Verse sixty-seven of Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to a precious gem within Divine discourse, opens a gateway towards comprehending the relationship among reason, religion, and narrations. This verse, referencing the command of God to the Children of Israel to slaughter a cow and their reaction thereto, provides a foundation to explore profound subjects such as the critique of narrations, the role of intellect in assessing religious texts, and the Divine wisdom in guidance. Employing a scientific and systematic approach, this treatise analyses and elucidates the content of the verse, examining all its dimensions with a refined language befitting an erudite audience specialised in Quranic sciences. The objective is to present a comprehensive exegesis that, while remaining faithful to the original text, utilises literary metaphors and allegories to reveal the depth of Quranic meanings for researchers.
And 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.
Verse sixty-seven of Surah Al-Baqarah, as a pivotal point in the story of the cow, initiates a dialogue between Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel. The verse succinctly and clearly presents the Divine command to slaughter the cow and portrays the incredulous and suspicious response of the people. Moses reply, in which he seeks refuge in God from ignorance, underscores the seriousness and wisdom inherent in this command. The verse advances two principal themes: firstly, the narrative analysis and examination of hadiths related to the story of the cow; and secondly, an interpretative analysis explaining the Divine wisdom and religious rationality involved in this incident.
This verse, like a radiant torch, illuminates the commencement of the story of the cow and, by introducing Gods command and the peoples response, lays the groundwork for a deeper examination of narrative and exegetical topics. Its simple yet meaningful structure invites reflection on Divine wisdom and the role of intellect in understanding religion.
One of the principal axes of interpreting this verse is the evaluation of its related narrations by the standard of reason. The utterances of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) always accord with intellect; any narration conflicting with reason, the Holy Quran, or authentic narrations is attributable to error in transmission, reporting, or temporal context. This principle stands as a firm pillar emphasising the infallibility of the Imams and the concordance of authentic hadiths with rationality.
Narrations, unlike the Holy Quran which is the literal Word of God, are presented as meaning-based transmissions. Narrators recorded the sayings of the Infallibles according to their authority and accuracy, which at times led to errors or distortions. This distinction, akin to a precise demarcation, clarifies the boundary between Divine speech and human narrations.
In reviewing narrations, a novel approach has been proposed that links the validity of a narration to its practical implication rather than its compulsion. A narration that is authentic in its chain of transmission entails a practical implication, yet this implication only materialises if the narration does not conflict with the Quran, reason, or other authentic narrations. If a narration contradicts the Quran, reason, or authentic narrations, even with an authentic chain, it loses credibility. This principle, akin to the maxim hang up narrations that are incompatible with the Quran and reason, emphasises the precedence of reliable sources over the chain of narration.
Conversely, a narration with a weak chain but strong implication, if corroborative, can be deemed authentic. This methodology acts as a firm bridge linking reason and the content of narrations, proposing a scientific framework for their evaluation.
Shiism is characterised by a passionate devotion to the Infallibles (peace be upon them), meaning it sacrifices life and existence for them, yet it does not succumb to blind submission by accepting every attributed statement without reflection. Passion is like a fervent love demonstrating sacrifice for Ahl al-Bayt, whereas blind submission is uncritical acceptance and suspension of reason, incompatible with Shia intellectuality.
Shia, benefiting from 260 years of Imams guidance, possess the wisdom and capacity for critique. The Infallibles, akin to wise teachers, have nurtured Shia to engage in rationality and scrutiny of religious texts. Any narration conflicting with reason, the Quran, or authentic narrations, even if with a valid chain, is rejected. This principle acts as a precise scale measuring narrations against rational criteria.
A humorous anecdote about a shepherd in court who answered every question with baa and even avoided paying fees with baa alludes to the critique of blind submission. Shia are not like that shepherd; rather, with wisdom, they scrutinise religious texts.
The critical examination of narrations by reason, the Holy Quran, and authentic narrations serves as a guiding light illuminating the correct understanding of religious texts. The novel hadith criticism methodology and the distinction between passion and blind submission call Shia to intellectuality and scientific critique. This section emphasises the necessity of rationality in confronting narrations.
One of the narrations under discussion is attributed to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), stating: Honour the cow, for it is the chief of cattle and never raises its head to the sky. This narration, recorded in Bihar al-Anwar and Ilal al-Sharai, suffers from chain issues and is presented as a mursal narration. Moreover, its content contradicts reason and biological knowledge.
From a biological standpoint, the physical structure of the cow has remained unchanged for millions of years, and its lowered head is due to walking on four limbs, not due to calf-worship or despair from Divine mercy. All animalsfrom birds and pigeons to camels and sheeplower their heads due to physical structure; this characteristic is not unique to cows. Hence, the claim that the cow lowers its head due to calf-worship is unscientific and illogical.
The Samiri calf mentioned in the Holy Quran was an inanimate metallic idol, not a real cow, weakening any connection of this narration to calf-worship. Furthermore, God invites even disbelievers to repentance, as He says: So do not despair of the mercy of Allah (Quran 39:53). Thus, the cows despair of Divine mercy is incompatible with Gods vast mercy.
The honour of the cow refers to respect and affection for this animal due to its benefits (such as ploughing, milk production, and composed behaviour), not to irrational veneration. This honour should not imply neglect of other animals like sheep. The title Chief of Cattle also alludes to the cows economic and cultural value but conflicts with irrational traits like the head being permanently lowered.
Criticism of cow veneration in India, sometimes compared with the narration Honour the Cow, highlights the necessity to distinguish between religious respect and irrational behaviour. Figures such as Gandhi and Nehru, through wisdom, effected significant changes in India, yet irrational cow veneration remains criticised.
Some narrations, such as the story of Abd al-Azim avoiding looking at greenery or the claim of extravagance in using rings, are criticised for simplicity or hypocrisy. Also, the story of a person who gave one of many aubergines to a deserving individual yet accumulated illicit wealth illustrates the contradiction between apparent piety and corrupt inner self. These narratives, like mirrors, warn against hypocrisy and uncritical acceptance of narrations.
Narrations about the harmfulness of beef or the healing properties of its milk and butter also require scientific examination. Such claims, without medical or biological foundation, cannot be deemed credible.
Allmah Majlis compiled narrations in Bihar al-Anwar as a comprehensive encyclopaedia but entrusted the assessment of their authenticity to researchers. This work serves as a valuable treasury facilitating critical review of narrations. However, chain and content problems in some narrations, such as the narration of the cows honour, underscore the necessity of scientific analysis.
