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الآية رقم (150) - وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِي مِن بَعْدِيَ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى الألْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُواْ يَقْتُلُونَنِي فَلاَ تُشْمِتْ بِيَ الأعْدَاء وَلاَ تَجْعَلْنِي مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

(150) - (And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, "How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the wrongdoing people.")

( وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا ) (And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved): When the Prophet Moses (PBUH) returned to his people and knew what Samaritan had done and how some of his (PBUH) people worshiped the golden calf, he (PBUH) was very angry.

(Anger) is an intense emotion that the soul experiences, and (grief) involves deep sorrow.

( قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِي مِن بَعْدِي ) (he said, “How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]): Prophet Moses (PBUH) condemned what they did while he was away from them.

( أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ) (Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?): He (PBUH) also reprimanded them for being hasty and impatient as his return was delayed. Clarifying that he was delayed because Allah (swt) decreed it for him.

( وَأَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاحَ) (And he threw down the tablets): Due to his extreme anger, Prophet Moses (PBUH) threw the tablets that he had in his hands.

( وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ ) (and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head): He seized his brother Aaron (PBUT).

( يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ ) (pulling him toward him): This is a reaction of the soul when it gets angry. For this reason, Prophet Muhammad (saws) once gave a man the following advice:

“Do not get angry”[1]

He (saws) repeated it several times, emphasizing that he should not get angry.

This wrathful reaction of Prophet Moses (PBUH) was due to his deep sorrow, for although the Children of Israel witnessed various miracles—such as the staff, the hand, the flood, locusts, lice, and blood—and were led to freedom when the Pharaoh pursued them, they still made a calf and worshipped it, abandoning the worship of Allah (swt). Prophet Moses’ (PBUH) anger flared and he cast down the tablets, grabbing his brother’s beard and head, pulling him towards him (PBUT).

( قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ ) ([Aaron] said, “O son of my mother): This statement  indicates that there was an appeal, because the mother represents  mercy and compassion.

( إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي ) (indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me): It seems that Aaron (PBUH) said to Prophet Moses (PBUH) that the people were about to kill him.

( فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِيَ الْأَعْدَاءَ ) (so let not the enemies rejoice over me): To (rejoice) over someone else means to feel happy when someone falls in trouble.

( وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ) (and do not place me among the wrongdoing people): Aaron is asking Prophet Moses (PBUT) to distinguish between him and  the wrongdoers. At this moment, Prophet Moses (PBUH) noticed that his anger had taken hold of him so he said the following:

[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Book of Manners, no. 5765.