2:67 And When Moses said to his people, “God commands you to sacrifice a cow.”
This story of the cow of the Children of Israel in these verses and the mention of its attributes is one of the subtle points of wisdom and exalted pearls of the Qur'an. The Qur'an itself is the all-encompassing ocean. Many are the kingly pearls and night-brightening gems found in the ocean's depths.
You should read everything that the Exalted Lord said about the cow of the Children of Israel as an allusion to your own attributes. Then you will reach the station of worthiness to dive into this ocean and He will give you access to its deposited wonders and unseen pearls.
Altogether the attributes that He clarified in these verses are three: first, neither old nor virgin [2:68]; second, golden, bright her color [2:69]; third, not abased to plow the earth [2:71].
First, neither old nor virgin. He says it should not be broken down and old, nor newly born and immature. In other words, the feet of these chevaliers will to straight in the circle of the Tariqah when the intoxication and greediness of youth no longer veil them, and when the weakness of old age does not hinder them. Do you not see that revelation reached Muṣ?afā when he was not a newly born youngster, nor had his days reached the worst state of life [16:70]? If there had been a state more complete, revelation would have reached him at its time.
Whenever desire for God pairs itself with the intoxication of youth, there is fear of the highwaymen. It is rare that a youngster in his new desire remains secure from the highwaymen. If it does happen in the empire, it seldom does. This is why Muṣ?afā said, “Your Lord marvels at a young man who has no youthful fervor.”
The second attribute is golden, bright her color, gladdening the gazers. When the chevaliers step into the field of the Tariqah in the state of the perfection of mortal nature and stand straight in it, the Unity will bring them into the color of love, and the color of love is colorlessness. It will wash them of anything mixed with colors-We shall strip away all the rancor that is in their breasts [7:43]. They will become pure spirit. Their makeup and their meanings will all take on one attribute. Any eye that gazes on them will be brightened, and any heart that ponders their work will feel familiarity.
Sufyān Thawrī became ill and was taken to a Christian physician. The Christian examined him and meditated. Then he said, “This is a wondrous state I see. This man's liver is bleeding because of his fear of God, and the blood is coming out with his water. The religion that he has can only be true. I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His Messenger.”
When that Christian physician looked at the evidence, he felt familiarity. When someone looks at the faces of the Real's friends with pure belief and meditates on their conduct, what will happen to the love in his heart? This is why He says, “bright her color, gladdening the gazers.” The color that makes lookers happy is the color of familiarity and friendship. Today He brings them forth in the color of familiarity and friendship, and what color is more beautiful than that? Who is more beautiful in color than God? [2:138]. Tomorrow He will color them with His own color. The Prophet said, “They will be colored with the light of the All-Merciful.”
The third attribute is what He says: “not abased to plow the earth or to water the tillage, secure with no blemish on her.” They are pure, virtuous, fortunate, beautiful in conduct, increasing day by day. They have not been tainted by the defects of the mimickers, nor have they fallen to the station of those low in aspiration, nor have they been inscribed by friendship for the others or branded by the secondary causes. The sultan of mortal nature does not hold them in its hand, nor does the judge of appetites issue its rulings to them. They do not incline to figures and likenesses, nor do they lean on their own choice and contrivance. Just as they recognize that He who is worshiped is one, so also they know that the Intended is one, the Witnessed one, the Found one.
Everyone's busy with his own affairs
and I aspire to the helping Friend.
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Each has a prayer-niche in some direction,
but SanāÌī's prayer-niche is Your lane. [DS 1004]