He said, "I saw what they did not see, so I took a handful [of dust] from the track of the messenger850 and threw it,851 and thus did my soul entice me."
Notes
[850] i.e., a hoof-print in the sand left by the angel Gabriel's horse.
[851] Into the fire upon the melted ornaments in order to form the calf.
Verse 96 of Surah Taha (20:96), a Meccan surah, is in juz 16, on page 318 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 96 of Surah Taha
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Tafsir of verse 96
Al-Mukhtasar
Samiri said to Moses (peace be upon him): “I saw what they did not see: I saw Gabriel on a horse, so I took a handful of soil from the footsteps of his horse and threw it on melted jewellery which was moulded into the form of a calf. From this, the body of a calf with a mooing sound was formed. And this is how my soul made what I did appealing to me”.
He said, “I saw something they did not see, so I took a handful [of dust] from the hoof-print of the horse of the messenger [Gabriel] and cast it [into the fire]30. This is what my mind prompted me.”
Notes
[30] While Moses and the Children of Israel were crossing the sea, the Sāmiri saw Gabriel on a horse leading the way, so he took a handful of dust from the hoof-prints of his horse and later threw it at the calf that was made out of the melted ornaments so it started making a bellowing sound.
(Sâmirî) said: "I saw what they saw not, so I took a handful (of dust) from the (hoof) print of the messenger [Jibrîl’s (Gabriel) horse] and threw it [into the fire in which were put the ornaments of Fir‘aun’s (Pharaoh) people, or into the calf]. Thus my inner-self suggested to me."
He said: I perceived what they perceive not, so I seized a handful from the footsteps of the messenger, and then threw it in. Thus my soul commended to me.
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."
He said: I saw (Jibreel) what they did not see, so I took a handful (of the dust) from the footsteps of the messenger, then I threw it in the casting; thus did my soul commend to me
Said he, "I beheld what they did not behold; so I grasped a handful (Literally: I grasped a grasp) (of dust) from the messenger's track; then flung it off. Thus my self instigated (that) to me."
