ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٞ وَلَا نَوۡمٞۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (Al-Baqarah, 2:255)

As I contemplate Ayatul Kursi, I wonder why such a powerful doa is a part of surah al-Baqarah. Ayatul Kursi describes how Allah is limitless, the ultimate power, and that none can challenge Him. It provides strength to those who believe in Him. Our beliefs are not baseless; rather, they are based on knowledge. As believers, once we accept Allah, our conscience compels us to follow His instructions, regardless of how strange they may seem given our limited understanding.

This brought me to the story of when Bani Israil was instructed to slaughter a cow. The event occurred after they witnessed Pharaoh and his army drown at the Red Sea. Despite witnessing such a major event, they still disbelieved and gave many excuses to avoid following the instruction.

وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُكُمۡ أَن تَذۡبَحُواْ بَقَرَةٗۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوٗاۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِينَ And [recall] 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.' (Al-Baqarah, 2:67) قَالُواْ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٞ لَّا فَارِضٞ وَلَا بِكۡرٌ عَوَانُۢ بَيۡنَ ذَٰلِكَۖ فَٱفۡعَلُواْ مَا تُؤۡمَرُونَ They said, 'Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is.' [Moses] said, '[Allah] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded.' (Al-Baqarah, 2:68) قَالُواْ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوۡنُهَاۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٞ صَفۡرَآءُ فَاقِعٞ لَّوۡنُهَا تَسُرُّ ٱلنَّٰظِرِينَ They said, 'Call upon your Lord to show us what is her color.' He said, 'He says, 'It is a yellow cow, bright in color - pleasing to the observers.' '(Al-Baqarah, 2:69) قَالُواْ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَ إِنَّ ٱلۡبَقَرَ تَشَٰبَهَ عَلَيۡنَا وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَمُهۡتَدُونَ They said, 'Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allah wills, will be guided.' (Al-Baqarah, 2:70) قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٞ لَّا ذَلُولٞ تُثِيرُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَلَا تَسۡقِي ٱلۡحَرۡثَ مُسَلَّمَةٞ لَّا شِيَةَ فِيهَاۚ قَالُواْ ٱلۡـَٰٔنَ جِئۡتَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ He said, 'He says, 'It is a cow neither trained to plow the earth nor to irrigate the field, one free from fault with no spot upon her.' ' They said, 'Now you have come with the truth.' So they slaughtered her, but they could hardly do it. (Al-Baqarah, 2:71)

On the other hand, when Prophet Ibrahim A.S. inquired about how Allah resurrects the dead, He received an instruction to train four birds. Prophet Ibrahim is a prophet who constantly asks questions to strengthen his belief in Allah, and he didn’t give reasons to avoid whatever Allah told him to do.

وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيۡفَ تُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمۡ تُؤۡمِنۖ قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطۡمَئِنَّ قَلۡبِيۖ قَالَ فَخُذۡ أَرۡبَعَةٗ مِّنَ ٱلطَّيۡرِ فَصُرۡهُنَّ إِلَيۡكَ ثُمَّ ٱجۡعَلۡ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٖ مِّنۡهُنَّ جُزۡءٗا ثُمَّ ٱدۡعُهُنَّ يَأۡتِينَكَ سَعۡيٗاۚ وَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٞ

And [mention] when Abraham said, 'My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.' [Allah] said, 'Have you not believed?' He said, 'Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied.' [Allah] said, 'Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them - they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.' (Al-Baqarah, 2:260)

Now, we have an example of a prophet who was intelligent and chose to believe completely in Allah, and he was brave in overcoming the trials that Allah imposed on him. And the other example is of Bani Israil, who chose to remain in slavery despite being freed from Pharaoh. Which example do we choose to follow?

Wallahu a’lam.