whose forefathers witnessed, day after day, miracles that no other people had ever seen?! Allah split the sea for them and saved them from their enemy, and their feet were not yet dry from the seawater before they said to Moses: “Appoint a god for us just as they have gods.” He replied, “You are indeed a people devoid of understanding.” ⦗7:138⦘.

When Moses went to meet with his Lord, they did not so much as wait for his return; no sooner had he departed than they worshipped the cast calf (1). His brother Aaron was overpowered and unable to curb them. Despite all those signs (2) and wonders before their very eyes, they repeatedly plotted to stone Moses and his brother Aaron while revelation was still in their midst!

When he summoned them to fight, they retorted: “Go, you and your Lord, and fight; we are sitting right here.” ⦗5:24⦘.

They subjected Moses to every kind of harm, even alleging, “He suffers from a bodily defect (3); that is why (4) he bathes alone.” One day he bathed (5) and placed his garment upon a rock, whereupon the rock fled with it. He dashed after it naked until the Children of Israel saw his body and realized that he was, in fact, the best of Allah’s creation, wholly sound (6).

When his brother Aaron died they said, “Moses has killed him and concealed the body.” So the angels raised Aaron’s coffin between heaven and earth until they saw him lying dead (7).

And they preferred