THE COW OF THE BANU ISRA’IL

IN THE times of sayyidina musa (…………..)There lived a very rich man who was extremely stingy and greedy. Others apart, he did not spend on himself too. He had no children of his own but he had very poor and needy nephews. Hunger and poverty had driven them to desperation. They resided near him and served him in the hope that he would have compassion on them, but he was unmoved they could meet him very seldom.
These young men prayed for his early to be able to receive inheritance from his legacy. One of them was evil by nature and the devil had shown him illusions with his uncle’s wealth. So, he conspired to kill him and get his wealth, and one night he entered his house and slew him and threw his body on the thoroughfare. When people assembly around the boo body in the morning, this young man was there too and he shrieked and wailed and demanded punish- mint of the murderer. People began to dispute and accuse each other till an old man suggested that they should approach sayyidina musa(………….).
He heard them and prayed to Allah who commanded him to get the people to slaughter a cow and throw a portion of it on the corpse who will then arise at Allah’s command and name his murderer. They thought that sayyidina musa (…………….) was joking with them, but he assured them that he sought refuge in Allah from such a thing. Then they asked him to describe the cow. Since they were hesitating the demand on them became stiff. He said that the cow must not be old and not a virgin either. But they again asked, “What color? He said, “Golden yellow, bright colure that delights the beholder.” They did not stop but asked for a further description and they were told that it should be a cow not broken to plugging the earth or watering the tillage, a sound one, without a blemish on it.
Since they sought details, Allah made it very default for them and placed conditions on the kind of the cow. It became difficult to find a cow of this description. After much exertion they managed to find one matching this description.
However, its owner refused to sell it until they offered him a very large sum of money for it. They bought and slaughtered it and hit the corpse with a portion of it. The man got up on his feet and blood oozed from his wound once again. People were stunned. Sayyidina musa (…………….) stepped forward and asked the revived man, gathering courage to do so, “who had killed you?” he did not say anything but oointed towards his nephew. Then, he fell down on the ground with a thump and returned to his state of death. In this way, Allah let them see that he revives the dead. Allah says in surah al-baqrah verses 72 and 73:
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“And recall you slew a man and then you disputed concerning it. Allah was to disclose what you were hiding so, we said, “smite him with a part of the sacrificed cow thus Allah brings to life the dead and he shows you his signs that you may understand.”