Surah Al-Hajj: Verse 28 - ليشهدوا منافع لهم ويذكروا اسم... - English

لِّيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ (So that they witness benefits for them - 22:28) means that the arduous journey undertaken by people to perform pilgrimage is to their own advantage. The use of the word "benefits" as a common noun (without definite article) points to the universal benefits that may be derived from the pilgrimage. Apart from the spiritual rewards, many material profits may also be obtained. It is indeed remarkable that people who sedulously save pennies over long years in order to be able to defray the high expenses involved in performing the Hajj have never become insolvent, whereas many people are known to have become bankrupt as a result of expenses incurred on marriages or on the construction of palatial houses. It is a common knowledge that no one has become a pauper because of spending on Hajj or ` Umrah, rather it has been noticed, according to some narrations, that Allah Ta’ ala has bestowed such a blessing in this worship that many have gained materially after the ritual. As for the spiritual gains, they are many, one being related by Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ in a hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ said that anyone who performed Hajj in order to gain Allah's favour and avoided sins and obscene acts will return as immaculate and innocent as a newborn baby. (Bukhari and Muslim) (Mazhari)

In addition to the spiritual and material benefits to be obtained from Hajj mentioned above, there is yet another advantage which may be gained when performing it, which is mentioned in the following sentence: وَيَذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ (so that they may recite Allah's name, in specified days, over the provision He gave them from the cattle - 22:28). Here it is important to bear in mind that the main object of sacrificing the animals on this occasion is not their meat, but the mention of Allah's name which is recited while the animal is being slaughtered, which is the essence of the worship. The fact that eating the meat of these animals has been made halal (lawful) for them is an additional reward from Allah. أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ (specified days) refer to the 10th, 11th, and 12th days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah when animals may be sacrificed. The words عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ (Over the provision He gave them from the cattle - 22:28) are of general application and include all kinds of sacrifices whether they are obligatory or optional.

فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا So eat there from) Although the word كُلُوا has been used in the imperative mood, it does not mean that eating the meat of these animals is obligatory. Rather, it has been used in the sense that it is permitted and lawful to eat this meat, as it is mentioned in verse وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا (When you are out of Ihram, you may hunt - 5:2) for granting permission for hunting.

Ruling

Specially during the period of Hajj, and generally at other times too situations arise when animals must be sacrificed in Makkah . There is one kind of sacrifice which is obligatory and performed to expiate a sin such as killing animals within the precincts of حَرَم Haram. Books of jurisprudence describe in detail the kind of animals killed and the type of animals to be slaughtered to atone for each such animal killed unlawfully. Similarly, if a person commits an act which is forbidden, as long as he is in the state of ihram, he too must slaughter an animal. Jurists call this kind of sacrifice as a دَم الجنَایَہ (sacrifice to atone for a sin). Here also there are specific rules governing each situation. There are certain irregularities which must be expiated by slaughtering a camel or a cow, while in other cases the sacrifice of a goat or sheep is considered sufficient. There are a third kind of irregularities where slaughter of an animal is not necessary, and one can redeem his error by offering sadaqah. This is not the place to discuss these matters in great detail, but the the necessary information on this subject can be found in my booklet Ahkamul-Hajj (احکَام الحج). When an animal is slaughtered for expiating a sin or an irregular act, its meat can be eaten only by the poor and needy persons and it is not permissible for the person making the slaughter or any rich person to eat this meat, and this view is held by all the jurists. As regards other sacrifices, whether obligatory or voluntary, the person offering the sacrifice, his relatives and friends, even though they may be rich, can eat their meat; and the present verse refers to this kind of sacrifice. Here also it is recommended that one-third of the meat be distributed among the poor and needy. The second part of this verse وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ‌ (and feed the distressed, the poor

- 22:28) explains this point.

The Reward for avoiding Sin

Allah says: `This is what We have commanded you to do in the rituals (of Hajj), and this is the great reward that the person who does that will gain.'

(whoever honors the sacred things of Allah,) means, whoever avoids disobeying Him and does not transgress that which is sacred, and regards committing sin as a very serious matter,

(then that is better for him with his Lord.) means, he will attain much good and a great reward for doing that. Just as the one who does acts of obedience will earn a great reward, so too, the one who avoids sin will earn a great reward.

Cattle are Lawful

(The cattle are lawful to you, except those (that will be) mentioned to you.) means, `We have made permissible for you all the An`am (cattle etc.),' and Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham.

(except those mentioned to you.) the prohibition of Al-Maytah, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns -- and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal -- unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) - and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub. This was the view of Ibn Jarir, who recorded it from Qatadah.

The Command to shun Shirk and Lying

(So shun the Rijis of the idols, and shun false speech.) From this it is clear what Ar-Rijs means, i.e., avoid the abomination, which means idols. Shirk is mentioned in conjunction with false speech, as in the Ayah:

(Say: "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawahish (immoral sins) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge".) 7:33 This includes bearing false witness. In the Two Sahihs it was reported from Abu Bakrah that the Messenger of Allah said:

(Shall I not tell you about the worst of major sins) We said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said:

(and indeed giving false statements, and indeed bearing false witness...) and he kept on repeating it until we wished that he would stop." Imam Ahmad recorded that Khuraym bin Fatik Al-Asadi said, "The Messenger of Allah prayed As-Subh (Al-Fajr), and when he had finished, he stood up and said:

(Bearing false witness is on a par with the association of others with Allah.) Then he recited this Ayah:

(So shun the Rijs of the idols, and shun lying speech. Hunafa' Lillah, not associating partners unto Him;)

(Hunafa' Lillah) means, sincerely submitting to Him Alone, shunning falsehood and seeking the truth. Allah says:

(not associating partners unto Him;) Then Allah gives a likeness of the idolator in his misguidance and being doomed and being far away from true guidance, and says:

(and whoever assigns partners to Allah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky,) meaning,

(the birds caught him in midair,)

(or the wind had thrown him to a far off place.) means, remote and desolate, dangerous for anyone who lands there. Hence it says in the Hadith of Al-Bara':

(When the angels of death take the soul of the disbeliever in death, they take his soul up to the heaven, but the gates of heaven are not opened for him; on the contrary, his soul is thrown down from there.) Then he recited this Ayah. The Hadith has already been quoted in our explanation of Surah Ibrahim. Allah gives another parable of the idolators in Surat Al-An`am, where He says:

(Say: "Shall we invoke others besides Allah, that can do us neither good nor can harm us, and shall we turn back on our heels after Allah has guided us -- like one whom the Shayaلtin have made to go astray in the land in confusion, his companions calling him to guidance (saying): `Come to us."' Say: "Verily, Allah's guidance is the only guidance.") 6:71