Surah 6

Surah 6:138

"They say, ‘These livestock and crops are forbidden. No one may eat them, except for whomever we please’ – so they claim – ’and livestock whose backs have been forbidden, and livestock over which the name of God is not to be mentioned’ – forging (lies) against Him. He will repay them for what they have forged."
The Idolators Forbade Certain Types of Cattle Verses 6:138
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Verse 138

وَقَالُواْ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَنۡعَٰمٞ وَحَرۡثٌ حِجۡرٞ لَّا يَطۡعَمُهَآ إِلَّا مَن نَّشَآءُ بِزَعۡمِهِمۡ وَأَنۡعَٰمٌ حُرِّمَتۡ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنۡعَٰمٞ لَّا يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱسۡمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡهَا ٱفۡتِرَآءً عَلَيۡهِۚ سَيَجۡزِيهِم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ

They say, ‘These livestock and crops are forbidden. No one may eat them, except for whomever we please’ – so they claim – ’and livestock whose backs have been forbidden, and livestock over which the name of God is not to be mentioned’ – forging (lies) against Him. He will repay them for what they have forged.

138. And according to their claim, they say that such and such cattle and crops are Hijr (forbidden), and none should eat of them except those whom we allow. And (they say) there are cattle forbidden to be used for burden, and cattle on which (at slaughtering) the Name of Allah is not pronounced ; lying against Him (Allah). He will recompense them for what they used to fabricate .

‘Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Hijr refers to what they forbade, such as the Wastlah, and the like.”

Similar was said by Mujahid, Ad-l?ahh&k, As-Suddi, Qatadah, ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and others. Qatadah commented on,

They say that such and such cattle and crops are Hijr,}

“It is a prohibition that the Shayatin appointed for their wealth, and a type of exaggeration and extremism that did not come from Allah.” [‘Abdur-Rahman] Ibn Zayd bin Aslam said that,

Hijr ,} refers to what the idolaters designated for their deities. As-Suddi said that the Ayah,

And none should eat of them except those whom we allow, they claimed. . .}

means, “They said, only those whom we choose can eat of them., and the rest are prohibited from eating them.” Similar to this honorable Ayah, Allah said,

Say : "Tell me, what provision Allah has sent down to you! And you have made of it lawful and unlawful." Say: “ Has Allah permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allah?"} [10:59],

and,

Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sd'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham. But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have no understanding.} [5:103]

As-Suddi said that cattle forbidden to be used for burden were the Bahirah, Sa’ibah, Wasilah and Ham, as well as cattle for which the idolators did not mention Allah’s Name when slaughtering them nor when they were bom.

Abu Bakr bin ‘Ayyash said that ‘Asim bin Abi An-Najud said, “Abu Wa’il said to me, ‘Do you know the meaning of the Ayah,

And (they say) there are cattle forbidden to be used for burden, and cattle on which the Name of Allah is not pronounced.}

I said, 'No.' He said, “It is the Bahirah, which they would not use to for Hajj (either by riding it or carrying things on it).”’ Mujahid also said that they were some of the camels belonging to idolators on which Allah’s Name was not mentioned when riding, milking, carrying things, copulation or any other action.

Hying against Him.} against Allah. The idolators indeed lied when they attributed this evil to Allah’s religion and Law; He did not allow them to do that nor did He approve of it.

He will recompense them for what they used to fabricate.} against Him, and falsely attribute to Him.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 4, Page 483)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.