Tafseer of The Cattle · Al-An'aam · 6:144
And of the camels, two and of the cattle, two. Say, "Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when Allah charged you with this? Then who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah to mislead the people by [something] other than knowledge? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people."
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.
The explanation of His word: وَمِنَ الإِبِلِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَيْنِ قُلْ آلذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ الأُنْثَيَيْنِ أَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ الأُنْثَيَيْنِ أَمْ كُنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ وَصَّاكُمُ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا لِيُضِلَّ النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ("And of the camels two and of the cattle two. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females enclose? Or were you witnesses when Allah enjoined this upon you? Who then is more unjust than he who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to mislead people without knowledge? Verily, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people") (6:144).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The explanation of His word: (And of the camels two and of the cattle two. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females enclose?) is in accordance with the explanation of His word: مِنَ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْمَعْزِ اثْنَيْنِ ("Of the sheep two and of the goats two"). These are four pairs, in the manner in which we earlier expounded the four pairs of sheep and goats. So these are eight pairs, as He, exalted be His praise, has described.
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As for His word: (Or were you witnesses when Allah enjoined this upon you? Who then is more unjust than he who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to mislead people without knowledge?), this is a command from Allah, exalted be His praise, to His Prophet ﷺ that he should say to these ignorant ones among the polytheists (mushrikīn), whose accounts He has related in these preceding verses. He, mighty is His remembrance, says to him: Say to them, O Muḥammad: Which of these did I ask you about regarding the prohibition of which your Lord forbade you from among these eight pairs? If they answer you about something concerning which you have asked them, then say to them: Did you say on the basis of a report, "Allah has forbidden this to you," of which a messenger informed you from your Lord, or were you witnesses of your Lord and did you see Him, so that He enjoined upon you this which you say and which you fabricate against Allah? For this which you say — namely your report concerning Allah that it is forbidden according to what you claim and in the manner that you claim — can only be known through a revelation from Him by means of a messenger whom He sends to His creatures, or by hearing directly from Him. By which of these two ways, then, did you come to know that Allah forbade that in that manner, through a messenger whom He sent to you? Then inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful. Or were you witnesses of your Lord, so that He enjoined that upon you and said to you: "I have forbidden that to you," and did you hear the prohibition of it from Him, and did He impose upon you a covenant concerning that? Well, neither of these two things took place. He, exalted be His praise, says: (Who then is more unjust than he who fabricates a lie against Allah), He says: Who is more severe in wrongdoing against himself and further removed from the truth than he who fabricates lying speech against Allah and ascribes to Him the forbidding of what He has not forbidden, and the permitting of what He has not permitted — (in order to mislead people without knowledge), He says: in order to turn them away from His path — (Verily, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people), He says: Allah does not grant right guidance to whoever fabricates against Allah and speaks falsehood and lies about Him, and ascribes to Him the forbidding of what He has not forbidden, out of unbelief (kufr) in Allah and out of denial of the prophethood of His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. As is that which (follows):
14077 - Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: (Or were you witnesses when Allah enjoined this upon you?), namely that which you say.
14078 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, he said: They — that is, those who took the baḥāʾir and the sawāʾib (animals dedicated to idols) — used to say: Allah has commanded this. Then Allah said: (Who then is more unjust than he who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to mislead people without knowledge?).
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Footnotes:
(6) In the printed edition it reads: "and you ascribe to Allah (wa-taruddūna)," and in the manuscript: "wa-tarurūna," but the correct reading is what has been established.
(7) See the explanation of "shuhadāʾ" (witnesses) in what has passed earlier in the lexical entries (sh-h-d) — and the explanation of "waṣṣā" (to enjoin) in what has passed earlier 9: 295, note: 2, and the references there.
(8) See the explanation of "al-iftirāʾ" (the fabricating) in what has passed earlier, p.: 153, note: 5, and the references there.
(9) See the explanation of "al-ḍalāl" (the straying) in what has passed earlier in the lexical entries (ḍ-l-l).
(10) See the explanation of "al-hudā" (the guidance) in what has passed earlier in the lexical entries (h-d-y) — and the explanation of "al-ẓulm" (the wrongdoing) in what has passed earlier of that (ẓ-l-m).
