Al-Baqara 2:67 · The Cow · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"Remember when Moses said to his people, ‘God commands you to sacrifice a cow.’ They said, ‘Are you making fun of us?’ He answered, ‘God forbid that I should be so ignorant.’"

Pickthall (classic)+

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

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"And remember Moses said to his people: "Allah commands that ye sacrifice a heifer." They said: "Makest thou a laughing-stock of us?" He said: "Allah save me from being an ignorant (fool)!""

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

The Story of the murdered Israeli Man and the Cow

Allah said, `O Children of Israel! Remember how I blessed you with miracle of the cow that was the means for discovering the identity of the murderer, when the murdered man was brought back to life.'

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded `Ubaydah As-Salmani saying, "There was a man from among the Children of Israel who was impotent. He had substantial wealth, and only a nephew who would inherit from him. So his nephew killed him and moved his body at night, placing it at the doorstep of a certain man. The next morning, the nephew cried out for revenge, and the people took up their weapons and almost fought each other. The wise men among them said, `Why would you kill each other, while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is still among you' So they went to Musa and mentioned the matter to him and Musa said,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُواْ بَقَرَةً قَالُواْ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَـهِلِينَ

("Verily, Allah commands you that you slaughter a cow." They said, "Do you make fun of us" He said, "I take Allah's refuge from being among Al-Jahilin (the ignorant or the foolish))." "Had they not disputed, it would have been sufficient for them to slaughter any cow. However, they disputed, and the matter was made more difficult for them, until they ended up looking for the specific cow that they were later ordered to slaughter. They found the designated cow with a man, only who owned that cow. He said, `By Allah! I will only sell it for its skin's fill of gold.' So they paid the cow's fill of its skin in gold, slaughtered it and touched the dead man with a part of it. He stood up, and they asked him, `Who killed you' He said, `That man,' and pointed to his nephew. He died again, and his nephew was not allowed to inherit him. Thereafter, whoever committed murder for the purpose of gaining inheritance was not allowed to inherit." Ibn Jarir reported something similar to that. Allah knows best.

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Речь идет об истории, которая произошла между израильтянами и пророком Мусой, когда израильтяне убили человека и стали препираться по этому поводу, обвиняя друг друга. Ситуация была настолько сложной, что если бы Аллах не прояснил ее, то между ними возник бы великий раздор. Муса велел им зарезать корову, чтобы узнать имя убийцы, и людям следовало без возражений выполнить его повеление. Однако они решили, несмотря ни на что, возразить ему. «Неужели ты насмехаешься над нами?» - сказали они. Тогда пророк Аллаха сказал: «Боже, упаси от подобного невежества!» Только невежественный человек произносит речи, которые не приносят никакой пользы, и насмехается над окружающими. А благоразумный человек понимает, что насмешки над теми, кто подобен тебе, являются одним из самых больших пороков и осуждаются как религией, так и здравым смыслом. И если даже человек осознает свое превосходство над окружающими, это лишь обязывает его благодарить Господа и быть снисходительным по отношению к другим. Когда Муса разъяснил им это, они поняли, что он говорит правду.