Musa (Moses) - The Story of the Israelites and the Cow

Musa (Moses) - The Story of the Israelites and the Cow

The Pious Man and His Son Moses stayed among his people calling them to Allah. It seems their souls were uneasy in a way that the observant eye could not mistake. Their obstinacy and chattering about what has become known as "The Story of the Cow" was unwarranted. This topic did not need so many negotiations between Moses and the people, nor did it need all their bias.
It was said that among the children of Israel there lived a pious man. He was poor but very careful about how he earned his living; it had to be honestly earned. Everything that he did was done for the sake of Allah, never for selfish gain. On his deathbed his last words were: "0 Allah, I place my wife, my little son, and my only possession, a calf, in Your care." Strangely, he asked his wife to lead the calf to the forest and leave it there. He did this because he did not trust the children of Israel, for they were a selfish and greedy folk.
After a few years when the boy had grown up, his mother told him: 'Your father has left you a calf in the trust of Allah. It must have grown into a cow by now." The son was surprised. He did not know of any calf all these years and asked his mother where it was. She replied: "Be like your father and say: 'I trust in Allah,' then go look for it."
With a rope in his hand, he went to the forest and prostrated himself before Allah: "0 Allah, Lord of Abraham and Jacob and Job, return to me my father's trust." As he raised his head, he saw a cow coming towards him. It stopped submissively beside him. He tied the rope around its neck and led it to his house. The cow would not allow anyone else come near it except the young man.
The youth was as pious as his father. He earned his living by cutting wood. Whatever he earned he divided into three equal portions: one he gave to his mother, one he used for his needs, and the last he gave as charity. His nights, too, were divided into three parts: during the early part of the night he helped his mother, the middle part he devoted to the worship of Allah, and during the last part he rested.
The People Ask Questions About a Cow About this time a wealthy man died, leaving behind an only son, who inherited his father's wealth. His cousins envied his good fortune and secretly killed him so that they could inherit it.
The dead boy's other relatives came to the Prophet Moses and asked his help in tracing the boy's murderer. Moses instructed them to slaughter a cow, remove its tongue and place it on the corpse. This would reveal the murderer, he told them. They accused Moses of joking. He replied: "Allah forbid that I be foolish!" They questioned him about the type of cow they should slaughter, and he said: "This cow is neither young nor mature, but in between the two conditions, so do as you have been commanded."
Instead of following his direction, they asked him more questions. "What color must it be?"
He replied: "Verily, it is yellow in color."
They still were not satisfied with his answer and asked for more details. Moses replied: "It is an unyoked cow; it does not plow the soil nor water the tilth, and is entirely without marks."
Moses's People Find the Right Cow They went out in search of such a cow. The only one that matched the description was the one owned by the orphaned youth. They met him on the way and asked the price for which he would sell his cow. He told them he would have to consult his mother first, so they accompanied him to his house and offered her three gold coins. She refused their offer, saying that the cow was worth much more.
They went on increasing their offer and the mother kept on refusing. Finally they urged the son to speak to his mother to be reasonable. He told them: "I will not sell the cow without my mother's approval, even if you offered me its skin filled with gold!" On hearing this, his mother smiled and said: "Let that be the price: its skin filled with gold." They realized that no other cow would do; they had to have it at any price. They agreed to buy the cow and paid with its skin filled with gold.
The People are Asked to Slaughter a Cow - Qur'anic Allah the Almighty narrated: And (remember) when Moses said to his people: "Verily, Allah commands you that you slaughter a cow.
They said: "Do you make fun of us?"
He said: "I take Allah's Refuge from being among AlJahileen (the ignorants or the foolish)."
They said: "Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is!"
He said: "He says, 'Verily, it is a cow neither too old nor too young, but (it is) between the two conditions; so do what you are commanded."
They said: "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us its color."
He said: "He says, 'It is a yellow cow bright in its color, pleasing to the beholders.
They said: "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us what it is. Verily to us all cows are alike, and surely, if Allah wills, we will be guided."
He (Moses) said: "He says, 'It is a cow neither trained to till the soil nor water the fields, sound, having no other color except bright yellow.
They said: "Now you have brought the truth." So they slaughtered it though they were near to not doing it.
And (remember) when you killed a man and fell into dispute among yourselves as to the crime. But Allah brought forth that which you were hiding. So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with apiece of it (the cow)." Thus Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) so that you may understand.
Then after that your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. Surah 2: 67-74

Musa (Moses) - The Story Moses and Al-Khidr

Moses is Informed of a Wise Man One day, Moses delivered such an impressive sermon that all who heard it were deeply moved. Someone in the congregation asked: "0 Messenger of Allah, is there another man on earth more learned than you?" Moses replied: "No!", believing so, as Allah had given him the power of miracles and honored him with the Torah.
However, Allah revealed to Moses that no man could know all there is to know, nor would one messenger alone be the custodian of all knowledge. There would always be another who knew what others did not. Moses asked Allah: "0 Allah, where is this man? I would like to meet him and learn from him." He also asked for a sign to this person's identity.
Allah instructed him to take a live fish in a water-filled vessel. Where the fish disappeared, he would find the man he sought. Moses set out on his journey, accompanied by a young man who carried the vessel with the fish. They reached a place where two rivers met and decided to rest there. Instantly, Moses fell asleep.
Moses Finds Al-Khidr While he was asleep, his companion saw the fish wriggle out of the vessel into the river and swim away. However, he forgot to relate this incident to Moses. When he awoke, they continued their journey until they were exhausted and hungry. Moses asked for his morning meal. Only then did his companion recall that the fish they had brought with them had gotten away. Hearing this, Moses exclaimed: 'This is exactly what we are seeking!" They hurriedly retraced their steps to the place where the rivers met and where the fish had jumped out. There they found a man, his face partly covered with a hood. His bearing showed he was a saintly man. He was Al-Khidr, the guide.
Moses Finds Al-Khidr - Qur'anic Allah the Almighty narrated: And (remember) when Moses said to his boy-servant: "I will not give up (traveling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in traveling."
But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way throught the sea as in a tunnel. So when they had passed further on (beyond that fixed place), Moses said to his boy-servant: "Bring us our morning meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our journey."
He said: "Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the ock? I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange (way)!"
(Moses) said: "That is what we have been seeking." So they went back retracing their footsteps.
Then they found one of Our slaves, unto whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us. Surah 18: 60-65
Moses Speaks to Al-Khidr Moses said to him (Khidr) "May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance and true path) which you have been taught (by Allah)?"
He (Khidr) said: "Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me! And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?"
Moses said: "If Allah will, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught."
He (Khidr) said: "Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you.
So they both proceeded, till, when they were in the ship, he (Khidr) scuttled it. Moses said: "Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have done Imra - a Munkar (evil, bad, dreadful) thing."
He (Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?"
(Moses) said: "Call me not to account for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my affair (with you)."
Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Moses said: "Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have done Nukra a great Munkar (prohibited, evil, dreadful) thing!"
(Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?"
(Moses) said: "If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me."
Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If you had wished, surely you could have taken wages for it!"
(Khidr) said: "This is the parting between me and you. I will tell you the interpretation of (those) things over which you were unable to hold patience.
'As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king after them who seized every ship by force.
"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.
"And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) over which you could not hold patience. Surah 18: 60-82
Moses Seeks Al-Khidr - Hadith The story of Moses and Al-Khidr is also told in a hadith. Said Ibn Jubair said: "I said to Ibn Abbas, 'Nauf Al-Bukah claims that Moses, the companion of Al-Khidr, was not Moses (the prophet) of the children of Israel, but some other Moses.' Ibn Abbas said: 'Allah's enemy (i.e. Nauf) has told a lie. Ubai Ibn Kab told us that the Prophet said: Once Moses stood up and addressed Bani Israel. He was asked who was the most learned man amongst the people. He said: "I." Allah admonished him as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So, Allah said to him: 'Yes, at the junction of the two seas there is a slave of Mine who is more learned than you." Moses said: "0 my Lord! How can I meet him?" Allah said: "Take a fish and put it in a large basket and you will find him at the place where you will lose the fish."
Moses took a fish and put it in a basket and proceeded along with his (servant) boy, Joshua (Yusha Ibn Nun), till they reached the rock where they laid their heads (i.e. lay down). Moses slept, and the fish, moving out of the basket, fell into the sea. It took its way into the sea (straight) as in a tunnel. Allah stopped the flow of water over the fish and it became like an arch (the Prophet pointed out this arch with his hands). They traveled the rest of the night, and the next day Moses said to his boy (servant): "Give us our food, for indeed, we have suffered much fatigue in this journey of ours." Moses did not feel tired till he crossed that place which Allah had ordered him to seek after. His boy (servant) said to him: "Do you know that when we were sitting near that rock, I forgot the fish, and none but Satan caused me to forget to tell (you) about it, and it took its course into the sea in an amazing way?" So there was a path for the fish and that astonished them. Moses said: 'That was what we were seeking after."
So both of them retraced their footsteps till they reached the rock. There they saw a man lying covered with a garment.
Moses Talks to Al-Khidr Moses greeted him, and he replied saying: "How do people greet each other in your land?" Moses said: "I am Moses."
The man asked: "Moses of Bani Israel?" Moses said: 'Yes, I have come to you so that you may teach me from those things which Allah has taught you." He said: "0 Moses! I have some of the knowledge of Allah which Allah has taught me and which you do not know, while you have some of the knowledge of Allah which Allah has taught you and which I do not know." Moses asked: "May I follow you?" He said: "But you will not be able to remain patient with me, for how can you be patient about things which you will not be able to understand?" Moses said: 'You will find me, if Allah so will, truly patient, and I will not disobey you in aught."
So both of them set out walking along the sea-shore. A boat passed by them, and they asked the crew of the boat to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khidr, so they took them on board without fare. When they were on board the boat, a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak once or twice into the sea. Al-Khidr said to Moses: "0 Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah's knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak." Then suddenly Al-Khidr took an adze and pulled up a plank, and Moses did not notice it till he had pulled up a plank with the adze. Moses said to him: "What have you done? They took us on board charging us nothing; yet you have intentionally made a hole in their boat so as to drown its passengers. Verily, you have done a dreadful thing." AlKhidr replied: "Did I not tell you that you would not be able to remain patient with me?" Moses replied: "Do not blame me for what I have forgotten, and do not be hard upon me for my fault." So the first excuse of Moses was that he had forgotten.
When they had left the sea, they passed by a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khidr took hold of the boy's head and plucked it with his hand like this. (Sufyan, the sub-narrator gestured with his fingertips as if he were plucking some fruit.) Moses said to him: "Have you killed an innocent person who has not killed any person? You have really done a horrible thing." Al-Khidr said: "Did I not tell you that you could not remain patient with me?" Moses said: "If I ask you about anything after this, don't accompany me. You have received an excuse from me."
Then both of them went on till they came to some people of a village, and they asked its inhabitants for food but they refused to entertain them as guests. Then they saw therein a wall which was just going to collapse and Al Khidr repaired it just by touching it with his hands. (Sufyan, the subnarrator, gestured with his hands, illustrating how Al-Khidr passed his hands over the wall upwards.) Moses said: "These are the people whom we have called on, but they neither gave us food, nor entertained us as guests, yet you have repaired their wall. If you had wished, you could have taken wages for it."
Al-Khidr said: "This is the parting between you and me, and I shall tell you the explanation of those things on which you could not remain patient."
The Prophet added: "We wish that Moses could have remained patient by virtue of which Allah might have told us more about their story." (Sufyan, the sub-narrator, said that the Prophet said: "May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses! If he had remained patient, we would have been told further about their case.")'

Musa (Moses) - The Death of Moses

Moses's Suffering Moses suffered terribly from his people and endured much for the sake of Allah.
Abdullah Ibn Umar narrated: "Once the Prophet Muhammad distributed something (among his companions). A man said: 'This distribution has not been done (with justice) seeking Allah's Countenance.' I went to the Prophet and told him (of that). He became so angry that I saw the signs of anger on his face. Then he said: 'May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses, for he was harmed more (in a worse manner) than this; yet he endured patiently."
The children of Israel mistreated Moses a lot. His agony was not limited to mutiny, stupidity, chattering, ignorance, and idolatry; it exceeded this and went as far as inflicting personal harm on him.
Almighty Allah commanded: 0 you who believe! Be not like those who annoyed Moses, but Allah cleared him of that which they alleged, and he was honorable in Allah's sight! Surah 33: 69
Allah Clears Moses of False Rumors Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's Messenger Muhammad said: "Prophet Moses was a shy person and used to cover his body completely because of his extensive shyness. One of the children of Israel hurt him by saying: 'He covers his body in this way only because of some defect in his skin, either leprosy or scrotal hernia, or he has some other defect.
Allah wished to clear Moses of what they said about him, so one day while Moses was in seclusion, he took his clothes and put them on a stone and started taking a bath. When he had finished the bath, he moved towards his clothes so as to take them, but the stone took his clothes and fled. Moses picked up his stick and ran after the stone saying: '0 stone! Give me my garment!' till he reached a group of the children of Israel who saw him naked then and found him in the best shape of what Allah had created, and Allah cleared him of what they had accused him of. The stone stopped there, and Moses took and put on his garment and started hitting the stone with his stick. By Allah, the stone still has some traces of the hitting, three, four, or five marks. This was what Allah the Almighty refers to in His saying: 0 you who believe! Be not like those who annoyed Moses, but Allah cleared him of that which they alleged, and he was honorable in Allah's sight! Surah 33: 69
The Death of Aaron Aaron died shortly before Moses . His people were still wandering in the wilderness when he died.
The Death of Moses
Abu Hurairah narrated: 'The Angel of Death was sent to Moses . When he came to Moses, Moses slapped him on the eye. The Angel returned to his Lord and said: You have sent me to a slave who does not want to die.' Allah said: 'Return to him and tell him to put his hand on the back of an ox and for every hair that will come under it, he will be granted one year of life.' Moses said: '0 Lord! What will happen after that?' Allah replied: 'Then death.' Moses said: 'Let it come now!' Moses then requested Allah to let him die close to the Holy Land so that he would be at a distance of a stone's throw from it." Abu Hurairah added: "Allah's Messenger said: 'If I were there, I would show you his grave below the red sandhill on the side of the road."
Moses , Prophet of Allah and the one to whom Allah spoke directly, met his death with a contented soul and a faithful heart that looked forward to righteousness and made haste to meet with Him Who bore tidings of peace.


Zakariyah (Zechariah) - General Description of Zakariyah

The years had taken their toll on the Prophet Zechariah (Zakariyah) . He was now old and bent with age, in his nineties. Despite his feebleness, he went to the temple daily to deliver his sermons.
Zechariah was not a rich man, but he was always ready to help those in need. His one disappointment in life was that he had no children, for his wife was barren. This worried him, for he feared there was no one after him to carry out his work. The people needed a strong leader, for if they were left on their own, they would move away from Allah's teachings and change the Holy Laws to suit themselves.


Zakariyah (Zechariah) - Zakariyah Talks to Mary

During one of his visits to the temple, he went to check on Mary, who was living in a secluded room of the temple. He was surprised to find fresh out-of-season fruit in her room. Besides him, no one had entry to her room. When he inquired, she told him that the fruit was from Allah. She found it every morning. But why was he so surprised, she asked him. Did he not know that Allah provides without measure for whom He wills?
This noble girl had opened his eyes to a startling idea. Could he not ask his Lord to bless him with a child in his old age? Even if his wife was past child-bearing age, nothing was impossible for his Gracious Lord!


Zakariyah (Zechariah) - Zakariyah Asks for a Son - Qur'anic

Allah the Almighty revealed: 'Kaf, Ha, Ya, Ain, Sad, These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings. (This is) a mention of the Mercy of your Lord to His slave Zechariah. When he called out his Lord (Allah) - a call in secret, saying: 'My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble, and grey hair has spread on my head, and I have never been unblest in my in vocation to You, 0 my Lord! And Verily! I fear my relatives after me, since my wife is barren. So give me from Yourself an heir, - who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the posterity of Jacob (inheritance of the religious knowledge and Prophethood, not the wealth, etc.) And make him, my Lord, one with whom You are Well-pleased!"
(Allah said): "0 Zechariah! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son. His name will be John (Yahya). We have given that name to none before (him)."
He said: 'My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme old age."
He said: "So (it will be). Your Lord says, It is easy for Me. Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing."
(Zechariah) said: 'My Lord! Appoint for me a sign."
He said: 'Your sign is that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect."
Then he came out to his people from Al-Mihrab (a praying place or a private room, etc.), he told them by signs to glorify Allah 's Praises in the morning and in the afternoon.
(It was said to his son): "0 John! Hold fast to the Scripture (The Torah)." And We gave him wisdom while yet a child, and (made him) sympathetic to men as a mercy (or a grant) from Us, and pure from sins (i.e. John) and he was righteous, and dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither an arrogant nor disobedient (to Allah or to his parents). And Salamun (peace) on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)! Surah 19: 1-12

Konular

• Hud (Hud) - Description of Hud
• Hud (Hud) - Commentary - Hud's Appeal to His People
• Hud (Hud) - Hud's Appeal to His People - Qur'anic
• Salih (Salih) - Salih's People Demand a Miracle
• Salih (Salih) - The Disbelievers' Hatred for Salih
• Salih (Salih) - The Disbelievers' Plot to Kill the She-Camel
• Salih (Salih) - Salih's Story - Condensed Qur'anic Version
• Yunus (Jonah) - Description of Jonah's People
• Yunus (Jonah) - Jonah Leaves His People
• Yunus (Jonah) - The People are Forgiven
• Yunus (Jonah) - The Storm at Sea
• Yunus (Jonah) - The Whale Swallows Jonah
• Yunus (Jonah) - Summary of Jonah's Story
• Dawud (David) - David Challenges Goliath
• Dawud (David) - David and Goliath Fight
• Dawud (David) - David Becomes a Prophet
• Dawud (David) - Daivd is Granted the Language of Animals
• Dawud (David) - Saul Plots to Kill David
• Idris (Enoch) - Birth and Teachings
• Lut (Lot) - Description of the People of Sodom
• Lut (Lot) - Angels Come to Meet Lot
• Musa (Moses) - The Story of Moses
• Musa (Moses) - The Situation after Moses is Proven Right
• Musa (Moses) - The Perishing of Pharaoh and His Army
• Musa (Moses) - The Israelites after Pharaoh's Defeat
• Musa (Moses) - The Story of the Israelites and the Cow
• Shia (Isaiah) - Allah Destroys Hezekiah's Enemies
• Shia (Isaiah) - Allah Grants More Life to Hezekiah
• Shia (Isaiah) - Isaiah and Hezekiah
• Allah does exist