2
اَلْبَقَرَۃِ
The Cow

وَ اِذِ اسْتَسْقٰى مُوْسٰى لِقَوْمِهٖ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبْ بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ۔ؕ فَانْفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا ؕ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ اُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ ؕ كُلُوْا وَ اشْرَبُوْا مِنْ رِّزْقِ اللّٰهِ وَ لَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْاَرْضِ مُفْسِدِيْنَ۔ وَ اِذْ قُلْتُمْ يٰمُوْسٰى لَنْ نَّصْبِرَ عَلٰى طَعَامٍ وَّاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنْ٘بِتُ الْاَرْضُ مِنْ٘ بَقْلِهَا وَ قِثَّآىِٕهَا وَ فُوْمِهَا وَ عَدَسِهَا وَ بَصَلِهَا ؕ قَالَ اَتَسْتَبْدِلُوْنَ الَّذِيْ هُوَ اَدْنٰى بِالَّذِيْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ ؕ اِهْبِطُوْا مِصْرًا فَاِنَّ لَكُمْ مَّا سَاَلْتُمْ ؕ وَ ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَ الْمَسْكَنَةُ وَ بَآءُوْ بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ ؕ ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا يَكْفُرُوْنَ بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ وَ يَقْتُلُوْنَ النَّبِيّٖنَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ؕ ذٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَّ كَانُوْا يَعْتَدُوْنَ۔

Thus Moses looked for something for his people to drink, and said: “Strike the rock with your staff!”; so twelve springs gushed forth from it. Each group of people knew its drinking spot: “Eat and drink from God’s provisions, and do not cause any havoc on earth, as if you were mischief-makers.”

When you said: “Moses, we’ll never stand one [kind of] food! Appeal to your Lord to produce whatever the earth will grow for us, such as its vegetables and cucumbers, and its garlic, lentils and onions;” He said: “Do you want to exchange something common-place for something that better? Settle in some city to get what you have asked for!” Humiliation and poverty beat them down and they incurred anger from God. That was because they had disbelieved in God’s signs and killed the prophets without having any right to. That happened because they disobeyed and had acted so defiant.

Divine provision was given to them in the form of manna and quails so that, free from the struggle for a livelihood, they would be able to devote themselves entirely to carrying out God’s commandments; but they took to demanding spicy, cooked foods instead. Discontented with the basic necessities of life, they sought to indulge in worldly luxury. So hardened did they become that even clear signs of God could not move their hearts. They opposed and even killed those servants of God who sought to admonish them.

The reason for the Israelite’s heedlessness was that they thought salvation was their birthright, whereas God will not judge anyone on an ethnic or hereditary basis. Jews will be judged according to the same divine law as non-Jews. Heaven is for those who prove themselves worthy of it by their actions; it is not the monopoly of any clan or community. Man’s harmony with nature comes from his leading a life of thanksgiving, humility and contentment; by his remaining steadfast in the face of adversity. Ingratitude, hot-headedness, pride and greed only spread evil in the world, and lead to deviation from the natural order established by God.