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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 68of 286

قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌۭ لَّا فَارِضٌۭ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌۢ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَٱفْعَلُوا۟ مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ﴿٦٨

Translation (Sahih International)

They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[Allah] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."

Word-by-word meaning

قَالُوا۟qālūThey said
ٱدْعُud'ʿuPray
لَنَاlanāfor us
رَبَّكَrabbaka(to) your Lord
يُبَيِّنyubayyinto make clear
لَّنَاlanāto us
مَاwhat
هِىَ ۚhiyait (is)
قَالَqālaHe said
إِنَّهُۥinnahuIndeed, He
يَقُولُyaqūlusays
إِنَّهَاinnahā[Indeed] it
بَقَرَةٌۭbaqaratun(is) a cow
لَّاnot
فَارِضٌۭfāriḍunold
وَلَاwalāand not
بِكْرٌbik'runyoung
عَوَانٌۢʿawānunmiddle aged
بَيْنَbaynabetween
ذَٰلِكَ ۖdhālikathat
فَٱفْعَلُوا۟fa-if'ʿalūso do
مَاwhat
تُؤْمَرُونَtu'marūnayou are commanded

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Stubbornness of the Jews regarding the Cow; Allah made the Matter difficult for ThemAllah mentioned the stubbornness of the Children of Israel and the many unnecessary questions they asked their Messengers. This is why when they were stubborn, Allah made the decisions difficult for them. Had they slaughtered a cow, any cow, it would have been sufficient for them, as Ibn `Abbas and `Ubaydah have said.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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