: "I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful (of dust) from the footprint of the Messenger, and threw it (into the calf): thus did my soul suggest to me."
:97. (Moses) said: "Get thee gone! but thy (punishment) in this life will be that thou wilt say, 'touch me not'; and moreover (for a future penalty) thou hast a promise that will not fail: Now look at thy god, of whom thou hast become a devoted worshipper: We will certainly (melt) it in a blazing fire and scatter it broadcast in the sea!"
:98. But the god of you all is the One Allah: there is no god but He: all things He comprehends in His knowledge.
