﴿ قَالَ يَبْنَؤُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِى وَلَا بِرَأْسِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِى ﴾

“Answered [Aaron]: "O my mother's son! Seize me not by my beard, nor by my head! Behold, I was afraid lest [on thy return] thou say, 'Thou hast caused a split among the children of Israel, and hast paid no heed to my bidding!"”

(He said) Aaron said to Moses: (O son of my mother) he mentioned their mother so that he be kind and compassionate with him! (Clutch not my beard nor my head) nor my hair! (I feared lest thou shouldst say: Thou hast caused division among the Children of Israel) if I had killed them, (and hast not waited for my word) and did not wait until I come back. This is why I refrained from fighting them.