And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his people, “Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow.”1 They replied, “Are you mocking us?” Moses responded, “I seek refuge in Allah from acting foolishly!”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow." They said, "Do you take us in ridicule?" He said, "I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant."
— Saheeh International
They said, “Call upon your Lord to clarify for us what type ˹of cow˺ it should be!” He replied, “Allah says, ‘The cow should neither be old nor young but in between. So do as you are commanded!’”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[Allah] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."
— Saheeh International
They said, “Call upon your Lord to specify for us its colour.” He replied, “Allah says, ‘It should be a bright yellow cow—pleasant to see.’”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us what is her color." He said, "He says, 'It is a yellow cow, bright in color - pleasing to the observers.'"
— Saheeh International
Again they said, “Call upon your Lord so that He may make clear to us which cow, for all cows look the same to us. Then, Allah willing, we will be guided ˹to the right one˺.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allah wills, will be guided."
— Saheeh International
He replied, “Allah says, ‘It should have been used neither to till the soil nor water the fields; wholesome and without blemish.’” They said, “Now you have come with the truth.” Yet they still slaughtered it hesitantly!
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
He said, "He says, 'It is a cow neither trained to plow the earth nor to irrigate the field, one free from fault with no spot upon her.'" They said, "Now you have come with the truth." So they slaughtered her, but they could hardly do it.
— Saheeh International
˹This is˺ when a man was killed and you disputed who the killer was, but Allah revealed what you concealed.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
And [recall] when you slew a man and disputed1 over it, but Allah was to bring out that which you were concealing.
— Saheeh International
So We instructed, “Strike the dead body with a piece of the cow.” This is how ˹easily˺ Allah brings the dead to life, showing you His signs so that you may understand.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
So We said, "Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it."1 Thus does Allah bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.
— Saheeh International