Chapter 1 - General Questions From the Noble Quran

  

  

Why did Allah make the cow so specific that it was so difficult for them to find one that fits that description. And when they did find it, it was very expensive? | البقرة التي أمر بني إسرائيل بذبحها كانت ذات مواصفات تعجيزية . فلماذا جعل الله تعالى الموضوع صعب عليهم ؟

49 views 0 November 23, 2021 Updated on February 22, 2026

Why did Allah make the description of the cow so specific?

لماذا جعل الله أوصاف البقرة صعبة على بني إسرائيل؟

Allah made the description of the cow highly specific as a punishment for the Children of Israel. Because they were hesitant, arrogant, and attempted to stall the divine command through repetitive questioning, Allah increased the difficulty of the task in return.
جعل الله أوصاف البقرة صعبة ومعجزة عقوبة لبني إسرائيل؛ وذلك بسبب تعنتهم، وتكبرهم، ومحاولتهم التهرب من تنفيذ الأمر الإلهي بكثرة الأسئلة والجدال، فشدد الله عليهم كما شددوا على أنفسهم.

Initially, Allah's command was simple: "Slaughter a cow." Any cow would have sufficed. However, the Children of Israel did not want to obey. By asking for specifics regarding its age, color, and function, they were stalling for time. As they made the matter difficult through their own stubbornness, Allah made the requirements so narrow that finding such a cow became nearly impossible and very expensive.

بدأ الأمر الإلهي بسيطاً ومطلقاً بكلمة "بقرة"، فلو ذبحوا أي بقرة لأجزأتهم. لكن بنو إسرائيل اتخذوا من كثرة السؤال وسيلة للمماطلة وعدم الامتثال، فسألوا عن سنها ولونها وعملها. ولأنهم استكبروا وطلبوا التفاصيل تنطعاً، جزاهم الله من جنس عملهم وضيق عليهم الخيارات حتى لم يجدوا البقرة المطلوبة إلا بصعوبة بالغة وبثمن باهظ جداً.

Quranic Evidence | الدليل من القرآن الكريم

(And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his people, “Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow.” They replied, “Are you mocking us?” Moses responded, “I seek refuge in Allah from being so ignorant!”)

(وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا ۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ) [سورة البقرة: آية ٦٧]

(...They said, “Now you have come with the truth.” Yet they still slaughtered it hesitantly!)

(قَالُوا الْآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ) [سورة البقرة: آية ٧١]

Scholarly Insight: This narrative establishes the jurisprudential rule: "Strictness leads to strictness." The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) often warned his companions against asking too many unnecessary questions about religious matters, citing the story of the cow as a warning that excessive inquiry can turn a simple obligation into a burdensome trial.

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