Quran 2:71, The costly conclusion: how evasion turns simple obedience into hardship. A lesson on the price of reluctance and "almost did not do it" faith.
The Arabic Text
قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ الْأَرْضَ وَلَا تَسْقِي الْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لَّا شِيَةَ فِيهَا ۚ قَالُوا الْآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ
Transliteration
Qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun lā dhalūlun tuthīru l-arḍa wa lā tasqī l-ḥartha musallamatun lā shiyata fīhā qālū l-āna jiʾta bil-ḥaqqi fa-dhabaḥūhā wa mā kādū yafʿalūn
Simple English Translation
"He said, 'He says, 'It is a cow not made to plow the earth nor to water the field; sound, without blemish.' They said, 'Now you have come with the truth.' So they slaughtered it, but they almost did not do it."
Full Explanation in Easy English
This verse concludes the story of the Cow with Allah's final, precise specifications and the people's reluctant, last-minute obedience. It serves as a powerful lesson on the cost of evasion and the nature of true submission.
1. The Past: The Final Specifications and Reluctant Compliance
The Ultimate Description: After their cycle of evasion, Allah gives the most detailed description, specifying a cow that is:
Not trained for labor (not used to plow or water fields)—meaning it was valuable and unused.
Sound and without blemish—perfect, with no defects or unusual color markings.
This made the cow exceedingly rare and expensive, turning a simple act of obedience into a major financial sacrifice due to their own obstinacy.
The Half-Hearted Acceptance: They finally say, "Now you have come with the truth," implying the previous answers were somehow insufficient—a final display of arrogance.
The Reluctant Act: "So they slaughtered it, but they almost did not do it." This phrase is profound. Their obedience came at the last possible moment, fraught with hesitation and reluctance. It was not the joyful submission of believers but the grudging compliance of the obstinate.
In the past, this concluded the ordeal. Their evasion turned a simple test into a difficult one, and their obedience was stripped of any spiritual reward that comes from willing submission.
2. The Present: How We Make Faith Difficult and Obey Reluctantly
For us today, this is a masterclass in how we sabotage our own spiritual ease:
Self-Imposed Hardship: We often turn simple acts of worship into burdens through our own procrastination and resistance.
Example: Delaying repentance for a sin, allowing it to compound and become a heavier burden on the soul.
Example: Making the obligation of hijab or a beard a source of endless internal debate and social anxiety, rather than a simple act of faith.
The "Almost Did Not Do It" Syndrome: We often fulfill our religious duties at the last minute, with minimal effort and heart:
Praying at the very last minute of its time (akhir al-waqt), hastily and without presence of mind.
Giving the minimum required charity (zakat) reluctantly, calculating precisely.
Fasting Ramadan while complaining about hunger and thirst, missing its spiritual essence.
The Cost of Evasion: Their evasion made the cow expensive. Our evasion—through argument, doubt, and delay—costs us spiritual peace, blessings (barakah), and the sweetness of faith. We trade the joy of easy obedience for the grind of reluctant compliance.
Today, this verse asks: Are you making your faith harder than it needs to be? Is your obedience marked by the spirit of "almost did not do it," or by eager, wholehearted submission?
3. The Future: The Quality of Obedience Determines the Reward
The conclusion of the story has critical implications for our eternal future:
Allah Judges the Heart, Not Just the Action: The action—slaughtering the cow—was done. But the "almost did not do it" reveals the state of the heart. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will judge our deeds by both their outward correctness and the sincerity, willingness, and excellence (ihsan) with which they were performed.
Reluctant Obedience vs. Loving Submission: A deed done with love, eagerness, and seeking Allah's pleasure carries immense weight. The same deed done with reluctance, resentment, or merely to avoid trouble carries little to no spiritual weight and may even be rejected. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Indeed, Allah is Good and only accepts that which is good."
The Lost Opportunity: By evading, they turned a potential act of pure, simple obedience that could have elevated them into a complex, costly chore. In our lives, evasion can cause us to miss the "easy" opportunities for great reward, leaving us with only the bare minimum of accepted deeds on Judgment Day.
For the future, this verse teaches that our eternity is shaped not just by whether we obeyed, but by how we obeyed. Sincere, prompt, and joyful submission is the currency of Paradise. Reluctant, delayed, and minimalist compliance is the path of those who "almost did not" succeed.
Summary for a Contemporary Audience
Imagine being asked to donate $10 to a lifesaving cause. You argue, question the charity's efficiency, ask for endless reports, and negotiate. Finally, after wasting everyone's time, the need grows and the required donation is now $10,000. You pay it grudgingly, at the last second, muttering, "Fine, here it is."
Your takeaway: Allah's initial commands are your spiritual opportunity—simple, affordable, and full of grace. Your evasion, arguments, and delays don't change Allah's command; they only make it harder for you to obey and rob your action of its spiritual value. Don't be the one who "almost did not do it." Be the one who hears, submits, and acts with a willing heart. That willingness is the difference between a deed that is merely recorded and a deed that transforms your soul and secures your eternal future.