Command To Sacrifice A Cow

LESSON # 82 HOLY QUR’AAN

BAQARAH – 2 (The Cow)

Command To Sacrifice A Cow

Verse –67 of 286, Section - 8

And when Moses said unto his people: Lo! Allah commandeth you that ye sacrifice a cow, they said: Dost thou make fun of us? He answered: Allah forbid that I should be among the foolish.

Wa  ‘iz  qaala Muusaa li-qawmihiii  ‘innallaaha  ya’-mu-rukum  ‘an- tazbahuu BAQARAH. Qaaluuu  ‘a-tattakhi-zunaa huzuwaa   Qaala ‘a-uuzu bil-laahi ‘an ‘akuuna minal-jaahiliin.

Lesson

‘A-tattakhi-zunaa huzuwaa – (Dost thou make fun of us?) the cow was very sacred near to the children of Israel. When the Prophet Moses (peace be upon Him) caused to hear the command of God Almighty they remained aghast. They did not believe that it would have been commanded to sacrifice like this sacred animal. They supposed that the Prophet Moses (peace be upon Him) would have made fun of them.  

Al-jaahiliin – (the foolish, the ignorant, the uneducated, and the illiterates) this word al-jaahiliin is derived from jahal. Literal meaning of it is to do any work contrary to its actual nominated method. If it is due to ignorance then the stupidity is simple and if it is done intentionally then the stupidity is compound. The Prophet Moses (peace be upon Him) asks from God Almighty for refuge from the both stupidities. The person who wishes to command the people at the name of God Almighty, either he is indolent from the God or he is foolish and is incautious from the results of making fun in the religious matters.   

A person was killed out of the children of Israel but the killer was not traceable. God Almighty commanded the Prophet Moses (peace be upon Him) to order the children of Israel for sacrificing a cow and beat a piece of its meat at the dead body of the killed. With it the murdered person will come back to the life and will tell the name of his killer.

Due to residing many centuries in the Egypt the children of Israel began to deem the cow very sacred so they supposed that perhaps the Prophet Moses (peace be upon Him) is making fun of them. The Prophet Moses (peace be upon Him) removed their doubt and made them to understand that the Prophets (peace be upon Them) never make fun in the religious matters and in the commands of God Almighty. Making fun of others is the job of the stupid. Wise persons never commit the acts like this which are contrary to the dignity, honour and glory, and which become cause of disgrace of the religion.     

                             

Transliteration in Roman Script & English Translation by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore and Paraphrase collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated by Muhammad Sharif )