And when the sin with knowledge is more horrific, and the misguidance after clarity is more disgraceful, he said, addressing his words to his saying, "He said, O my people, did your Lord not promise you" [Taha: 86] or to his saying, "They said, we did not break our promise" [Taha: 87], "And indeed, Aaron said to them," meaning that those who did not worship Him had no power to repel those who worshiped Him.

And when their saying was at some point in that time, he said, "Before" meaning before the return of Moses, pleading with them: "O my people." Then he confined their matter so that their thoughts would gather. He said, "Indeed, you have been tested," meaning you have been examined in the validity of your faith and your truthfulness in it and your steadfastness upon it, "by it," meaning by this idol in its extraordinary appearance to you. And he emphasized for the sake of their denial, saying, "And indeed, your Lord," meaning the One who brought you out of nothingness and raised you with kindness, "the Most Gracious," alone, whose favor is general and whose blessings are comprehensive. There is no blessing upon a righteous or a wicked person except that it is from Him before the calf was created, and it is the same after it. And from His mercy is the acceptance of repentance, so fear the removal of His blessings through disobedience, and hope for their continuation through obedience to Him. "So follow me" with all your effort in returning to Him, "and obey my command" in the continuity of honor by submitting to Him and the continuity of turning to Him, which will repel His harm from you and bestow His goodness upon you.