Meaning
Why did they almost not slaughter the cow?
Answer
Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:
- Due to the high price of the cow. [Ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī]
- Due to fear of disgrace upon themselves if the killer among them was discovered. [Wahb]
Ibn ʿAbbās said: They searched for the cow for forty years until they found it with a man who refused to sell it except for its weight in gold. This was also the opinion of Mujāhid, ʿIkrimah, ʿUbaydah, Wahb, Ibn Zayd, al-Kalbī, and Muqātil concerning the price for which it was sold.
As for the reason why its price was high, there are two possibilities
(i) They made things difficult, so Allah made it difficult for them. (ii) Allah wanted to be generous to the owner of the cow, as he was dutiful to his parents.