VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ,] as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians - all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds - shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. 62 And (O Children of Israel, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): "Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2). 63 Then you turned away after that. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers. 64 And you know well the story of those among you who broke Sabbath. We said to them, "Be apes despised and hated by all. 65 And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded [them] and a lesson for those who fear Allah. 66 And recall what time Musa said unto his people: verily Allah commandeth you that ye slaughter a cow. They said: makest thou a jest of us? He said: I take refuge with Allah that I should be of the ignorant. 67 Said they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what she is to be like." [Moses] replied: "Behold, He says it is to be a cow neither old nor immature, but of art age in-between. Do, then, what you have been bidden!" 68 They said, "Call on your Lord for us, to show us what colour she should be." He answered, "God says she should be a bright yellow heifer, pleasing to the eye." 69 They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. Lo! cows are much alike to us; and Lo! if Allah wills, we may be led aright. 70 Moses answered, "Your Lord says, she should be a heifer which has not been yoked to plough the land or water the fields, a heifer free from any blemish." "Now you have told us the truth," they answered, and they sacrificed it, though they would rather not have done it. 71