Al-Baqarah 70: They said, “Supplicate to your Lord on our behalf so that Allah might tell us clearly how it is because, to us, the cows look alike. If Allah desires, we surely will find it and find guidance.”
Contents
Explanation
Translation
They said, “Supplicate to your Lord on our behalf so that Allah might tell us clearly how it is because, to us, the cows look alike. If Allah desires, we surely will find it and find guidance.”
Tafsir
This time they asked him to explain to us the cattle that we were going to slaughter, so that we might have a more detailed knowledge about the knowledge of cattle. This was done so that Allah (swt) would make His presence known to them and to those who came after them, and so that they would have a remembrance and a reminder of the events. Otherwise, Allah (swt) could have explained the situation without causing such events to unfold.
It is also narrated that this people had superstitious beliefs among their ancestors, such as worshipping cows. Therefore, they made it difficult for themselves by making excuses for not slaughtering cows. They were testing Allah (swt) in their minds to convince Him of their Lord's existence. If their hearts trusted in the existence of Allah, they would surely do what they were commanded out of fear of their Lord.
What is said in the video
They said: for us pray to your Lord, so that He makes clear to us the cow we are to slaughter. They are still being stubborn. If Allah wills, we will surely find it, and do as commanded, they said. What happened? They have no way out left; it is all clear now. This time, to get more detailed information about identifying the cow, "let Him make clear to us the cow we are to slaughter," it says. That is, He has to say: Ahmet's cow, Mehmet's cow, Hasan's cow. That is how far they go. That this event unfolded this way is so that Allah Almighty, to them and to those who come after, makes His existence known and leaves the events to people as a remembrance and a memorial.
Otherwise Allah Almighty could have explained the matter without bringing about events like this, we say. He would have explained it at once. But look, what a beautiful history we are reading. Allah Almighty is writing history. And in this history: Allah's miracles, the true events that people went through, and, through such behaviour, their rank in the sight of Allah Almighty; and if we too behave like this, what will our rank be in the sight of our Lord? So: O Allah, keep us away from the company of such people. Join us to Your servants who obey You — so saying, people take a lesson from these events and seek refuge in Allah.
Such beautiful events, through verses. Yes.
According to one narration, among this people, as a false belief handed down from their ancestors, they used to worship cows. For this reason too, they put forward excuses so as not to slaughter a cow, and kept making the matter harder. So as to be convinced of His existence before their Lord, in their own minds they kept testing Allah Almighty. In their own minds. How, I wonder? How will He make this known? How will He do it? Sir, this cow is known, but will He be able to state it exactly? And in their own minds they are testing Allah. May Allah protect us. If their hearts had trusted in Allah's existence, out of fear of their Lord they would have said: of course we will do what we are commanded.
They were saying. What is it? Ah, all right, no more now. This one has no way out anymore. (?) now let us do what we are commanded, that is. They will say.