Taha 20:96

<h2>How As-Samiri made the Calf</h2><p>Musa said to As-Samiri, "What caused you to do what you did What presented such an idea to you causing you to do this" Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "As-Samiri was a man from the people of Bajarma, a people who worshipped cows. He still had the love of cow worshipping in his soul. However, he acted as though he had accepted Islam with the Children of Israel. His name was Musa bin Zafar." Qatadah said, "He was from the village of Samarra." </p><div class="arabic uthmani">قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُواْ بِهِ</div><p>((Samiri) said: "I saw what they saw not.") This means, "I saw Jibril when he came to destroy Fir`awn." </p><div class="arabic uthmani">فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ</div><p>(so I took a handful (Qabdah) from the print of the messenger) This means from the hoof print of his (Jibril's) horse. This is what is well-known with many of the scholars of Tafsir, rather most of them. Mujahid said, </p><div class="arabic uthmani">فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ</div><p>(so I took a handful (Qabdah) from the print of the messenger) "From under the hoof of Jibril's horse." He also said, "The word Qabdah means a palmful, and it …

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."

(Samiri) said: "I saw what they saw not, so I took a handful (of dust) from the hoof print of the messenger [Jibrael's (Gabriel) horse] and threw it [into the fire in which were put the ornaments of the Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people, or into the calf]. Thus my inner-self suggested to me."

He said, “I saw what they did not see, so I grasped a handful from the Messenger’s traces, and I flung it away. Thus my soul prompted me.”