S:  And when Musa said to his people:  Surely Allah commands you that you should sacrifice a cow; they said:  Do you ridicule us?  He said:  I seek the protection of Allah from being one of the ignorant.

002.068 Y:  They said:  “Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us what (heifer) it is!” He said; “He says:  The heifer should be neither too old nor too young, but of middling age.  Now do what ye are commanded!”

P:  They said:  Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. (Moses) answered:  Lo!  He saith, Verily she is a cow neither with calf nor immature; (she is) between the two conditions; so do that which ye are commanded.

S:  They said:  Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is.  Musa said:  He says, Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between that (and this); do therefore what you are commanded.

002.069 Y:  They said:  “Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us Her colour.”  He said:  “He says:  A fawn-coloured heifer, pure and rich in tone, the admiration of beholders!”

P:  They said:  Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us of what colour she is. (Moses) answered:  Lo!  He saith:  Verily she is a yellow cow.  Bright is her colour, gladdening beholders.

S:  They said:  Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what her color is.  Musa said:  He says, Surely she is a yellow cow; her color is intensely yellow, giving delight to the beholders.

002.070 Y:  They said:  “Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us what she is:  To us are all heifers alike:  We wish indeed for guidance, if Allah wills.”

P:  They said:  Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is.  Lo! cows are much alike to us; and Lo! if Allah wills, we may be led aright.

S:  They said:  Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is, for surely to us the cows are all alike, and if Allah please we shall surely be guided aright.

002.071 Y:  He said:  “He says:  A heifer not trained to till the soil or water the fields; sound and without blemish.”  They said:  “Now hast thou brought the truth.”  Then they offered her in sacrifice, but not with good-will.

P:  (Moses) answered:  Lo!  He saith:  Verily she is a cow unyoked; she plougheth not the soil nor watereth the tilth; whole and without mark.  They said:  Now thou bringest the truth.  So they sacrificed her, though almost they did not.

S:  Musa said:  He says, Surely she is a cow not made submissive that she should plough the land, nor does she irrigate the tilth; sound, without a blemish in her.  They said:  Now you have brought the truth; so they sacrificed her, though they had not the mind to do (it).

002.072 Y:  Remember ye slew a man and fell into a dispute among yourselves as to the crime:  But Allah was to bring forth what ye did hide.