20. Ta Ha · verses 89–96

أَفَلَا يَرَوۡنَ أَلَّا يَرۡجِعُ إِلَيۡهِمۡ قَوۡلٗا وَلَا يَمۡلِكُ لَهُمۡ ضَرّٗا وَلَا نَفۡعٗا

Afala yarawna alla yarjiAAu ilayhim qawlan wala yamliku lahum darran wala nafAAan

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?

وَلَقَدۡ قَالَ لَهُمۡ هَٰرُونُ مِن قَبۡلُ يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُم بِهِۦۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ فَٱتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوٓاْ أَمۡرِي

Walaqad qala lahum haroonu min qablu ya qawmi innama futintum bihi wainna rabbakumu alrrahmanu faittabiAAoonee waateeAAoo amree

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."

قَالُواْ لَن نَّبۡرَحَ عَلَيۡهِ عَٰكِفِينَ حَتَّىٰ يَرۡجِعَ إِلَيۡنَا مُوسَىٰ

Qaloo lan nabraha AAalayhi AAakifeena hatta yarjiAAa ilayna moosa

They had said: "We will not abandon this cult, but we will devote ourselves to it until Moses returns to us."

قَالَ يَٰهَٰرُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذۡ رَأَيۡتَهُمۡ ضَلُّوٓاْ

Qala ya haroonu ma manaAAaka ith raaytahum dalloo

(Moses) said: "O Aaron! what kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong,

أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِۖ أَفَعَصَيۡتَ أَمۡرِي

Alla tattabiAAani afaAAasayta amree

"From following me? Didst thou then disobey my order?"

قَالَ يَبۡنَؤُمَّ لَا تَأۡخُذۡ بِلِحۡيَتِي وَلَا بِرَأۡسِيٓۖ إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقۡتَ بَيۡنَ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَلَمۡ تَرۡقُبۡ قَوۡلِي

Qala ya bna omma la takhuth bilihyatee wala birasee innee khasheetu an taqoola farraqta bayna banee israeela walam tarqub qawlee

(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!´"

قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُكَ يَٰسَٰمِرِيُّ

Qala fama khatbuka ya samiriyyu

(Moses) said: "What then is thy case, O Samiri?"

قَالَ بَصُرۡتُ بِمَا لَمۡ يَبۡصُرُواْ بِهِۦ فَقَبَضۡتُ قَبۡضَةٗ مِّنۡ أَثَرِ ٱلرَّسُولِ فَنَبَذۡتُهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ سَوَّلَتۡ لِي نَفۡسِي

Qala basurtu bima lam yabsuroo bihi faqabadtu qabdatan min athari alrrasooli fanabathtuha wakathalika sawwalat lee nafsee

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."