First: When they were ordered the slaughter the cow, they said to Moses, peace be upon him: ” Are you taking us for a joke?” They mocked Allah’s Prophet accusing him of ridiculing them, and this is a grave sin and a deed that does not befit a Prophet. Needless to say they were the ones who asked Moses about the murderer, and he was not the one who offered advice. Their Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, replied to them, “I seek refuge in Allah from acting foolishly!”
The ignorant is the one who speaks nonsense, and who mocks people, while the sane person sees that one of the most deplorable defects in the religious and rational perspectives is mocking someone human like him, even if he has been preferred over him. Being preferred over others requires him to be grateful to Allah, and to ask for His Mercy upon His Servants. When Moses told them that he was not acting foolishly, they knew he spoke the truth.
Second: If they had slaughtered any cow, the purpose would have been achieved for them, but they were tough in their reaction, so Allah the Almighty made things tough to them. They said to Moses, peace be upon him: “Call upon your Lord to clarify for us what type ˹of cow˺ it should be!” meaning: What is its age? He said: Allah tells you that it is a cow, neither big nor small, but it is between that, so stop making things difficult and do what Allah the Almighty has commanded you to do.
Third: The people were not satisfied with the first description, so they made things even more difficult, and asked Moses, peace be upon him, about the color of the cow, and the answer was that it is a yellow cow. It had to be a bright yellow cow that would make whoever see it like it.
Fourth: The people were not satisfied with that, so they said to Moses: “Call upon your Lord so that He may make clear to us which cow, for all cows look the same to us. Then, Allah willing, we will be guided ˹to the right one˺.” They said: The cows you described are numerous, and the descriptions are confusing, so if you add some more characteristics, we will be able to know which cow is the one you want.”
There is no doubt that this strictness and stubbornness were meant to avoid complying with the command of Allah Almighty, so the answer came to them: The cow is not humiliated by working in plowing, nor in watering the land; it is a spoiled cow by its owners since it is a cow that pleases the onlookers. Also, it is free from any defects, and its color does not have any peculiarity other than being yellow.
Fifth: When they heard those descriptions, they said: “Now you have come with the truth.” meaning: Now you have come with the exact description that defines the cow precisely. They slaughtered it after they were about not to do so, because of controversy and intransigence, and because it was expensive due to the unique descriptions that made it expensive for its owners.
The descriptions of the cow are:
- Neither old nor young
(They said, “Call upon your Lord to clarify for us what type ˹of cow˺ it should be!” He replied, “Allah says, ‘The cow should neither be old nor young but in between. So do as you are commanded!’”) (Al-Baqarah 2: 68)
- Its color is yellow
(They said, “Call upon your Lord to show us what is her color.” He said, “He says, ‘It is a yellow cow, bright in color – pleasing to the observers.’ “) (Al-Baqarah 2:69)
- It was not used to till the soil or water the fields.
(He replied, “Allah says, ‘It should have been used neither to till the soil nor water the fields; wholesome and without blemish.’” They said, “Now you have come with the truth.” Yet they still slaughtered it hesitantly!) (Al-Baqarah 2:71)
أولاً: لما أمروا بذبح البقرة قالوا لموسى عليه السلام: أتهزأ بنا؟ “أتتخذنا هزواً” فوصفوا نبي الله بالسخرية واللعب، وهذا ذنب قبيح، ووصف لا يليق بنبي من أنبياء الله، فضلا عن أنهم هم الذين سألوا موسى عن القاتل وليس هو الذي عرض عليهم.
فرد عليهم نبيهم موسى عليه السلام “ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ“
أن الجاهل هو الذي يتكلم بالكلام الذي لا فائدة فيه، وهو الذي يستهزئ بالناس، وأما العاقل فيرى أن من أكبر العيوب المزرية بالدين والعقل، الاستهزاء بمن هو آدمي مثله، وإن كان قد فضل عليه، فتفضيله يقتضي منه الشكر لربه، والرحمة لعباده. فلما قال لهم موسى ذلك، علموا أن ذلك صدق.
ثانيًا: لو أنهم ذبحوا أي بقرة لحصل لهم المقصود، لكنهم شددوا فشدد الله عليهم، فقالوا لموسى عليه السلام: “ ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ” أي: ما سنها؟
قال إن الله يقول لكم إنها بقرة ليست كبيرة، ولا صغيرة، لكنها بين ذلك فاتركوا التشديد والتعنت وافعلوا ما أمركم الله به.
ثالثًا: لم يكتف القوم بالوصف الأول فشدووا على أنفسهم أكثر وسألوا موسى عن لون البقرة، فكان الجواب إنها بقرة صفراء، شديدة الصفرة من رآها سر لمظهرها، وهذا يعني أنها محببة عند صاحبها.
رابعًا: لم يكتف القوم بذلك فقالوا لموسى: “ ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ .
قالوا إن البقر الموصوف بما تقدم متعدد والأوصاف مختلطة فلو زدت في الأوصاف حتى نعلم أي بقرة هي المرادة،
ولا شك أن هذا من التعنت والتشدد لئلا يمتثلوا أمر الله عز وجل. فجاءهم الجواب: إن البقرة غير مذلّلة بالعمل في الحراثة، ولا في سقاية الأرض-أي إنها بقرة مدللة عند أصحابها سيما وهي بقرة تسر الناظرين-، وهي سالمة من العيوب، أما لونها فليس فيها علامة من لون آخر غير لونها الأصفر.
خامسًا: لما سمعوا هذه الأوصاف قالوا: “الآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ“ أي: الآن جئت بالوصف الدقيق الَّذي يعيِّن البقرة تمامًا، وذبحوها بعد أن أوشكوا ألا يذبحوها بسبب الجدال والتعنت، وبسبب أنها غالية الثمن لأنها ذات أوصاف تجعلها غالية عند أصحابها.
إذأ أوصاف البقرة
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-لا صغيرة (بكر) و لا كبيرة. اي وسط بين ذلك
قَالُواْ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لاَّ فَارِضٌ وَلاَ بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذٰلِكَ فَٱفْعَلُواْ مَا تُؤْمَرونَ )ا لبقرة 2: 68)
لونها أصفر
( قَالُواْ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفْرَآءُ فَاقِـعٌ لَّوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ ٱلنَّاظِرِينَ ( )البقرة 2: 69)
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لا تعمل في الأرض حتى تكون صحيحة
( قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لاَّ ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ ٱلأَرْضَ وَلاَ تَسْقِي ٱلْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لاَّ شِيَةَ فِيهَا قَالُواْ ٱلآنَ جِئْتَ بِٱلْحَقِّ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ)
البقرة 2: 71