Quran 2:68 — Al-Baqara, verse 68
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
They said, ‘Call on your Lord for us, to show us what sort of cow it should be.’ He answered, ‘God says it should be neither too old nor too young, but in between, so do as you are commanded.’
قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَافْعَلُوا مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ
qālū ud'ʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā hiya qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun lā fāriḍun walā bik'run ʿawānun bayna dhālika fa-if'ʿalū mā tu'marūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- They said, 'Pray to thy Lord for us, that He may make clear to us what she may be.' He said, 'He says she is a cow neither old, nor virgin, middling between the two; so do that you are bidden.'
- Muhammad Asad
- Said they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what she is to be like." [Moses] replied: "Behold, He says it is to be a cow neither old nor immature, but of art age in-between. Do, then, what you have been bidden!"
- Sahih International
- They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[Allāh] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | قَالُوا۟qālū | They said | قول |
| 2 | ٱدْعُud'ʿu | Pray | دعو |
| 3 | لَنَاlanā | for us | — |
| 4 | رَبَّكَrabbaka | (to) your Lord | ربب |
| 5 | يُبَيِّنyubayyin | to make clear | بين |
| 6 | لَّنَاlanā | to us | — |
| 7 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 8 | هِىَ ۚhiya | it (is) | — |
| 9 | قَالَqāla | He said | قول |
| 10 | إِنَّهُۥinnahu | Indeed, He | — |
| 11 | يَقُولُyaqūlu | says | قول |
| 12 | إِنَّهَاinnahā | [Indeed] it | — |
| 13 | بَقَرَةٌۭbaqaratun | (is) a cow | بقر |
| 14 | لَّاlā | not | — |
| 15 | فَارِضٌۭfāriḍun | old | فرض |
| 16 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 17 | بِكْرٌbik'run | young | بكر |
| 18 | عَوَانٌۢʿawānun | middle aged | عون |
| 19 | بَيْنَbayna | between | بين |
| 20 | ذَٰلِكَ ۖdhālika | that | — |
| 21 | فَٱفْعَلُوا۟fa-if'ʿalū | so do | فعل |
| 22 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 23 | تُؤْمَرُونَtu'marūna | you are commanded | أمر |