Commentary
The glorification of the rites - which are the sacrifices, as they are from the landmarks of pilgrimage - is that one should choose them from the best of animals, beautiful in appearance, and expensive in price. One should avoid overcharging in their purchase, for they used to exaggerate in three things and disliked overcharging in them: the sacrificial animal, the offering, and the neck. Ibn Umar narrated from his father, may Allah be pleased with them, that he gifted a she-camel that he was asked for at three hundred dinars. He asked the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, if he could sell it and buy a cow with its price. He forbade him from that and said: "Rather, gift it." The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, gifted one hundred camels, among which was a camel belonging to Abu Jahl, in whose nose was a ring of gold. Ibn Umar used to lead the camels covered with fine cloths and would give in charity their meat and hides. He believed that obeying Allah by drawing near to Him and gifting them to His honored house is a great matter that must be established and hastened, for it is from the piety of the hearts. The meaning is that glorifying them is an act of those who possess piety in their hearts. This addition has been omitted, and the meaning does not stand without it, for there must be a return of reward to the one to whom it is connected. The hearts are mentioned because they are the centers of piety; when piety is established and firmly rooted in them, its effect appears in all other limbs. Until a specified time, until they are sacrificed and their meat is given in charity and eaten from. Then, 'then' is for the delay in time, so it is borrowed for the delay in conditions. The meaning is that you have many benefits in your sacrifices for your worldly life and your religion, and Allah only considers the religious benefits. Allah, the Most High, said: "You desire the pleasures of this world, while Allah desires the Hereafter." The greatest of these benefits and the most far-reaching in utility is their place being to the house, meaning the obligation of sacrificing them. Or the time of their obligation to be sacrificed in the sacred precinct, ending at the house, as His saying: "A sacrifice reaching the Kaaba." The intended meaning is to sacrifice them in the sacred precinct, which is considered part of the house, for the sacred precinct is the sanctuary of the house. An example of this in broadness is your saying: "We reached the town," while you merely approached it and your journey connected with its borders. It is said that the intended meaning of the rites is all the rituals, and their place being to the ancient house is rejected.
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