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 [Children of Israel], We made a covenant with you and raised the mountain high above you, saying, "Hold fast to what We have given you and bear its contents in mind, so that you may guard yourselves [against evil]." 63 Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah upon you, indeed you would have been among the losers. 64 You have surely known of those amongst you who transgressed the Sabbath. We said to them: 'Be apes, despised' 65 So We made this punishment an example to their own and to succeeding generations and a lesson to those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2). 66 And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people: "Verily, Allah commands you that you slaughter a cow." They said, "Do you make fun of us?" He said, "I take Allah's Refuge from being among Al-Jahilun (the ignorants or the foolish)." 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 said, “Pray to your Lord that He may reveal its colour to us”; answered Moosa, “Indeed He says it is a yellow cow, of bright colour, pleasing to the beholders.” 69 They said supplicate for us unto thy Lord that He make manifest unto us whatever she should be, for verily the cow hath become dubious unto us and verily we, if God will, shall be guided. 70 He said: verily He saith, verify she should be a cow unyoked, not broken to till the ground or to water the field, whole, and without blemish in her. They said: now hast thou brought the truth. Then they slaughtered her, and they were wellnigh not doing it. 71