Tafseer of The Pilgrimage · Al-Hajj · 22:28
That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
As for His words لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ (that they may witness benefits for themselves): the exegetes differed over the meaning of the benefits which Allah mentioned in this place. Some said: they are trade and the benefits of the worldly life.
Mention of those who said that: Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of Abū Razīn, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ — he said: these are the markets.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Tumayla related to us, on the authority of Abū Ḥamza, on the authority of Jābir ibn al-Ḥakam, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: he said: trade.
Ibn Bashār related to us, saying: Abū Aḥmad related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim ibn Bahdala, on the authority of Abū Razīn, concerning the words لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ : he said: their markets.
He said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Wāqid, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ — he said: trade.
ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Bayān related to us, saying: Isḥāq informed us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Wāqid, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, likewise.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Wāqid, on the authority of Saʿīd, likewise.
Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Sinān related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim ibn Abī al-Najūd, on the authority of Abū Razīn: لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ — he said: the markets.
Others said: they are the reward in the hereafter and trade in the worldly life.
Mention of those who said that: Ibn Bashār and Sawwār ibn ʿAbdullāh related to us, they said: Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ — he said: trade and whatever pleases Allah of the affairs of the worldly life and the hereafter.
ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Bayān related to us, saying: Isḥāq related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, likewise.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, likewise.
ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Bayān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, saying: Isḥāq informed us, on the authority of Abū Bishr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the words لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ — he said: the reward in the hereafter and trade in the worldly life.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, likewise.
Others said: they are forgiveness and pardon.
Mention of those who said that: Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Jābir, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar: لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ — he said: forgiveness.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Tumayla related to me, on the authority of Abū Ḥamza, on the authority of Jābir, who said: Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī said: forgiveness.
The most correct opinion is that of him who said: what is meant by it is that they may witness benefits for themselves of the works that please Allah and of trade. This is because Allah stated in general terms for them all the benefits of all that the season of pilgrimage witnesses, and what comes to Mecca during the period of the pilgrimage — both benefits of the worldly life and the hereafter — and did not single out any benefit thereof, neither by a transmitted report nor by reason. It therefore holds in its generality for the benefits which I have described.
As for His words وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الأَنْعَامِ (and that they may mention the name of Allah on the known days over what He has provided them of grazing livestock): Allah the Exalted says: that they may mention the name of Allah over the sacrificial animals and the offering animals which they have brought of camels, cattle and sheep, on the known days. These are the days of tashrīq in the opinion of some of the exegetes; in the opinion of others they are the ten days; and in the opinion of yet others: the day of sacrifice and the days of tashrīq.
We have already mentioned the disagreements of the exegetes about this, together with the transmitted reports, and explained the most correct opinion in Sūrat al-Baqara, so that there is no need to repeat it here; but I shall mention some of it here as well.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ — he said: the days of tashrīq.
It was related to me from al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk concerning the words أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ saying: these are the days of tashrīq; عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الأَنْعَامِ — that is to say: the offering animals.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ — he said: the ten days; and the numbered days are the days of tashrīq.
As for His words فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا (so eat thereof): He says: eat, O people, of the sacrificial animals over which you have pronounced the name of Allah there. This command of Allah the Exalted is a command of permission, not a command of obligation. For there is no disagreement among all the authorities that whoever slaughters his sacrificial animal or his offering animal there and does not eat of his sacrificial animal or offering animal has not thereby neglected any obligatory portion — so that it is clear that it is not obligatory.
Mention of the transmitted report about this from some of the scholars: Sawwār ibn ʿAbdullāh related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ, concerning the words فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ — he said: he did not deem eating thereof obligatory.
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to us, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Ḥuṣayn informed us, on the authority of Mujāhid, who said: it is a permission — if he wishes he eats, and if he wishes he does not eat. It is like His words وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا and فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الأَرْضِ — that is to say concerning the words فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ .
He said: Hushaym related to us, saying: Mughīra informed us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, concerning the words فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا — he said: it is a permission; if he wishes he eats, and if he wishes he does not eat.
He said: Hushaym related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj informed us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ, concerning the words فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا — he said: it is a permission; if he wishes he eats, and if he wishes he does not eat.
ʿAlī ibn Sahl related to me, saying: Zayd related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ḥuṣayn, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the words فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا — he said: it is only a permission.
As for His words وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ (and feed the distressed poor): He says: give of what you slaughter or shoot down there of sacrificial animals of your offering portions and offering animals to the bāʾis — that is the one stricken by the pain of hunger, infirmity and neediness — and the faqīr: the one who has nothing.
In the direction of what we have said about this the exegetes spoke.
Mention of those who said that: Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ — he said: the crippled poor man.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of a man, on the authority of Mujāhid: الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ — the one who stretches out his hands toward you.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning the words الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ — he said: that is the qāniʿ (the one content with what he is given).
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: ʿUmar ibn ʿAṭāʾ informed me, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: al-bāʾis is the needy one stricken by distress; and al-faqīr is the one who preserves his sense of honor.
He said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the words الْبَائِسَ — the one who stretches out his hands.
