Al-Baqarah · Madani · ayah 68 of 286

Al-Baqarah 2:68

قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌۢ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَٱفْعَلُوا۟ مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ

“They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[Allāh] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."”

Saheeh International

Essence

Their first question was answered patiently, neither old nor young but in between, with a gentle push: now do what you are commanded.

A reflection

Answer the question, then hand over the trowel

A theatre director answers an actor's questions about his character for twenty minutes. What does he want? Why does he hesitate? Then she stands up and says: 'Good. Now walk on stage and do it.'

Mūsā answered their first question fully. The cow was neither old nor young, but of middle age. Then he added four words: fa-fʿalū mā tuʾmarūn, 'so do what you are commanded'. A modern commentary renders it: hasten to obey your Lord. One concise commentary notes when the questions began. Only once they realised Mūsā was serious did they start to ask.

That pattern is familiar to anyone who leads. The first response to an unwelcome task is often to question whether it is real. The second is to ask for detail. The detail is not always wrong; questions deserve answers. But a good leader answers, and then points back to the task.

A linguistic commentary preserves the reaction of a just ruler of the early period. He told an official: if I order you to give a man a sheep, you ask whether a ewe or a goat. If I tell you, you ask whether male or female. If I tell you that, you ask whether black or white. When I give you an order, he said, do not keep coming back to me.

There is respect in Mūsā's method. He did not refuse to answer, nor mock the question. He gave a clear reply, and then a clear nudge. The questions were allowed, but they were not allowed to replace the doing. That is how patience and firmness can live in one sentence.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.