The Cow (al-Baqara)

God commanded the children of Israel, through Moses, to slaughter a cow. Instead of complying they multiplied questions about its age, colour and description — complicating by their own hands what was easy. Then they slaughtered it at the end, reluctantly.

A murder had occurred among the children of Israel and the perpetrator remained unknown. God commanded them through Moses to slaughter a cow. The command was simple — any cow would have sufficed.

But instead of complying they began to question. 'What is her age?' — a cow neither old nor young. 'What is her colour?' — a bright yellow cow. 'Describe her more, cows look alike to us.' — not a cow trained to plough or water the crops, unblemished. With each question the margin narrowed: finding the exactly matching cow became harder and harder.

In the end the Quran says they slaughtered it 'and they were near to not doing it.' A simple act of obedience — through their own ill will — had become a burdensome journey.

The story of the cow has become a common parable in Islam: an example of complicating what God had made simple through excessive questioning. The Quran does not report all the details some commentators add (the murderer's identity, the supposedly exorbitant price of the rare cow); we adhere to the text which focuses on the moral lesson. Worth noting: from this episode derives the name of the Quran's longest surah (al-Baqara), though it covers many diverse topics.

The cow teaches the beauty of simple obedience. The more the children of Israel questioned, the more they narrowed their options: an initial ease became a trial through their own doing. The lesson for all: before a clear command, excessive haggling and excuses bring nothing but hardship. Simple obedience is sometimes true wisdom.

Rappelez-vous lorsque Moïse dit à son peuple : « Allah vous ordonne de sacrifier une vache. » Ils répondirent : « Te moques-tu de nous ? » Il dit : « Qu'Allah me préserve d'agir en ignorant. »

2:67

Il répondit : « Allah dit qu'elle ne doit être utilisée ni pour le labour, ni pour l'arrosage des champs. Ce doit être une vache exempte de tout défaut et sans la moindre tache. » Ils dirent : « Tu nous l'as enfin décrite clairement. » Ils finirent donc, après bien des hésitations, par l'égorger.

2:71