The Procrastination of Details: How We Complicate Simple Obedience

Surah Al-Baqarah 2:68 teaches that clarity follows trust, while doubt turns ease into difficulty.

The Arabic Text

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَافْعَلُوا مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ

Transliteration

Qālū udʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā hiya qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun lā fāriḍun wa lā bikrun ʿawānun bayna dhālika fafʿalū mā tuʾmarūn

Simple English Translation

"They said, 'Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is.' He said, 'He says, 'It is a cow that is neither old nor young but of middle age. So do what you are commanded.''"

Full Explanation in Easy English

This verse continues the story of the Cow, revealing the next stage of evasion. When given a second chance at simple obedience, the people respond with a demand for unnecessary specifics, further complicating what was meant to be straightforward.

1. The Past: From Evasion to Excessive Scrutiny

From Ridicule to Request: After their initial mocking response, they shift tactics. They don't outright refuse, but ask Prophet Musa to "call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." This seems like a request for clarity, but in context, it's another form of evasion. They had already been told to slaughter "a cow." That should have been sufficient.
Allah's Specific, Yet Still Simple, Answer: Allah responds with a clear specification: a cow that is neither old (fārid) nor too young (bikr), but of middle age (ʿawān). This was a reasonable detail that narrowed the choice.
The Concluding Command: Musa ends the communication with the core message they keep avoiding: "So do what you are commanded." The point was never to get lost in minutiae, but to obey.

In the past, this exchange showed how a reluctant heart, even when given clarity, will seek further excuses to delay submission. They moved from questioning the command's validity to questioning its precise parameters.

2. The Present: Our Obsession with Details Over Obedience

For us today, this is a powerful reflection of a modern religious mindset:

The "Specification" Trap: We often get lost in secondary details while neglecting the primary command. Examples:
- Endlessly debating the exact measurements for hijab or beards, while neglecting the core principles of modesty and piety they represent.
- Focusing on the minimum requirements for prayer (can I combine? what invalidates it?) instead of striving for excellence (ihsan) and presence of heart (khushu).
- In Islamic finance, obsessing over complex contract structures to technically avoid riba, while engaging in exploitative or unethical business practices that violate the spirit of the law.
Procrastination Through "Research": Using the need for "more information" or "perfect understanding" as an excuse to delay acting upon a clear Islamic ruling we already know.
Missing the Spirit for the Letter: The command was to slaughter a cow as an act of obedience and a means to a greater end (solving a murder). By fixating on the cow's age, they risked missing the point entirely.

Today, this verse warns us: Don't let the search for perfect details become a barrier to simple obedience. Allah has given us the essential outlines of the religion. Start acting on what you know clearly. Further understanding comes with action.

3. The Future: The Danger of Making Religion Overly Difficult

This pattern of behavior has consequences for our spiritual future:

Self-Imposed Hardship: In the subsequent verses, their continuous questioning makes the command extremely difficult. This is a spiritual principle: Resistance to simple obedience invites divine testing with more difficulty. For us, resisting basic commands can lead to a life where practicing Islam feels increasingly burdensome, not liberating.
Accountability for Knowledge We Had: On the Day of Judgment, we will be held accountable based on the knowledge we received. Saying "I wasn't sure about the exact type of cow" or "I needed more details about that ruling" will not be a valid excuse for failing to act on the clear, core command we did understand.
The Test of Submission: The essence of Islam is submission (Islam). This story tests where our submission lies: Is it to Allah's clear command, or to our own desire for control, certainty, and convenience before we act? Success in the Hereafter belongs to those who submit first and understand more fully along the way.

For the future, this verse teaches that a heart ready for Paradise is a heart that obeys first and asks clarifying questions later, within the spirit of submission. A heart that demands exhaustive details before taking the first step is preparing for a path of frustration and potential failure.

Summary for a Contemporary Audience

Imagine your boss says, "Please file this stack of papers." Instead of doing it, you reply, "What kind of file? Hanging folder or box? What color? What label font should I use? Can you specify the exact brand?" You're not being diligent; you're being obstinate and avoiding the core task.

Your takeaway: Allah's command to you is the "stack of papers." The core of your faith—prayer, honesty, chastity, charity—is clear. Don't get stuck demanding excessive, granular details before you start obeying. This is often just a sophisticated form of procrastination and evasion. Start with what you know. Obey the clear command with what is available to you. The famous Islamic principle applies: "Act upon what you know, and you will be given knowledge of what you do not know." Your journey to Allah begins with a step of simple obedience, not a fully detailed map. Take that step.