[They said, 'Pray to your Lord for us, that He make clear to us what she may be;] the cows are all alike to us, because of the multiplicity of cows with such descriptions, that is, the multipicity of the kinds of prepared individuals; but not every prepared one is a seeker, for, as they say, not every nature accepts and not every accepting one is a seeker and not every seeker is patient and not every patient one is a finder; and if God wills, we shall then be guided', to the sacrifice of this cow. Their saying 'if God wills' is evidence of their preparedness, knowing as they do that affairs are [always] dependent upon the will of God and facilitated by His granting of success; that is why the Messenger of God said, 'Had they not made it conditional [upon God's will], they would not have found her for all eternity'.