2. Al-Baqara

Then Moses told them that Allah said the cow was not used for ploughing or irrigating the earth; she had no faults, and no marks of a different colour other than her yellow. They then replied that now he had brought them a detailed description, correctly identifying the cow. They sacrificed it, after almost not having done it, due to all their arguing and stubbornness.

Allah reminds the Israelites about when they killed one of their own. They accused each other of it, each rejecting the accusation of having killed him, and accusing someone else, until they fought. But Allah revealed what they were hiding about the murder of the innocent person.

Allah told them to hit the murdered man with a piece of the cow which they had been told to sacrifice. He would then bring him to life to tell them who the murderer was. They did this and he told them who had killed him. As this man was brought back to life by Allah, so will He bring the dead back to life on the Day of Judgement. Allah gives humanity clear signs of His power, to make them reflect and understand, and have true faith in Him.

Their hearts became hard after these great lessons and incredible miracles, until they became like rocks, and even harder than rocks, because they never changed, whereas rocks change and transform. Rivers spring from some rocks, and some split, and water comes out of them, gushing and flowing on the earth, benefitting people and animals. And some rocks fall from the heights of the mountains in awe of Allah. But their hearts were not like that. Allah is not unaware of anything we do, but knows everything, and will hold us to account for it.

O believers, do not expect, after knowing their true nature and how stubborn they are, that they will be truthful and respond to you. A group of their scholars heard the word of Allah, revealed to them in the Torah, and then changed its words and meanings after they had understood what it really meant; and they did this fully aware of the seriousness of the crime.

An instance of their inconsistencies and deviousness occurred when some of them met some believers and acknowledged the truth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the correctness of his message, as the Torah witnessed to it. But when they were alone with one another they blamed each other because of these acknowledgments, saying that the Muslims might use them as proof that they recognised the truth of Muhammad’s prophethood.

They behave in this pathetic manner as if they are unaware that Allah knows what they hide, in terms of what they say and do, and what they reveal; but He will reveal it and expose them.

Misery and great suffering awaits those who write the scripture with their own hands, and then say, falsely, that it comes from Allah, exchanging the truth and guidance for a small gain in this world, such as money or leadership. They will experience misery and suffering because of what their hands have written, through which they told lies about Allah, and for whatever wealth or leadership they may gain through these lies.

They say, falsely, that the fire of Hell will not touch them and they will not be in it except for a few days. Ask them, O Muhammad, if they have had a promise from Allah that this will be the case: if they have had a promise, then Allah will not break His contract; or ask them if they are saying about Allah what they do not know.