SURAH AL-BAQARAH (AYAH 61 to 70)

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَنْ نَصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ مِنْ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ اهْبِطُوا مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ مَا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ {2:61}

[Q2:61] Wa iz qultum yaa Moosaa lan nasbira 'alaa ta'aaminw waahidin fad'u lanaa rabbaka yukhrij lanaa mimmaa tumbitul ardu mimbaqlihaa wa qis saaa'ihaa wa foomihaa wa 'adasihaa wa basalihaa qaala atastabdiloonal lazee huwa adnaa billazee huwa khayr; ihbitoo misran fa inna lakum maa sa altum; wa duribat 'alaihimuz zillatu walmaskanatu wa baaa'oo bighadabim minal laah; zaalika bi annahum kaano yakfuroona bi aayaatil laahi wa yaqtuloonan Nabiyyeena bighairil haqq; zaalika bimaa 'asaw wa kaanoo ya'tadoon.

[Q2:61] And when you said: O’ Musa! We cannot bear with one food, therefore pray Lord on our behalf to bring forth for us out of what the earth grows, of its herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions. He said: Will you exchange that which is better for that which is worse? Enter a city, so you will have what you ask for. And abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them, and they became deserving of ALLAH (SWT)'s wrath; this was so because they disbelieved in the communications of ALLAH (SWT) and killed the prophets unjustly; this was so because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits.
[Q2:61] Dan (kenangkanlah) ketika kamu berkata: “Wahai Musa, kami tidak sabar (sudah jemu) dengan makanan yang semacam sahaja; maka pohonkanlah kepada Tuhanmu untuk kami, supaya dikeluarkan bagi kami sebahagian dari apa yang tumbuh di bumi; dari sayur-sayurannya, dan mentimunnya, dan bawang putihnya, dan adas (kacang dalnya), serta bawang merahnya”. Nabi Musa menjawab: “Adakah kamu mahu menukar sesuatu yang kurang baik dengan meninggalkan yang lebih baik? Turunlah kamu ke bandar kerana di sana kamu boleh dapati apa yang kamu minta itu”. Dan mereka ditimpakan dengan kehinaan dan kepapaan, dan sudah sepatutnya mereka mendapat kemurkaan dari ALLAH (SwT). Yang demikian itu ialah disebabkan mereka kufur (mengingkari) ayat-ayat ALLAH (SwT) (perintah-perintah dan mukjizat-mukjizat yang membuktikan kebesaranNya); dan mereka pula membunuh Nabi-nabi dengan tidak ada alasan yang benar. Yang demikian itu ialah disebabkan mereka menderhaka dan mereka pula sentiasa menceroboh.

ONE SIN LEADS TO ANOTHER. Disobedience at a lower level gradually makes man bold and he begins to exceed the limits until he finally finds himself engulfed into the deep waters of sinfulness, disconnecting all his links with the grace and mercy of the Lord. This is how the Bani Israil became the murderers of the prophets of ALLAH (SWT) because they all came with one message:

"There is no god save God."

And you say "If we had been alive in our father's time, we should never have taken part with them in the murder of the prophets." (Matthew 23: 30)

"I send you therefore prophets, sages, and teachers; some of them you will kill and crucify, others you will flog in your synagogues and hound from city to city. And so, on you will fall the guilt of all the innocent blood spilt on the ground, from innocent Abel to Zechariah son of Berachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar." (Matthew 23: 34 and 35)

EXACTLY IN THE SAME MANNER, the Muslims neglected the commands of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) about his Ahlul Bayt. FIRST they ignored the high status of the Ahlul Bayt and then deprived them of their rights; ULTIMATELY they killed the holy Imams one by one.

Ì  SO, THOSE WHO HEAR OR WRITE OR READ THE ACCOUNTS OF THE SUFFERINGS OF THE HOLY IMAMS CAUSED BY THE PEOPLE, WITH WHOM THEY FEEL CLOSELY ASSOCIATED IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, AND QUIETLY IGNORE THEIR HEINOUS CRIMES WITHOUT EXPRESSING DISLIKE, DISGUST AND CONTEMPT, SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE CRIMES AS IF THEY THEMSELVES HAVE COMMITTED THEM. Particularly in the case of Imam Husayn, such persons will stand in the row of the actual murderers on the Day of Judgement.

**Covetous for the material products of the earth, **dissatisfied with the heavenly (spiritual) aspects of life, a better nourishment, the Bani Israil fell into abasement and humiliation, BECAUSE they exchanged that which was better for that which was worse. To know the behaviour of the Bani Israil, please refer to Numbers 11: 1 to 27.

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(2:61) Remember: You grumbled: "O Moses, we cannot endure one and the same sort of food. Pray your Lord to bring for us the products of the earth green herbs, vegetables, corn, garlic, onions, pulses and the like." Moses replied: "What! Would you exchange that which is meaner for that which is nobler? *77 Well, go and live in a town and you will get there what you demand." By and by, they became so degraded that disgrace and humiliation, misery and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they incurred Allah's wrath. That was because they began to reject the Revelations of Allah *78 and kill His Messengers without any just cause; *79 that was the consequence of their disobedience and their persistent transgression against the Law.

*77. This does not mean that their real fault lay in asking for things which entailed cultivation instead of availing themselves of manna and quails which they received without any toil. What is emphasized here is that rather than being concerned with the great purpose for which they had been brought to the Sinai they relished the foods which gratified their palates to such a degree that they could not forgo them even temporarily (cf. Numbers 11: 4-9). 
*78. THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH ONE MIGHT DENY THE SIGNS OF GOD. First, one might refuse to accept those teachings of God which one found contrary to one's fancies and desires. Second, one might know that something is from God and yet wilfully flout it. Third, one might know well the import of God's directives and yet distort them. 
*79. The Israelites recorded their crimes in detail in their own history. Here are just a few examples from the Bible: 
(1) After the death of Solomon the state of the Israelites was split into two: the State of Judah with its capital in Jerusalem, and the State of Israel with its capital in Samaria. This was followed by a series of wars between the two States so that the State of Judah sought the assistance of the Aramacan State of Damascus against its own kinsmen. At this, Hamani the seer went under God's direction to Asa the king and rebuked him. Instead of rectifying his behaviour, Asa was so angry that he put the seer in the stocks. (See 2 Chronicles 16: 7-10.) 
(2) When Elijah denounced the Jews for their worship of Baal and invited them to retun to monotheism, Ahab, the king of Israel pursued him for the sake of his pagan wife so that he had to take refuge in the mountains of the Sinai Peninsula. On this occasion, according to the Bible, he said: '. . . the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword., and 1, even 1 only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away' (1 Kings 19: 14). 
(3) The same king Ahab imprisoned another Prophet, Micah, for no other reason than that of speaking the truth. King Ahab ordered that he should be given only bread and water. (See 1 Kings 22: 26-7)
(4) When idol-worship and moral corruption became prevalent in Judah and the Prophet Zechariah raised his voice against them, he was stoned to death in the very court of the house of the Lord. (See 2 Chronicles 24: 2l.)
(5) When the Israelite State of Samaria was wiped out by the State of Jerusalem, the Prophet Jeremiah deplored the condition of the Israelites. He warned them that it was time they set about mending their ways otherwise they would face an even more calamitous end than that of Samaria. The response to this sincere preaching was abuse and curses: he was beaten, imprisoned, put in the stocks and lowered by ropes into a cistern, where he was left to die of hunger and thirst. He was also accused of various crimes, including treason and conspiracy. (See Jeremiah 15: 10; 18: 20-3; 20: 1-18; 36-40)
(6) It is reported of another Prophet, Amos, that when he denounced the widespread errors and corruption in the State of Samaria and warned of the evil consequences that follow such misdeeds, he was condemned to exile and told to pursue his prophetic task somewhere beyond its frontiers. (See Amos 7: 10-13.)
(7) When John the Baptist protested against the acts of moral corruption that were brazenly practised in his court, Herod, the ruler of Judah, first put John into prison, then had him beheaded at the request of a dancing girl, and had his head set on a platter and presented to the girl. (See Mark 6: 17-29)
(8) The same hostility to Prophets is evident from the life of Jesus. The priests and political leaders of Israel ultimately became inflamed against Jesus, who criticized them for their impiety and hypocrisy and invited them to true faith and riahteousness. It was this which piompted them to prepare a false case against him and persuade the Romans to sign a death sentence. Later, when the Roman governor, Pilate, asked them which of the two prisoners - Jesus or Barabbas, a notorious brigand - should be released on the occasion of the feast, they asked for the release of Barabbas and for the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27: 20-6). This is a shameful chapter in the record of the Jewish nation, to which the Qur'an refers here in passing. It is evident that when a nation chooses it’s most notoriously criminal and wicked people for positions of leadership, and its righteous and holy men for gaol and the scaffold, God has no alternative but to lay His curse and damnation on that nation. 

SECTION 8

Salvation Guaranteed for Believers in ALLAH (SWT) and in the Day of Judgement, and for the Doers of Good

Those who believe in ALLAH (SWT), in the Day of Judgement and do good deeds are assured of safety and bliss---The Breach of the Sabbath, sacrificed of the Cow---Moses demanded to decribed the cow to be sacrificed.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ {2:62}

[Q2:62] Innal lazeena aamanoo wallazeena haadoo wan nasaaraa was Saabi'eena man aamana billaahi wal yawmil aakhiri wa 'amila saalihan falahum ajruhum 'inda Rabbihim wa laa khawfun 'alaihim wa laa hum yahzanoon.
[Q2:62] Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in ALLAH (SWT)  and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.

[Q2:62] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang beriman, dan orang-orang Yahudi dan orang-orang Nasora (Nasrani), dan orang-orang Saabien sesiapa di antara mereka itu beriman kepada ALLAH (SwT) dan (beriman kepada) hari akhirat serta beramal soleh, maka bagi mereka pahala balasannya di sisi Tuhan mereka, dan tidak ada kebimbangan (dari berlakunya kejadian yang tidak baik) kepada mereka, dan mereka pula tidak akan berdukacita.

Sabeans belonged to Chaldean religion. Their religion was much modified at various times and places by Jewish, Gnostic and Zoroastrian influences, and so there are conflicting accounts of them in various Muslim authors. Star-worship was the distinctive feature of their religion, otherwise they were monotheists.

Ø  BEFORE SAYING that whoever **believes in ALLAH (SWT) and **the last day, and **does good, not becoming a Muslim EVEN AFTER Islam has been chosen as the religion of ALLAH (SWT), is entitled to be blessed by ALLAH (SWT), the following verse should be taken into consideration:

And whoso seeks as religion other than Islam it will not be accepted from him, and he will be among the losers in the hereafter. (Ali Imran 3:85)

AND TO REMOVE MISUNDERSTANDING, it should be noted that this verse refers to those *Sabeans, *Jews and *Christians who, as sincere faithful, *followed the original teachings of their respective prophets, *without ever corrupting the true message, *and believing in the prophecy of the advent of Muhammad made known by Musa, Isa and other prophets (see Baqarah 2:40), AND ALSO THOSE of them who lived in the days of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) BUT DIED before the news of his proclamation of the promised prophethood could reach them, BECAUSE surely they would have come into the fold of Islam if they had known about it. *BELIEF IN THE UNITY OF ALLAH (SWT) AND *THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT AND *DOING GOOD IS THE SPIRIT OF ISLAM. This was the religion all the messengers of ALLAH (SWT) preached to their people.

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(2:62) Rest assured that whosoever from among the Muslims or the Jews or the Christians or the Sabaeans believes in Allah and the Last Day, and performs good deeds, he will have his reward with his Lord and he will have no cause for fear and grief. *80

*80. The context of the verse makes it clear that it is not attempting to enumerate in detail all the articles of faith in which one should believe, or all the principles of conduct which one should follow in order to merit reward from God. These matters are mentioned elsewhere, in their appropriate places. The aim of the verse is merely to repudiate the illusion cherished by the Jews that, by virtue of their being Jews, they have a monopoly of salvation. They had long entertained the notion that a special and exclusive relationship existed between them and God. They thought, therefore, that all who belonged to their group were predestined to salvation regardless of their beliefs and actions, whereas all non-Jews were predestined to serve as fodder for hell-fire.
To clarify this misgiving the Jews are told that what really matters in the sight of God is true faith and good deeds rather than formal affiliation with a certain religious community. Whoever has true faith and good deeds to his credit is bound to receive his reward, since God will judge people on the basis of merit rather than on the grounds that a man's name happens to be listed in the world as a member of one religious community or the other. 

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ {2:63}

[Q2:63] Wa iz akhaznaa meesaaqakum wa rafa'naa fawqakumut Toora khuzoo maaa aatainaakum biquwwatinw wazkuroo maa feehi la'allakum tattaqoon.

[Q2:63] And when We took a promise from you and lifted the mountain over you: Take hold of the law (Tawrat) We have given you with firmness and bear in mind what is in it, so that you may guard (against evil).
[Q2:63] Dan (ingatlah), ketika Kami mengambil perjanjian setia kamu semasa Kami angkatkan Gunung Tursina di atas kamu (sambil Kami berfirman): “Terimalah Taurat yang telah Kami berikan kepada kamu (serta amalkanlah) dengan bersungguh-sungguh, dan ingatlah (jangan lupakan) apa yang tersebut di dalamnya, supaya kamu bertaqwa.

¤          The Ahmadi commentator again denies the lifting of the mountain over the Bani Israil, because of his inability to read history in its true perspective, explained in the commentary of verse 56 of this surah.

In verse 7:171 of al Araf the almighty ALLAH (SWT)  says: "We shook the mountain above them as if it were a covering and they thought that it was going to fall upon them;" therefore, the dishonesty or the lack of good sense in the thinking of the Ahmadi commentator is clearly evident.

"Hold fast" means to be sure of that good which has been bestowed so that certainty becomes second nature; AND TO REMEMBER IS TO BE SAVED FROM DARKNESS, LOSS AND AGONY OF NON-REMEMBRANCE.

ò  BE FIRM AND AWARE OF WHAT IS EVIL AND HARMFUL SO THAT IT IS AVOIDED.

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(2:63) Call to mind the time when We raised above you the Tur and made a covenant with you, *81 saying, "Hold fast to the Book which We are giving you and bear in mind the commands and precepts contained therein. It is expected that this will lead you on to the paths of virtue and piety."

*81. From the manner in which this incident is described at various places in the Qur'an it is obvious that, at that time, it was quite well known to the Israelites. It is difficult, however, after the Passage of many centuries to be able to speak with certaintainty about the precise nature of the incident. All we can say is that while the Children of israeI were making their covenant in the shadow of Mount Sinai, they witnessed an aweseme phenomenon and felt as if the mountain was about to fall upon them. Verse 171 of Surah al-A'raf seems to portray this. (See also n. 132 in that surah.) 

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَكُنْتُمْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ {2:64}

[Q2:64] Summa tawallaitum mim ba'di zaalika falawlaa fadlul laahi 'alaikum wa rahmatuhoo lakuntum minal khaasireen.

[Q2:64] Then you turned back after that; so were it not for the grace of ALLAH (SWT) and His mercy on you, you would certainly have been among the losers.
[Q2:64] Kemudian sesudah itu kamu membelakangkan perjanjian setia kamu itu (tidak menyempurnakannya); maka kalau tidaklah kerana limpah kurnia ALLAH (SwT) dan belas kasihanNya kepada kamu (dengan membuka pintu taubat), nescaya menjadilah kamu dari golongan orang-orang yang rugi. 

(see commentary for verse 63)

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(2:64) But even after that you forsook the Covenant: nevertheless Allah did not withhold His grace and mercy from you; otherwise you would have been utterly ruined long before this.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ {2:65}

[Q2:65] Wa laqad 'alimtumul lazeena'-tadaw minkum fis Sabti faqulnaa lahum koonoo qiradatan khaasi'een.
[Q2:65] And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.

[Q2:65] Dan sesungguhnya kamu telah mengetahui (bagaimana buruknya akibat) orang-orang di antara kamu yang melanggar (larangan) pada hari Sabtu, lalu Kami berfirman kepada mereka: “Jadilah kamu kera yang hina”.

Sabbath day was reserved exclusively for prayers. To do anything else was forbidden. The people invented crafty methods through which the fish got trapped. In this way they resorted to fishing which was also forbidden on the Sabbath days. In view of their persistent violations in spite of the repeated warnings given by the prophets, they were transformed into apes. After three days all of them died. A powerful wind swept their corpses into the sea. This incident took place in the town of Elah, on the coast of the Red Sea, during the time of prophet Dawud.This transformation has again been stated in verse 7:166 of al Araf.

µ  Misinterpreting the Qur’an, by inappropriately comparing the wording of one passage to the other passages without any grammatical reasoning or the identity of the meaning, is an attempt to confuse the purport of one with the other, which the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) has strongly prohibited, and declared that it is as bad as infidelity.

THE FOLLOWING WONDERFUL EVENTS, WHICH BECAME OPERATIVE AS SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA, ARE NARRATED IN THE QUR’AN AS THE MIRACLES GIVEN TO MUSA TO FURNISH THE PROOF OF HIS PROPHETHOOD:

°          The rod of Musa transformed into a serpent.

°          The brilliance of the palm of Musa.

°          The splitting of the sea.

°          The gushing of water from the rock.

°          The coming of manna and salwa from the heavens.

°          The shadowing of the cloud over the Bani Israil.

°          The raising of the dead.

°          The suspension of the mountain over the people.

°          The transformation of the transgressors into apes.

Denial of the divine signs, which appeared due to the ability of the supernatural energy to make adjustments in nature leads to the rejection of the true religion of ALLAH (SWT) preached by the last messenger of ALLAH (SWT), as is evident in the case of the Ahmadi movement - a hypocritical and dishonest camouflage and a gross disloyalty to the true faith.

The Ahmadi commentator adds "as" before the word apes, in order to deny the divine sign.

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(2:65) And you know well the story of those among you who broke Sabbath. *82 We said to them, "Be apes *83 despised and hated by all.

*82. Sabbath, i.e., Saturday . Itwas laid down that the Israelite should consecrate that day for rest and worship. They were required to from abstain from all worldly acts, including cooking (which they mightneither do themselves, nor have their servants do for them). The injunctions, in this connection wereso strict that violation of the Sabath was to be punished with death. (See Exodus 31:12-17.) When religious and moral decadence, however, spread among the Israelites they indulged in open desecration of the Sabbath, so much so that in Jewish towns trade and commerce were carried out in broad daylight. 
*83. The details of this incident are mentioned later in Surah 7, vv. 163 ff. The exact manner in which their transformation into apes took place is disputed. Some scholars are of the opinion that the transformation was a physical one, while others hold that they were invested with the attributes characteristic of apes. But both the words and the manner in which this incident is recounted in the Qur'ain seem to suggest that what took place was a physical transformation of certain persons into apes rather than just a moral metamorphosis. What seems plausible to me is that while their minds were allowed to remain intact, their bodies were changed into those of apes.

فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ {2:66}

[Q2:66] Faja'alnaahaa nakaalal limaa baina yadihaa wa maa khalfahaa wa maw'izatal lilmuttaqeen.
[Q2:66] So We made them an example to those who witnessed it and those who came after it, and an admonition to those who guard (against evil).

[Q2:66] Maka Kami jadikan apa yang berlaku itu sebagai suatu hukuman pencegah bagi orang-orang yang ada pada masa itu dan orang-orang yang datang kemudian, dan suatu pengajaran bagi orang-orang yang (hendak) bertaqwa.
(see commentary for verse 4)

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(2:66) Thus We made their end a warning to the people of their time and succeeding generations, and an admonition for God-fearing people.

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا ۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ {2:67}

[Q2:67] Wa iz qaala Moosaa liqawmiheee innal laaha yaamurukum an tazbahoo baqaratan qaalooo atattakhizunna huzuwan qaala a'oozu billaahi an akoona minal jaahileen.

[Q2:67] And when Musa said to his people: Surely ALLAH (SWT) commands you that you should sacrifice a cow; they said: Do you ridicule us? He said: I seek the protection of ALLAH (SWT) from being one of the ignorant.
[Q2:67] Dan (ingatlah), ketika Nabi Musa berkata kepada kaumnya: “Sesungguhnya ALLAH (SwT) menyuruh supaya kamu menyembelih seekor lembu betina”. Mereka berkata: “Adakah engkau hendak menjadikan kami ini permainan?” Nabi Musa menjawab: “Aku berlindung kepada ALLAH (SwT) daripada menjadi salah seorang dari golongan yang jahil (yang melakukan sesuatu yang tidak patut)”.

If a man was murdered and the people were unable to trace out the murderer, according to the original law of Musa, 50 men of the suspected tribe had to swear their innocence and ignorance and pay the blood-money to the inheritors of the deceased.

When a case like this actually took place the Bani Israil rebelled, argued, doubted and rejected the doctrine of truthful submission and guidance. They insisted that Musa should pray to ALLAH (SWT) to reveal the name of the murderer, which Musa was rightly refusing BECAUSE it was contrary to the divine laws in force. In fact it was a conspiracy to test the prophetic powers of Musa.

     IN ANSWER, ALLAH (SWT) COMMANDED THEM TO SACRIFICE A COW. They were greatly disturbed by this command because under the influence of the heathen ideologies, cows and bulls were held in high veneration. They again started to pester Musa with endless questions. They thought that narrowing down the specification of the cow would result in non-availability of such an animal.

     Imam Ali bin Musa al Rida has rightly observed that any cow would have been sufficient, BUT THE MORE the Bani Israil made a fuss, the more did ALLAH (SWT) impose restrictions as a punishment to their persistent demands for unnecessary details. Musa, under the divine command, was able to make them purchase the prescribed cow by paying a large sum to a very holy and pious man who owned such a cow. It was a reluctant compliance.

     The cow was slain and its tail was put on the sacrum of the dead man. The dead man came to life and pointed out the same man as the murderer, who had raised the cry for his blood-money. The murderer was his nephew. The body was concealed in a nearby village. The Bani Israil, as said above, wanted to test Musa. They were sure that Musa had no means of finding out the murderer to the full satisfaction of the people. The unfolding event proved their limitations. ALLAH (SWT) brought forth that which they were going to hide.

THE PATIENCE OF THE PROPHET OF ALLAH (SWT) WITH THE DOUBTERS IS A PROOF OF HIS DIVINELY INSPIRED CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE. In a similar way, after the departure of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), many of the Muslims quarrelled over his judgement and doubted his will and intention that Ali ibne Abi Talib should lead and establish Islam-original.

SINCE ALL HUMAN BEINGS HAVE BEEN CREATED BY ALLAH (SWT), KILLING A PERSON AND WHAT HE REPRESENTS IS LIKE DESTROYING THE ENTIRE CREATION (see verse 5:32 of al Ma-idah).

»    The Ahmadi commentator says that the meaning of qatl in verse 72 is "almost dead" and refers to verses 4:157 and 158 of al Nisa wherein "the raising of Isa alive unto ALLAH (SWT)" has been mentioned, and tries to make people believe that this verse also refers to Isa. In his zeal to fabricate falsehood he has overlooked the sentence: "And ALLAH (SWT) brings forth what you hide". The Jews had no doubt about the crucifixion of Isa, nor concealed it, nor did they dispute about it. It makes clear that the Ahmadi School does not believe in the omnipotent power of ALLAH (SWT).

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(2:67) Then call to mind the other event: when Moses said to his people, "Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow," they replied, "Do you mean to have a jest with us?" He answered, "I crave Allah's protection from behaving like ignorant people."

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَافْعَلُوا مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ{2:68}

[Q2:68] Qaalud-'u lanaa rabbaka yubaiyil lanaa maa hee; qaala innahoo yaqoolu innahaa baqaratul laa faaridunw wa laa bikrun 'awaanum baina zaalika faf'aloo maa tu'maroon.

[Q2:68] They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is. Musa said: He says, Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between that (and this); do therefore what you are commanded.
[Q2:68] Mereka berkata pula: “Berdoalah kepada Tuhanmu untuk kami, supaya diterangkanNya kepada kami bagaimana (sifat-sifat) lembu itu?” Nabi Musa menjawab: “Bahawasanya ALLAH (SwT) berfirman: Bahawa (lembu betina) itu ialah seekor lembu yang tidak terlalu tua dan tidak terlalu muda, pertengahan (umurnya) di antara itu; maka kerjakanlah apa yang diperintahkan kepada kamu melakukannya”.

 (see commentary for verse 67)

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(2:68) Then they said, "Please make a request to your Lord to give us some details of the cow." Moses answered, "Allah says that the cow should neither be old nor immature but of middle age. Do, therefore, as you are bidden."

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَاقِعٌ لَوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ النَّاظِرِينَ {2:69}

[Q2:69] Qaalud-'u lanaa rabaaka yubaiyil lanaa maa lawnuhaa; qaala innahoo yaqoolu innahaa baqaratun safraaa'u faqi'ul lawnuhaa tasurrun naazireen.

[Q2:69] They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what her color is. Musa said: He says, Surely she is a yellow cow; her color is intensely yellow, giving delight to the beholders.
[Q2:69] Mereka berkata lagi: “Pohonkanlah kepada Tuhanmu untuk kami, supaya diterangkanNya kepada kami apa warnanya?” Nabi Musa menjawab: “Bahawasanya ALLAH (SwT) berfirman: Bahawa (lembu betina) itu ialah seekor lembu kuning, kuning tua warnanya, lagi menyukakan orang-orang yang melihatnya”.

 (see commentary for verse 67)

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(2:69) But they further asked, "Please request your Lord to make it clear to us of what colour she should be." Moses answered, "He says that she should be of yellow colour, so deep and bright as to delight the beholders."

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ {2:70}

[Q2:70] Qaalud-'u lanaa rabbaka yubaiyil lanaa maa hiya innal baqara tashaabaha 'alainaa wa innaaa in shaaa'al laahu lamuhtadoon.
[Q2:70] They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is, for surely to us the cows are all alike, and if ALLAH (SWT)  please we shall surely be guided aright.

[Q2:70] Mereka berkata lagi: “Pohonkanlah kepada Tuhanmu untuk kami, supaya diterangkanNya kepada kami lembu betina yang mana satu? Kerana sesungguhnya lembu yang dikehendaki itu kesamaran kepada kami (susah kami memilihnya), dan kami insya ALLAH (SwT) akan mendapat petunjuk (untuk mencari dan menyembelih lembu itu)”.

 (see commentary for verse 67)

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(2:70) Again they said, "Pray your Lord to specify for us the kind of cow that is required; for cows (of this type) look alike to us. We shall then find her, if God so wills."