Did you ever wonder why the longest surah in the Qur’an is called Al-Baqarah—“The Cow”? It’s not just a random name. Behind it lies an incredible story from the time of Musa (AS): a simple command from Allah that became a test of obedience, patience, and trust. What happened with that cow? And why does Allah want us to remember this story every time we read or recite this surah?
Discover the real story behind the famous “cow” in the Qur’an, and uncover powerful lessons that still matter today. Read on—you’ll never look at Surah Al-Baqarah the same way again.
The Command to Sacrifice a Cow
In Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah tells us about an incident that happened during the time of Musa (AS). A man from Bani Isra’il (the Children of Israel) was mysteriously killed. No one knew who the killer was. The people went to Prophet Musa (AS) to ask what they should do. Allah then gave them a surprising instruction:
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا۟ بَقَرَةًۭ
“And [recall] when Musa said to his people, ‘Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow.’” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2 : 67]
Instead of simply obeying, the people of Bani Isra’il started questioning and making excuses. They said:
قَالُوا۟ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًۭا ۖ
‘Are you making fun of us?’”
Musa (AS) replied:
أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ
‘I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant.’” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 67]
Instead of obeying right away, they kept asking for more details: “What kind of cow? What colour? What type?” Allah responded to each question with more specifics:
- A cow that’s neither too old nor too young.
- A cow that is bright yellow and looks nice to people who see it.
- A cow that hasn’t been used to plough the field or water crops.
See Surah Al Baqarah, 2: 67-71 from the Quran for more details.
After all the back-and-forth, they finally found the cow and slaughtered it, but did it reluctantly. The meaning of Al-Baqarah is ‘The Cow’ and the Surah name comes after it.
A Murder Solved Through a Sacrifice
Once the cow was sacrificed, Allah told them to strike the body of the murdered man with part of the cow. Miraculously, the dead man came back to life for a moment and told them the name of his killer. The mystery was not solved by people, but by Allah’s command. Allah describes in the Quran:
فَقُلْنَا ٱضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْىِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ٧٣
Meaning: “So, We said, “Strike him with a part of it.” This is how Allah revives the dead; and He shows you His signs, so that you may understand.” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:73]
Hearts Harder Than Rocks
Even after this big miracle, the hearts of the children of Israel did not change. Their hearts became even harder. Allah says in the Quran:
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةًۭ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ٧٤
Meaning: “When, even after that, your hearts were hardened, as if they were rocks, or still worse in hardness. For surely among the rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth, and there are others that crack open and water flows from them, and there are still others that fall down in fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.” [Surah Al Baqarah, 2: 74]
Lessons From the Incident of the Cow
The story of the cow from Surah Baqarah speaks volumes to us. Allah wants us to take lessons from these incidents. Let’s discuss some of these lessons:
1. True Believers Obey Allah without Argument
The most crucial lesson for all of us from the incident of the cow is that we must obey the command of Allah at all times, without delay or questions. Allah mentions elsewhere in the Quran:
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍۢ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًۭا مُّبِينًۭا ٣٦
Meaning: “It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allāh and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allāh and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.” [Surah Al-Ahzab, 33: 36]
2. Don’t Take Allah’s Commands Lightly
The children of Israel initially thought that the command from Musa (AS) was a joke even though the command came from Allah. Musa (AS) replied that the way his people reacted to Allah’s command is a clear sign of ignorance and he wanted nothing to do with it. It teaches us to always take divine instructions seriously at all times.
3. Avoid Overcomplicating by Questioning Too Much
Another important lesson from the story of the sacrificing cow in Surah Baqarah is that asking too many unnecessary questions can make practising Islam harder. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask questions to understand our religion.
But it means we should follow what’s clear and not overcomplicate things. There’s a Hadith about a man who kept asking the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ if Hajj had to be done every year. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“If I were to say” Yes,” it would become obligatory (for you to perform it every year) and you would not be able to do it. Then he said: Leave me with what I have left to you, for those who were before you were destroyed because of excessive questioning, and their opposition to their apostles. So when I command you to do anything, do it as much as it lies in your power and when I forbid you to do anything, then abandon it.” [Sahih Muslim 1337]
4. Making Excuses in Islam Can Make Your Heart Hard
Even after witnessing a dead man come back to life and speak to the people, their hearts became harder than stone. This serves as a clear warning for us that we must not keep looking for excuses to avoid the commands of Allah. Otherwise, our hearts may become just like those of the people from Bani Isra’il.
FAQs
Q. What does Al-Baqarah mean in Arabic?
Ans. Al-Baqarah (ٱلْبَقَرَة) means “The Cow”. This Surah is named after the story of the cow and the people of Bani Isra’il.
Q. Why is Surah Baqarah called “The Cow”?
A. It’s called “The Cow” because of this unique incident during Musa’s (AS) time, where Allah commanded the people to sacrifice a cow to solve a murder case. This story appears only in this Surah, from verses 67 to 73.
Conclusion
The story behind Surah Al-Baqarah, named after the cow in the Quran, teaches us a powerful lesson—not to overcomplicate Allah’s commands with endless questions. This story teaches us that we must obey Allah with a humble heart. This incident also reminds us that delaying obedience can harden our hearts.
Let’s learn from the time of Musa (AS) and keep our faith simple and pure, following what Allah has clearly shown us. We ask Allah to give us hearts that always say, سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا — “We hear, and we obey.”
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