Topic: Prohibitions During

2:174; 5:4; 6:146.

Important Words:

عقود (compacts) is the plural of عقد (‘aqdun), being derived from the verb عقد (‘aqada). They say عقدالحبل i.e. he tied the rope; or he tied it firmly and fast; or he tied it into a knot or knots. عقد means, a compact; a covenant: an agreement; a responsibility; an obligation; a treaty; an ordinance of God (Lane & Aqrab).

بھیمة (quadrupeds) of which the plural is بھائم is derived from بھم. They say بھم الرجل i.e. the man continued looking at a thing without his being relieved by doing so, i.e. he looked vacantly; he was silent and perplexed or was confounded when asked respecting a thing. ابھم الامر means, the affair became vague or dubious or confused. ابھم الباب means, he closed the door. استبھم علیه الامر means, the affair was as though it were closed against him so that he knew not how to engage in it or execute it. بھیمة means, a beast or a brute; any quadruped whether of the land or of the sea; any animal that does not discriminate or does not possess the power of expression; all animals except beasts of prey and birds (Lane & Aqrab).

انعام (cattle) is the plural of نعم (an animal of the class of cattle). They say نعم عیشه i.e. his life was or became easy, good or pleasant. نعم of which the plural is انعام means, pasturing cattle consisting of camels or sheep or goats; or all these; or camels alone (Lane & Aqrab).

The phrase بھیمة الانعام (quadrupeds of the class of cattle) which is made up of two words: بھیمة (quadrupeds) and انعام(cattle) is of rather peculiar construction. The phrase does not mean quadrupeds from among cattle, for the obvious reason that quadrupeds form a class wider than cattle. In fact, the اضافة in the phrase بھیمة الانعام is of the kind which may be called اضافة بیانیة or اضافة تشبیھیة. According to the former, the words بھیمة الانعام would mean, the بھیمة (quadrupeds) which belong to the class of انعام (cattle); and according to the latter, they would mean بھیمة (quadrupeds) which resemble انعام(cattle). This construction has been used by the Quran to signify that whereas all بھیمة (quadrupeds) do not make lawful food, those of them that form the counterparts of انعام (cattle) are allowed. Thus the expression is intended to comprise not only cattle but also such beasts of the forest as correspond to cattle, i.e. wild goat, wild cow, antelope, wild buffalo, etc.

Commentary:

In this verse the word عقود (compacts) signifies compacts made by man with God or the obligations due to Him. The word, literally meaning "knots", has acquired this meaning because in ancient times knots were tied on strings or ropes as symbols of solemn compacts. The fulfilling of compacts or obligations due to God, referred to in the present verse which primarily deals with the subject of food, contains a veiled hint that a time was coming when Muslims would have to face trials and suffer hardships in order to avoid forbidden food. It is then that they would have to be particularly regardful of God’s commandments in this respect. That time has already come and Muslims who go to Europe or America experience great difficulty in getting clean and lawful food, and they have to take special care in procuring it, if they want to avoid forbidden food.

The word صید (game), here used in connection with Ihram, means the animal hunted and not the act of hunting itself, for the commandment with regard to hunting has been given separately in 5:97. In the present verse it is only the eating of game killed by a pilgrim that is mentioned, because not only is the hunting of a land animal by a pilgrim forbidden, but even the eating of it is for him unlawful. If, however, a land animal has been killed by a pilgrim who has not yet entered into the state of Ihram, the eating of it is not forbidden to those who are in a state of Ihram, provided they render no help to the man who kills the game.

The words, other than those which are being announced to you, refer to the flesh of the animals mentioned in 5:4 below, viz. that which has been strangled, and that which has been beaten to death, and that which has been killed by a fall, and that which has been gored to death, etc. The words, however, do not refer to the first part of 5:4, viz. the flesh of an animal which dies of itself, and blood, and the flesh of swine, because "swine" is not included among cattle and the exception here made is from among the cattle and not from among all animals, and also because this portion had already been revealed in 2:174.

59:9.

5:9; 11:90.

Important Words:

الھدی (the animal brought as an offering) is the noun-infinitive from ھدی meaning, he directed; or he showed the way. ھدیة means, a present, i.e. a thing sent or offered to another as a token of love, courtesy or honour. ھدی means (1) mode or manner of acting; conduct or character; (2) what one brings as an offering to the Ka‘bah, consisting of camels or kine or sheep or goats to be sacrificed; or the goods or commodities so brought; (3) camels absolutely (Aqrab & Lane).

القلائد (collars) is the plural of قلادة which is the noun-infinitive from قلد meaning, he twisted or wound or wreathed a thing upon another. قلدھاقلادة (qallada-ha) means, he put a necklace upon her neck. قلدالبدنة means, he hung upon the neck of the camel or cow, etc. brought as an offering to Mecca, a collar, to show that it was meant for sacrifice as an offering. قلادة means, a necklace; a collar or the like; that which is hung, as a sign or mark, upon the neck of a camel or cow, etc. brought to Mecca for sacrifice (Lane & Aqrab). The word قلائد (collars) may also mean "collared animals" (Muhit). The words ھدی and قلائد as used in this verse both signify animals that are taken to Mecca for sacrifice during the Pilgrimage, قلائد particularly meaning such animals as have collars round their necks, and ھدی all animals without distinction that are brought to Mecca for sacrifice.

آمین (who repair) is the plural of آم which is the active participle from ام. They say امه i.e. he repaired or directed his course to it; he aimed at or sought after it; he endeavoured to reach or attain it (Lane). See also 3:8; 3:21; 3:114.

Commentary:

The words شعائرالله (Signs of Allah, for which see 2:159) signify anything that leads to the knowledge and realization of God. The offerings made to God, or the animals of sacrifice brought to the Ka‘bah, are "Signs of God", in the sense that they teach us to be ever ready to sacrifice all, that belongs to us, for the sake of God.

The words الشھرالحرام (Sacred Month) may signify each one of the four Sacred Months, viz. Shawwal, Dhul-Qa‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Rajab. Some theologians, however, hold the view that here the "Sacred Month" means only Dhul-Hijjah, i.e. the month of حج (Greater Pilgrimage), to which a special reference has been made on account of the great gathering of pilgrims that takes place at Mecca in that month. Others are of the opinion that the word here refers to Rajab, the usual month of عمرة (Lesser Pilgrimage), to which no respect was paid by certain Arab tribes. Abstaining from profaning the Sacred Month may also mean paying due respect to the works performed therein.

All manner of fighting must cease during the four Sacred Months. As pilgrims have to travel to and from Mecca during these months, not only are pilgrims and animals of sacrifice not to be molested on the way, but all hostilities must cease and there should be perfect peace so that pilgrims may perform both their inward and outward journeys in complete security. The hunting of land animals has also been forbidden for similar reason.

The words, nor those repairing to the Sacred House, refer particularly to the pilgrims who go to Mecca for the Greater or the Lesser Pilgrimage. But they may also refer to such travellers as may proceed to Mecca for any valid purpose, including such non-Muslims as may visit the Sacred House with the permission of its custodians to gain religious knowledge.

The expression, help not one another in sin and transgression, constitutes an effective reply to the malicious charge that Islam is a militant religion, encouraging aggressive warfare against the infidels. How can a Book which gives such clear injunctions to its followers as are contained in the above words, be expected to command them to take up arms against innocent and unoffending people and to kill them wherever they are found on the sole ground that they do not profess Islam?

The verse clearly forbids Muslims to fight their enemies in the four Sacred Months even when a state of war exists. The Holy Prophet himself was the first to carry out this injunction. He would not fight the idolatrous Meccans when, at Hudaibiyyah, they refused to allow him and his 1,400 followers to perform عمرة (Lesser Pilgrimage) for which he had undertaken such a long and arduous journey. He went back to Medina after signing a treaty, the terms of which at that time appeared to be very humiliating, in spite of the fact that his followers were prepared to fight. The Holy Prophet, however, paid no heed to the outraged feelings of his followers and did what righteousness and piety demanded. But when non-Muslims are the first to attack Muslims during a Sacred Month, the latter are allowed to defend themselves (2:195, 218).

5:2, 97.

Important Words:

انتقام (retribution) is derived from نقم. They say نقم الیه i.e. he exacted vengeance upon him; he punished him. انتقمت منهmeans, I took vengeance on him; I inflicted penal retribution on him or I punished him. انتقام thus means, vengeance, punishment or penal retribution (Lane & Aqrab). See also 3:5 and 5:60.

Commentary:

If a man kills game, when he is in the state of احرام (pilgrimage), he should give as compensation a like animal to be taken to Mecca for sacrifice. For instance, if the game killed by him is a deer, he should offer a goat. If the like of the game killed cannot be found, then an animal costing approximately as much as the game killed should be offered, or failing that, the pilgrim should spend the estimated price of the game in feeding the poor, which is two مد per head according to some theologians and one صاع according to others, a مد being roughly two handfuls of corn while a صاع is four times as much as a مد. If, however, the pilgrim is unable to do even that, he should fast for as many days as the number of the poor he could feed with the estimated price of the game killed. The fasting and the feeding of the poor, as the case may be, should preferably be done at Mecca.

5:2, 96.

Commentary:

The word بحر (sea) here includes rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, etc. See 7:139.

As during the time of Pilgrimage, hunting on land is likely to prove inconvenient and even dangerous to pilgrims visiting the Ka‘bah, whereas the catching of sea-game does not interfere with traffic, so the former has been prohibited and the latter allowed.