And when he mentioned their boldness in what the Shari'ah has deemed reprehensible, and he blamed them for the ugliness that reason has found in killing children, he followed it with their abstention from what the Shari'ah has deemed good, which is the slaughtering of some livestock for their benefit. He included a number of what they prohibited themselves from and adhered to merely due to their whims. He said: ﴿And they said﴾ meaning: the polytheists, out of folly and ignorance ﴿This﴾ indicating a portion of their wealth which they designated for their idols ﴿Livestock and agriculture are forbidden﴾ meaning: it is prohibited and off-limits, so no one may approach it. This description applies equally to the singular and plural, masculine and feminine; for its ruling is the ruling of names, not attributes. ﴿No one may eat from it﴾ meaning: eat from it ﴿except whom We will﴾ meaning: from the custodians and their likes ﴿By their claim﴾ meaning: by their fabrication based solely on whims without any evidence from Allah, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. They are lying in this claim regarding the essence of the prohibition and in the enforcement of the ban. If Allah had intended for it to be eaten, it would have been eaten, and they would not have been able to prevent it ﴿And livestock﴾.

And when their blame was merely for the act of prohibition and not for being from a specific entity, his saying was built for the unknown: ﴿Its backs are forbidden﴾ meaning: the baheer (a type of livestock) and what is with it, so they may not be ridden. ﴿And livestock they do not mention﴾ meaning: these who fabricate against Allah ﴿The name of Allah﴾ which encompasses all greatness ﴿upon it﴾ meaning: in slaughtering or otherwise ﴿Fabrication﴾ meaning: deliberately lying ﴿against Him﴾.

And when this was due to its enormity in that it is a deliberate lie against the King of kings [a place] of the listener's anticipation of what will be said about it - he began his saying: ﴿He will surely recompense them﴾ meaning: with a truthful promise that there is no contradiction in it ﴿For what﴾ meaning: because of what ﴿they were﴾ meaning: by nature and disposition ﴿fabricating﴾ meaning: they deliberately lie. As for after the truth is made clear, it is evident; and as for before it, it is due to its being at the height of the appearance of corruption.