Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "O you who believe, fulfill the contracts. The livestock of the animals is made lawful for you, except for what is recited to you, while you are not in a state of lawful hunting, and..."

Allah Mighty and Majestic says: Know that when speech begins with this phrase, it is as Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Give it your ear" — meaning, pay attention to it — for it is either good that you are commanded to do, or evil that you are forbidden from doing, or news that contains benefit for you, such as the saying of Allah the Exalted: and the like. The important point is that it must be for good, for evil, or for news that includes good or evil. Also know that when speech begins with it, it indicates that what follows is among the requirements of faith: to believe in it if it is news, and to act upon it if it is an action, and that opposing it is a deficiency in faith. Also know that Allah the Exalted begins the address with it to encourage the one being addressed, because when it is said: it is as if He is saying that your faith carries you to do such and such, or to leave such and such, according to the context. "Fulfill them" means bring them to completion, complete, without any deficiency. And Allah the Exalted has clarified the threat for one who takes the contracts in full but does not fulfill them in full in His saying: "If" means what? Bring them complete. And from that is His saying: and the like. "Contracts" is the plural of "contract," which is what a person finalizes with another. The opposite of a contract is "untying" (resolving); you say: "I tied the rope" and "I untied the rope." So contracts are what a person finalizes with another, and they are of many types, including: sale, lease, pledge, endowment, marriage, and others. And His saying: this is general, meaning any contract, for it is obligatory to fulfill it. But it must be restricted by what the Shari'ah brought, which is that the contract not be forbidden. If the contract is forbidden, then the texts indicate not fulfilling it, but rather the prohibition of fulfilling it, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . Then He said: This is a verb built with what? Since its actor was not named, and its actor is known, not unknown, because the actor here is Allah Mighty and Majestic, as Allah Blessed and Exalted said: So the one who made it lawful here is Allah. And His saying: "Livestock" is that which does not speak; every animal that does not speak is livestock, because what is spoken with or what is uttered becomes ambiguous and not known, so it is livestock. And His saying: The intended meaning is three types: camels, cattle, and sheep. The addition of "livestock" to "animals" is from the category of adding a thing to its genus, as you say: "an iron ring" or "a wooden door," and the like. It is as if He said: livestock from the animals. "Livestock of the animals" — when we say it is camels, cattle, and sheep, are we explaining "livestock" or "animals"? "Animals" means camels, cattle, and sheep. This is an exception from His saying: because "livestock of the animals" is a singular possessive, so it is general for everything. He said: And the intended meaning is what will come in the verse after it in His saying: This is what is recited to them. This is an exception from His saying: And it is possible that it is a state (hal), and that is the closest, because it is added to the active noun, meaning: "I made lawful for you while you are in a state of not being lawful to hunt, and you are in a state of consecration (haram), meaning you are making it lawful by hunting." is a state clause, and is the plural of "haram" (forbidden), which is one who has entered the state of consecration (ihram) for Hajj or 'Umrah, or who has entered the haram (sacred precinct), whether he is in a state of consecration or not. The haram in Makkah is known by its boundaries, and likewise in al-Madinah, but al-Madinah is not like Makkah in prohibition; rather, it is less, as will be mentioned, if Allah wills. The clause is like an explanation for what came before it. When Allah Mighty and Majestic mentioned making lawful and forbidding, He said: Is this a legal ruling or a cosmic one? Yes, it includes both the cosmic ruling and the legal ruling. So whatever Allah Mighty and Majestic wills, He rules with it, because there is no refuter of His ruling. If He wills, He makes this lawful and that forbidden, and if He wills, He obliges this and grants a dispensation for that. And likewise, if He wills, He rules for His servants with safety and security, and if He wills, He rules with the opposite of that. So all cosmic and legal rulings are by the will of Allah, and no one objects to the ruling of Allah Mighty and Majestic, as Allah the Exalted said: meaning, the ruling is only for Allah . And His saying: Which of the two wills is it? Yes, we say it is the cosmic will in consideration of the ruling being cosmic, and the legal will in consideration of the ruling being legal. And thus, we must distinguish between the cosmic will and the legal will. The difference between them is: the cosmic will means the will (mashi'ah), so it pertains to what Allah loves and what He does not love, and what He wills occurs in every case. As for the legal will, it means love, so the meaning of "wills" is "loves," and it pertains only to what Allah loves. What is willed may occur in it, and it may not occur. This is the difference between the cosmic and legal wills.