Surah 22. Al-Hajj, Ayah 28
| لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۖ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ |
| Asad | : | so that they might experience much that shall be of benefit to them,39 and that they might extol the name of God on the days appointed [for sacrifice], over whatever heads of cattle He may have provided for them40 [to this end]: eat, then, thereof, and feed the unfortunate poor.41 |
| Malik | : | so that they may witness the benefits which are made available here for them, and pronounce the name of Allah over the cattle which We have provided as food for them, on the appointed days, then eat meat themselves and feed the indigent and needy. |
| Pickthall | : | That they may witness things that are of benefit to them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days over the beast of cattle that He hath bestowed upon them. Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor unfortunate. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | "That they may witness the benefits (provided) for them and celebrate the name of Allah through the Days appointed over the cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice): then eat ye thereof and feed the distressed ones in want. 2800 2801 2802 |
| Transliteration | : | Liyashhadoo manafiAAa lahum wayathkuroo isma Allahi fee ayyamin maAAloomatin AAala ma razaqahum min baheemati alanAAami fakuloo minha waatAAimoo albaisa alfaqeera |
Note - 39Lit., "that they might witness benefits [accruing] to
them" - i.e., increased consciousness of God through
facing the first temple ever dedicated to Him, as well as
the consciousness of being part of a brotherhood
embracing all believers. Apart from these spiritual
benefits, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca provides an
opportunity for believers from all parts of the world to
become acquainted with the many social and political
problems that confront various geographically separated
sectors of the community.
|
Note - 40The repeated Qur'anic insistence on pronouncing the name
of God whenever one slaughters an animal is meant to make
the believers "realize the awfulness of taking life, and
the solemn nature of the trust which God has conferred
upon them in the permission to eat the flesh of animals"
(Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran,
London 1930, p. 342, footnote 2). As regards the "days
appointed" (ayyam ma 'lumat) spoken of above, they
apparently denote the Festival of Sacrifices, which falls
on the 10th of the lunar month of Dhu 'l-Hijjah, as well
as the nest two days, marking the end of the pilgramage
(Ibn 'Abbas, as quoted by Razi).
|
Note - 41Whereas the pilgrims are merely permitted to eat some of
the flesh of the animals which they have sacrificed, the
feeding of the poor is mandatory (Tabari and Zamakhshari)
and constitutes, thus, the primary objective of these
sacrifices. Apart from this, they are meant to
commemorate Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his
first-born son after he dreamt that God demanded of him
this supreme sacrifice (see {37:102-107} and the
corresponding notes); furthermore, they are a reminder
that God is the Provider of all sustenance and the One
who gives life and deals death, and that all must return
to Him; and, lastly (as stressed by Razi), they are to be
symbols of each believer’s readiness to sacrifice himself
in the cause of truth.
|
Note - 2800There are benefits both for this our material life and
for our spiritual life. Of the former kind are those
associated with social intercourse which furthers trade
and increases knowledge. Of the latter kind are the
opportunities of realising some of our spiritual
yearnings in sacred associations that go back to the most
ancient times. Of both kinds may be considered the
opportunities which the Pilgrimage provides for
strengthening our international Brotherhood.
|
Note - 2801The three special days of Hajj are the 8th, 9th, and 10th
of the month of Zul- hijjah, and the two or three
subsequent days of Tashriq: see the rites explained in n.
217 to ii. 197. But we may ordinarily include the first
ten days of Zul-hijjah in the term.
|
Note - 2802The great day of commemorative Sacrifice ('Id-ul-Adhha)
is the 10th of Zul- hijjah: the meat then killed is meant
to be eaten for food and distributed to the poor and
needy.
|
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Lit., "that they might witness benefits [accruing] to them" - i.e., increased consciousness of God through facing the first temple ever dedicated to Him, as well as the consciousness of being part of a brotherhood embracing all believers. Apart from these spiritual benefits, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca provides an opportunity for believers from all parts of the world to become acquainted with the many social and political problems that confront various geographically separated sectors of the community. |
| |
The repeated Qur'anic insistence on pronouncing the name of God whenever one slaughters an animal is meant to make the believers "realize the awfulness of taking life, and the solemn nature of the trust which God has conferred upon them in the permission to eat the flesh of animals" (Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, London 1930, p. 342, footnote 2). As regards the "days appointed" (ayyam ma 'lumat) spoken of above, they apparently denote the Festival of Sacrifices, which falls on the 10th of the lunar month of Dhu 'l-Hijjah, as well as the nest two days, marking the end of the pilgramage (Ibn 'Abbas, as quoted by Razi). |
| |
Whereas the pilgrims are merely permitted to eat some of the flesh of the animals which they have sacrificed, the feeding of the poor is mandatory (Tabari and Zamakhshari) and constitutes, thus, the primary objective of these sacrifices. Apart from this, they are meant to commemorate Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his first-born son after he dreamt that God demanded of him this supreme sacrifice (see {37:102-107} and the corresponding notes); furthermore, they are a reminder that God is the Provider of all sustenance and the One who gives life and deals death, and that all must return to Him; and, lastly (as stressed by Razi), they are to be symbols of each believer’s readiness to sacrifice himself in the cause of truth. |
| |
There are benefits both for this our material life and for our spiritual life. Of the former kind are those associated with social intercourse which furthers trade and increases knowledge. Of the latter kind are the opportunities of realising some of our spiritual yearnings in sacred associations that go back to the most ancient times. Of both kinds may be considered the opportunities which the Pilgrimage provides for strengthening our international Brotherhood. |
| |
The three special days of Hajj are the 8th, 9th, and 10th of the month of Zul- hijjah, and the two or three subsequent days of Tashriq: see the rites explained in n. 217 to ii. 197. But we may ordinarily include the first ten days of Zul-hijjah in the term. |
