Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans [before Prophet Muhammad] - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness - will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve. 62 And [recall] when We took your covenant, [O Children of Israel, to abide by the Torah] and We raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may become righteous." 63 Then you turned back after that; so were it not for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, you would certainly have been among the losers. 64 You certainly knew about those among you who were transgressors on the Sabbath. We commanded them, "Become detested apes," 65 So We made this incident (of that town) a warning to the surrounding towns (others of their time) and to succeeding generations, and a lesson for the pious. 66 When Moses said to his people, "God commands you to sacrifice a heifer," they said, "Are you making a mockery of us?" He answered, "God forbid that I should be so ignorant!" 67 They said, 'Pray to thy Lord for us, that He may make clear to us what she may be.' He said, 'He says she is a cow neither old, nor virgin, middling between the two; so do that you are bidden.' 68 They further demanded Moses to ask the Lord what color the cow has to be. Moses answered, "The Lord says that the cow must be yellow, a beautiful yellow". 69 "Call on your Lord," they said, "to name its variety, as cows be all alike to us. If God wills we shall be guided aright." 70 Musa said: He says, Surely she is a cow not made submissive that she should plough the land, nor does she irrigate the tilth; sound, without a blemish in her. They said: Now you have brought the truth; so they sacrificed her, though they had not the mind to do (it). 71