'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying - exalted and glorified is He -: "Allah has not made any bahirah, nor sa'ibah, nor wasilah, nor ham; but those who disbelieve fabricate lies against Allah, and most of them do not understand." "And when it is said to them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,' you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion." "O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones. It will be fueled by fierce angels; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded." When a group asked about these rulings that were in the days of ignorance: 'Do they belong to the ruling of Allah in honoring the Ka'bah and the sacred sanctuary?' Allah informed in this verse that He did not make anything of it; nor did He legislate for His servants; the meaning is: "But the disbelievers did that; as their leaders and chiefs; like Amr ibn Luhay and others; they fabricate lies against Allah; and say: 'This is a means of drawing closer to Allah and a matter that pleases Him'; and most of them - meaning the followers - do not understand; rather they follow these matters out of imitation; and misguidance without proof; and 'made' in this verse cannot be taken to mean: 'created Allah'; because Allah exalted is He created all these things; nor is it taken to mean: 'made' due to the absence of a second object; but rather it means: 'He did not legislate; nor prescribe'; so it has a different meaning than what it means to have a single object. And the bahirah: 'fa'ilah' means 'mafdhulah'; and 'bahara': to split; they used to split the ear of the she-camel in two; lengthwise; when it gave birth to ten offspring; so it is called mabhoorah; and it was left to graze; and to drink water; and nothing is benefited from it; and its meat is forbidden for women - if it dies - and it is permitted for men; and Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him - said: They used to do that to it when it gave birth to five offspring; and Masruq said: When it gave birth to five or seven; they would split its ear. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: It appears from what is narrated in this that the Arabs used to differ in the amount at which the ears of the she-camels were split; for each has a tradition; and all of them are misguidance; Ibn Sidah said: It is said: The bahirah is that which is left without a shepherd; and the she-camel that is abundant is called: 'bahirah'. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: I see that the bahirah is suitable; and it becomes fat; and its milk increases; so the abundant ones are likened to the sea; and on this comes the saying of Ibn Muqbil: 'In it from the frightened one is a sound like the noise of the doves amidst the attack of the seas.' For he means the large camels; even if their ears are not split. And Al-Shabi narrated; 'From Abu Al-Ahwas; from his father who said: I entered upon the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - and he said to me: 'Have you seen your camels? Do you not produce them with their ears intact; then take the razor and cut their ears; and say: 'These are bahirah'; and cut their skins; and say: 'These are surum'; and make them forbidden for you and your family?' He said: Yes; he said: 'For what Allah has given you is lawful for you; and the help of Allah is stronger; and the sword of Allah is sharper.'"

And the sā'ibah: it is the she-camel that is set free for the idols; and the she-camel also, if it has followed twelve females, in which there is no male, it is set free. And the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - said to Aktham ibn al-Jawn al-Khuza'i: "O Aktham; I saw Amr ibn Luhayy ibn Qam'ah ibn Khindaf dragging his rope in the fire; and I have not seen anyone more resembling him than you." Aktham said: Does his resemblance harm me, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "No; indeed, you are a believer; and he is a disbeliever; he is the first one who changed the religion of Ishmael - peace be upon him -; and he erected idols; and he set free the sā'ibah." And the sā'ibah were also among the Arabs like a sacrifice when one is ill; it is freed from it; and upon returning from a journey; and if an affair befalls one of them, he thanks Allah for it; he draws near by setting free a she-camel; and no benefit is derived from it in milk, nor riding, nor anything else; they see that as akin to freeing a slave of the children of Adam; this was mentioned by al-Suddi and others; and the Arabs believed that whoever took these she-camels or benefited from them in any way, then a punishment from the fire would befall him.

And the wasīlah: most people said that the wasīlah is in sheep; they said: if the ewe gives birth to three lambs or five, if the last one is a male, they slaughter it for the house of the idols; and if it is a female, they keep it alive; and if there is a male and a female, they keep both alive; and they said: this female has connected with her brother; so it prevented him from being slaughtered.

And regarding that the wasīlah is in sheep, the narrations have come from most people; and it was narrated from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib that the wasīlah is from camels; when the she-camel gives birth to a female, then gives birth to another, they said: it has connected two females; so they would cut it off for their idols; or they would slaughter it; al-Tabari doubted one of the two terms.

As for the "hamī," it is the male camel if it has served among the camels for ten years; and it was said: if ten are born from its loins; and it was said: if born from the offspring of its offspring; they said: its back has been protected; so they set it free; it is not ridden nor used for anything; and Alqamah said to one who asked him about these matters: What do you want with something that was from the actions of the people of ignorance; and it has gone? And Ibn Zayd said something similar.

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: The summary of what appears from these matters is that Allah, the Exalted, has made these animals a comfort for His servants; and a blessing He has enumerated upon them; and a great benefit; so the people of ignorance would cut off the path of benefit; and they would remove the blessing of Allah in it; and they would eliminate the benefit that is for the servants in those camels; and thus these matters differed from the endowments and trusts; for the owner who has the right to give and donate; he has the right to direct the benefit in any way of righteousness; and the path was not completely closed to it; as was done with the al-bahīrah and the sā'ibah.

Abu Hanifah and his companions said: The endowments and trusts are not permissible; they compared it to the al-Bahirah and the al-Sa'ibah; and the difference is clear; if a man were to take a property of his and say: This will be a trust; its fruits are not to be harvested; its land is not to be cultivated; and no benefit is to be derived from it; it would be permissible to liken this to the al-Bahirah and the al-Sa'ibah; as for the clear trust, its way and the continuity of benefiting from it, it is not of this; and it is enough for you that the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - said to Umar ibn al-Khattab - may Allah be pleased with him - regarding his wealth: "Make it a trust; its original is not to be sold"; and the companions of the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - made trusts.

And His saying, the Exalted: "But those who disbelieved"; the verse; and it has been previously established that the forgers are the innovators; and that those who do not understand are the followers; and likewise, al-Shabi and others have stated; and this is what the verse gives. Muhammad ibn Abi Musa said: Those who disbelieved and forged are the people of the Book; and those who do not understand are the people of idols.

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: This is the interpretation of one who has taken the words of the end of the verse from what preceded it; and it is connected to it in meaning; and from what follows as well from His saying: "And when it is said to them"; and the first of the two interpretations is more preferable.

And the pronoun in His saying: "It is said to them"; refers back to the disbelievers who are following these things; and "Come"; is a clear call; this is its origin; then it was used where there is righteousness; and where its opposite is; and "to what Allah has revealed"; means the Qur'an; in which there is the correct prohibition; and "It is enough for us"; its meaning is: It is sufficient for us; and His saying: "Even if their fathers"; the alif of the stopping has entered upon the waw of conjunction; as if they have conjoined this sentence to the first; and they have adhered to a shameful saying; for indeed, the stopping is a reprimand for them; as if they are saying afterwards: "Yes; even if they were like that".

His saying, the Exalted: "O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire"; people have differed in the interpretation of this verse; Abu Umayyah al-Shabani said: I asked Abu Thalabah al-Khushani about this verse; he said: You have asked about it a knowledgeable person; I asked about it the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - and he said: "Enjoin what is right; and forbid what is wrong; and if you see a world preferred; and greed being obeyed; and every person of opinion being impressed with his opinion; then you should take care of yourself; and leave their common people; for indeed, behind you are days where the reward of the worker in them is like the reward of fifty of you."

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And this interpretation has no consideration for anyone with it; because it is comprehensive for righteousness; emanating from the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him.

It appears from the words of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq - may Allah be pleased with him - that he was informed that some people interpreted the verse to mean that there is no obligation to enjoin what is good or to forbid what is wrong. So he ascended the pulpit and said: "O people, do not be deceived by the saying of Allah: ﴿Upon you are yourselves﴾; so that one of you says: 'I am responsible for myself.' By Allah, you must enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong, or else the worst of you will be appointed over you, and they will make you suffer a severe punishment."

It has been narrated from Ibn Mas'ud that he said: "This is not the time of this verse; say the truth as long as it is accepted from you; and if it is rejected, then you are responsible for yourselves."

And it was said to Ibn Umar during some times of trials: "If you had refrained from speaking during these days, neither enjoining nor forbidding," he said: "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - said to us: 'Let the witness convey to the absent'; and we have witnessed, so it is obligatory upon us to convey to you; and there will come a time when if the truth is spoken, it will not be accepted."

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: "The general consensus among the people of knowledge on this matter is that enjoining what is good is obligatory whenever acceptance is hoped for, or the rectification of wrongs is anticipated, even with force, as long as a person does not fear harm that may befall him personally, or a trial that may befall the Muslims, either by splitting the community or by causing harm to a group of people. If this fear is present, then you are responsible for yourselves by a ruling that must be adhered to."

And Sa'id ibn Jubair said: "The meaning of this verse: ﴿O you who have believed, upon you are yourselves﴾; so adhere to your Shari'ah with what it contains of striving and enjoining what is good and other than that; and the misguidance of the people of the Book will not harm you if you are guided."

And Ibn Zayd said: "The meaning of the verse: 'O you who have believed from the descendants of those who drowned the sea and set free the sacrificial animals; upon you are yourselves in remaining steadfast in religion; and the misguidance of your ancestors will not harm you if you are guided'; he said: And when a man embraced Islam, the disbelievers would say to him: 'You have discredited your forefathers; you have misled them; and you have done this and that.' So the verse was revealed because of that."

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: "And no one has said - as far as I know - that it is a verse of reconciliation with the disbelievers; and likewise, it should not be opposed by anything that Allah has commanded in other than this verse, from establishing justice and enjoining what is good. Al-Mahdawi said: And it has been said that it is abrogated by the command to enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong."

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: "And this is weak; and its speaker is unknown."

And some people said: "It was revealed because of the apostasy of some believers and their trials, like Ibn Abi Sarh and others; so it was said to the believers: 'Their misguidance will not harm you.'"

And the majority of people read: "It will not harm you"; with a dammah on the dhad and a shaddah on the raa that is damm. And Hasan ibn Abi Hasan read: "It will not harm you"; with a dammah on the dhad and a sukoon on the raa. And Ibrahim read: "It will not harm you"; with a kasrah on the dhad; and all of these are dialects, meaning: "Harmed; harms"; and "Harmed; harms; and it harms."

'And His saying, exalted is He: "To Allah is your return all together"; this verse is a reminder of the gathering and what comes after it. This is a comfort regarding the matters of the world, its disliked aspects, and its beloved aspects. It has been narrated from some of the righteous that he said: "There is not a day except that the devil comes and says: What do you eat? What do you wear? And where do you reside? So I say to him: I eat death; I wear the shroud; and I reside in the grave." The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: Whoever reflects on his return to Allah, this is his state.