What is the meaning of these verses from Surat al-Ma'idah: namely, the saying of Allah the Exalted
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Question: What is the meaning of these verses from Surat al-Ma'idah: namely, the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Ma'idah: 101, 103]? And what is the meaning of bahirah, sa'ibah, wasilah, and ham?
Answer: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, forbids asking questions that are not necessary. Likewise, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade excessive questioning.And he said:, In these noble verses, Allah forbids the believers from asking about things they have no need for, and which are not relevant to their religious affairs. If these things were revealed to them and they were obligated to act upon them, they would have been difficult for them and would have caused them distress. This is a prohibition from Allah against their excessive questioning of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) about matters that are not relevant and which they do not need, and asking about them would be a cause
for imposing them upon them and others. For if the question is asked while the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is present and revelation is descending upon him, the answer is obtained, and that becomes a cause for burdensome obligations. And leaving the question alone is safety from that; because these are matters that Allah has pardoned, meaning He left them and did not mention them with anything. So do not seek them out. Then, He, Glorified and Exalted is He, clarified that asking about these things which should not be asked about occurred among the previous nations, and the outcome of that was bad for them, because they did not act upon them when they were clarified to them, so they were punished because of them.
And the intended meaning of the two verses in general is the prohibition of asking questions that necessity does not call for. As for what necessity calls for in matters of religion and worldly affairs,Allah has prescribed asking about it by His saying: [al-Anbiya: 7],And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan ad-Daraqutni 1:640 .
And as for His saying (the Exalted): [al-Ma'idah: 103] the verse.
This is a new statement that includes a refutation of the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance regarding what they innovated in livestock from the law of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance,where they made from them:
The bahirah: which is the one whose ear is slit and which is prevented from being ridden, milked, or its meat eaten.
And the sa'ibah: which is the one that is left alone, so it is not prevented from pasture or water, nor is it ridden, milked, or its wool shorn.
And the wasilah: which is the camel or sheep that gives birth to a specific number of offspring consecutively; they slaughtered it for the idols and forbade its meat to women.
And the ham: The male camel, if it protected its back from being ridden, they would, when the male camel produced a specific number of offspring,They said: protect its back so they did not ride it.
And these are among the deeds of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance which Islam came to abolish. And Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, said at the beginning of the surah: [al-Ma'idah: 1], and Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, made lawful for us to eat from livestock, to drink from their milk, and to ride them within the limits of what is prescribed, except what is carrion or shed blood,As in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Ma'idah: 3].
(101) O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they are shown to you, will distress you. But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be shown to you. Allah has pardoned that which is past; and Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing. (102) A people asked such [questions] before you; then they became thereby disbelievers. (103) Allah has not appointed [such innovations as] bahirah or sa'ibah or wasilah or ham. But those who disbelieve invent falsehood about Allah, and most of them do not reason.
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ وَإِنْ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْآنُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهَا وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا بِهَا كَافِرِينَ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَائِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ وَلَكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَAnswer: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, forbids asking questions that are not necessary. Likewise, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade excessive questioning.And he said:
Leave me alone in what I have left for you, for only those who came before you were destroyed by their excessive questioning and their disagreement with their prophets.
ذروني ما تركتكم، فإنما أهلك من كان قبلكم كثرة مسائلهم واختلافهم على أنبيائهمfor imposing them upon them and others. For if the question is asked while the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is present and revelation is descending upon him, the answer is obtained, and that becomes a cause for burdensome obligations. And leaving the question alone is safety from that; because these are matters that Allah has pardoned, meaning He left them and did not mention them with anything. So do not seek them out. Then, He, Glorified and Exalted is He, clarified that asking about these things which should not be asked about occurred among the previous nations, and the outcome of that was bad for them, because they did not act upon them when they were clarified to them, so they were punished because of them.
And the intended meaning of the two verses in general is the prohibition of asking questions that necessity does not call for. As for what necessity calls for in matters of religion and worldly affairs,Allah has prescribed asking about it by His saying:
And We sent not before you, [O Muhammad], except men to whom We revealed [the message], so ask the people of the message if you do not know.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَWould they not ask when they do not know? For the cure for ignorance is asking.
ألا سألوا إذا لم يعلموا، فإن شفاء العي السؤالAnd as for His saying (the Exalted):
Allah has not appointed [such innovations as] bahirah or sa'ibah or wasilah or ham
مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَائِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍThis is a new statement that includes a refutation of the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance regarding what they innovated in livestock from the law of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance,where they made from them:
The bahirah: which is the one whose ear is slit and which is prevented from being ridden, milked, or its meat eaten.
And the sa'ibah: which is the one that is left alone, so it is not prevented from pasture or water, nor is it ridden, milked, or its wool shorn.
And the wasilah: which is the camel or sheep that gives birth to a specific number of offspring consecutively; they slaughtered it for the idols and forbade its meat to women.
And the ham: The male camel, if it protected its back from being ridden, they would, when the male camel produced a specific number of offspring,They said: protect its back so they did not ride it.
And these are among the deeds of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance which Islam came to abolish. And Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, said at the beginning of the surah: