Raising Objections In The Commands Of God

LESSON # 83 HOLY QUR’AAN

BAQARAH – 2 (The Cow)

Raising Objections In The Commands Of God

Verse –68 to 71 of 286, Section - 8

68.  They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a cow neither with calf nor immature. (She is) between the two conditions. So do that which ye are commanded.    69.  They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us of what colour she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a yellow cow, bright is her colour, gladdening beholders.   70.  They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. Lo! Cows are much alike to us. And Lo! If Allah wills, we may be led aright. 71.  (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a cow unyoked; she plougheth not the soil nor watereth the tilth; whole and without mark. They said: Now thou bringest the truth. So they sacrificed her, though they has not the mind to do (it).

68.  Qaalud-‘u lanaa Rabbaka yubayyil-lanaa maa hii.  Qaala ‘innahuu yaquulu ‘innahaa baqaratul-laa faarizunw-wa laa bikr.  ‘Awaanum- bayna zaalik. Faf-‘aluu maa tu’-maruun. 69.  Qaalud-‘u lanaa  Rabbaka Yubayyil-lanaa maa law-nuhaa. Qaala  ‘innahuu yaquulu  ‘in-nahaa baqaratun-  saf-raaa-‘u, faaqi-‘ul-lawnuhaa  tasurrun-naaziriin.   70.  Qaalud-‘u  lanaa Rabbaka yubayyil-lanaa maa  hiya.  ‘in-nal-baqara tashaabaha ‘alayna.  Wa  ‘innaaa  ‘in-shaaa-‘al-laahu  la-muhtaduun.   71.  Qaala  ‘innahuu yaquulu ‘innahaa  baqaratul-laa- zaluu-lun-tusiirul-‘arza  wa laa tasqil-hars.  Musallamatul-laa shiyata  fiihaa.  Qaalul-‘aana ji’-ta  bil-haqq.   Fazabahuuhaa wa maa kaaduu yaf-‘aluun.

Lesson

Maa hii – (what she is) When the children of Israel were commanded to sacrifice a cow, they began to argue and reasoning absurdly. Their first question was about her age. (What is the cow’s age?). 

Faarizun – (a cow not with calf, not to much old)

Bikr – (immature cow)

‘Awaanum – (between) (neither with calf nor immature – between the two conditions)

Commands of the God Almighty and His Prophets (peace be upon Them) are not without wisdom and philosophy. However it is not necessary that each person may understand them. So nobody should argue or hesitate obeying Them and each person should act upon Their orders/instructions.

In the beginning each order/instruction/law was simple and easy but due to making differences too small to be important the orders and laws became difficult and complicated.

God Almighty commanded through the Prophet Moses (peace be upon Him) to sacrifice a cow. It was entirely a straight and simple order. Children of Israel had to sacrifice any cow. But they argued and used to ask question over questions, so they created difficulties for themselves. After asking first question they became bound about the age of the cow. Then they asked second question’ “what would be colour of the cow”. Now they raised some other difficulty for themselves. Actually they were trying to evade the order. But as they were trying to evade they were drowning in the more difficult situation. They did not understand that how much advisability and secrets are hidden in His orders.

Then they asked again, “What (cow) she is. Lo! Cows are much alike to us. And Lo! If Allah wills, we may be led aright.” Now some other restriction was composed upon them, “Verily she is a cow unyoked; she plougheth not the soil nor watereth the tilth; whole and without mark”.

Then they said, “Yes! Now you have told us the right”. In short after a lot of arguments they sacrificed the cow. Even now it was being felt from their behavior that they might not do so. Though, even now they obeyed the command of God Almighty unavoidably.      

 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 )