AND IN his absence the people of Moses took to worshipping the effigy of a calf [made] of their ornaments, which gave forth a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak unto them nor guide them in any way? [And yet] they took to worshipping it, for they were evildoers: 148 And when they were afflicted with remorse and realized that they had fallen into error, they said: 'If our Lord does not have mercy on us and does not pardon us, we shall be among the losers.' 149 When Moses returned to his people with anger and sorrow, he said, "What you have done in my absence is certainly evil. Why were you hasty about the commandments of your Lord?" He threw away the Tablets (which contained the commandments of God), grabbed his brother and started to pull him to himself. His brother begged him saying, "Son of my mother, the people suppressed me and almost killed me. Do not humiliate me before the enemies or call me unjust". 150 He said, 'O my Lord, forgive me and my brother and enter us into Thy mercy; Thou art the most merciful of the merciful.' 151