He said: That was because when Allah, Exalted and Almighty, nullified the matter of the calf through Moses, and the calf spoke, informing about the trickery of Al-Sāmirī, Moses (may his glory be exalted) ordered that those who did not worship the calf should kill those who did. Most of them disclaimed it and said: "We did not worship it." So, Allah, Exalted and Almighty, said to Moses (may his glory be exalted): "Scrape this golden calf with iron, then scatter it in the sea. Whoever drinks from its water will have his lips and nose turn black, and his sin will be revealed." So, he did, and the calf worshippers were revealed. Then Allah commanded twelve thousand to go out against the remaining ones, drawing swords and killing them. His herald cried out: "May Allah curse anyone who spares them with a hand or a foot. May Allah curse anyone who pauses at the slain, perhaps recognizing him as a close friend or relative, and avoids him, passing him by to a stranger." The ones to be killed surrendered. The killers said: "Our calamity is greater than theirs, as we kill our fathers, mothers, sons, brothers, and relatives with our own hands, yet we did not worship. He has equalized us and them in calamity." So, Allah Almighty revealed to Moses: "O Moses, I only tested them with that because they did not isolate themselves from them when they worshipped the calf, they did not shun them, and they did not show enmity towards them for that."1
I ask you by Allah, O believer, have you seen a punishment like this punishment, in which Allah made the believers whose feet slipped punish each other with such a penalty!!
This is the situation of the Negligent (Muqassirah) who were deficient in the right of the Imāms. The whip of punishment drives them in the cycles (akwār) and turns (adwār), as expiation for what they committed in their previous cycles and past turns of negligence regarding the right of Allah and His Family.
Our Master Al-Ṣādiq (may his glory be exalted) said: "Whoever abandons the truth inwardly, He will test him with the manifest likeness of the punishment from the perspective of mercy."2
It is narrated from our Master Amir Al-Mouminine (may his glory be exalted): "Indeed, Allah Almighty treated this nation with two medicines: the whip and the sword. There is no leniency with the Imām."3