Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 103

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Allah has made no BaHīrah, no Sā’ibah, no WaSīlah and no Hāmī (names of animals dedicated to idols on different grounds). But those who disbelieve coin a lie against Allah, and most of them do not understand.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah has never ordained the ˹so-called˺ baḥîrah, sâ'ibah, waṣîlah, and ḥâm camels.[[ These camels were allowed by pagan Arabs to pasture freely and were not to be used for labour or transportation after fathering or giving birth to a certain number of male or female camels. ]] But the disbelievers[[ i.e., the pagans.]] just fabricate lies about Allah, and most of them lack understanding.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Allah did not ordain any such thing as the Bahīrah, Sā’ibah, Wasīlah, and Hām [camels dedicated to idols]. Rather those who disbelieve fabricate lies against Allah, and most of them do not understand.

A. J. Arberry

God has not appointed cattle dedicated to idols, such as Bahira, Sa'iba, Wasila, Hami; but the unbelievers forge against God falsehood, and most of them have no understanding.

Abdul Haleem

God did not institute the dedication of such things as bahira, saiba, wasila, or ham to idols; but the disbelievers invent lies about God. Most of them do not use reason:

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Allah hath not appointed aught of the bahira or the sa'iba or the wasila or the ham, those who disbelieve have fabricated a lie against Allah, and most of them reflect not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It was not Allah who instituted (superstitions like those of) a slit-ear she-camel, or a she-camel let loose for free pasture, or idol sacrifices for twin-births in animals, or stallion-camels freed from work; It is blasphemers who invent a lie against Allah; but most of them lack wisdom.

Abul Ala Maududi

Allah has neither appointed (cattle devoted to idols such as) Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah nor Ham; but those who disbelieve forge lies against Allah and of them most have no understanding (and therefore succumb to such superstitions).

Ahmed Ali

God has not sanctioned Baheerah or Sa'ibah, Waseelah or Ham. The unbelievers fabricate lies of God, for many of them are devoid of sense.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Allah has not appointed (commanded to sacrifice) the camel with ears sliced (Bahira) or the she-camel (Saibah) or the she-goat (Wasilah) or the breeding camel (Hami), but the disbelievers fabricate lies against Allah; and most of them do not have any sense at all.

Ali Quli Qarai

Allah has not prescribed any such thing as Bahirah, Sa’ibah, Waseelah, or Haam; but those who are faithless fabricate lies against Allah, and most of them do not exercise their reason.

Ali Ünal

God has not ordained anything (in the nature) of a bahirah, nor a sa’ibah, nor a wasilah, nor ham. But those who disbelieve fabricate falsehoods against God – most of them do not reason and indeed are devoid of sense.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Allâh has not instituted (superstition like those of) any Bahîrah (-an animal having her ear slit and let loose for free pasture, dedicated to some god, their milk was not used, nor their back, nor their meat); or Sâ´ibah (-an animal having given birth to ten females, liberated to pasture where she would, not be ridden, nor milk drunk except by her young); or Wasîlah (-an animal which gave birth to seven females consecutively and at the seventh birth she bore a pair male and female. Each of the latter was let loose and the milk of the animal drunk by men only and not by women;) or Hâmi (-an animal that is left at liberty without being made use of in any way whatsover). But those who disbelieve have fabricated a lie (by such superstitious dedications) in the name of Allâh. Most of them cannot refrain (from such polytheistic superstitions).

English Literal

God did not make/create from a female camel in Pre-Islamic paganism whose ears were split after five deliveries and left to roam alone for their idols and of no benefit to man , and nor a female camel in Pre-Islamic paganism which gave birth to ten female litters and left to roam and feed freely and forbidden from use , and nor a female camel who gave birth seven times and was left to roam and not be slaughtered , and nor a male camel who fathered ten deliveries and was left to roam without benefit to man , and but those who disbelieved they fabricate on God the lies/falsehood, and most of them do not reason/understand/comprehend. (DISCREPANCY EXISTS ABOUT THE PRECEDING BOLD TERM)

Faridul Haque

Allah has not appointed (commanded to sacrifice) the camel with ears sliced (Bahira) or the she-camel (Saibah) or the she-goat (Wasilah) or the breeding camel (Hami), but the disbelievers fabricate lies against Allah; and most of them do not have any sense at all.

Hamid S. Aziz

And when it is said to them, "Come round to what Allah has revealed unto His Apostle," they say, "Enough for us is that wherein we found our fathers." What! Even though their fathers had no knowledge whatever and no guidance?

Hilali & Khan

Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah (a she-camel whose milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it) or a Sa'ibah (a she-camel let loose for free pasture for their false gods, e.g. idols, etc., and nothing was allowed to be carried on it), or a Wasilah (a she-camel set free for idols because it has given birth to a she-camel at its first delivery and then again gives birth to a she-camel at its second delivery) or a Ham (a stallion-camel freed from work for their idols, after it had finished a number of copulations assigned for it, all these animals were liberated in honour of idols as practised by pagan Arabs in the pre-Islamic period). But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have no understanding.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

A people before you indeed asked such questions, then became disbelievers therein.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Allah has not ordained (the making of) a bahirah or a saibah or a wasilah or a hami but those who disbelieve fabricate a lie against Allah, and most of them do not understand.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Allah hath not appointed anything in the nature of a Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Hami, but those who disbelieve invent a lie against Allah. Most of them have no sense.

Muhammad Sarwar

God has not instituted the rites of Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah, nor of Hami (names of certain animals that the pagans would offer as sacrifice). It is the pagans who have attributed falsehood to God. Many of them have no understanding.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah has not made cattle, a slit eared shecamel, nor a freely grazing shecamel, nor a shecamel that bore twins, nor an uncastrated camel (dedicated to idols), but those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah. Most of them do not understand.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham. But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have no understanding.

Wahiduddin Khan

God has ordained no sanctity about animals described as bahirah, or sa'ibah, or wasilah or ham. Those who deny the truth invent falsehoods about God. Most of them do not use their reason:

Talal Itani

God did not institute the superstitions of Bahirah, Saibah, Wasilah, or of Hami; but those who disbelieve fabricate lies about God—most of them do not understand.

Tafsir jalalayn

God has not ordained, He has not stipulated [in His Law], anything such as a Bahra, a S'iba, a Wasla or a Hm, in the way that people did at the time of paganism. Al-Bukhr reported [in a hadth] from Sa`d b. al- Musayyab, who said; `The bahra is that [camel] whose milk is consecrated to idols and whom no human may milk; the s'iba is the one they would leave to roam freely for their gods and was forbidden to bear any load; the wasla is the young she-camel that would give birth to a young female, as its first offspring, followed by another female, bearing one after the other without a male in between; she would then be left to roam freely for their idols; the hm is the mature male camel, which after completing a certain number of copulations with a female, would then be consigned to their idols and be exempt from bearing any load, and they would call it hm; but the disbelievers invent lies against God, in this matter, by attributing [the sanctioning of] such [practices] to Him; and most of them do not understand, that this is mendacity, for in this they have [merely] followed the example of their forefathers.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Meaning of Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah and Ham

Allah says;

مَا جَعَلَ اللّهُ مِن بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَأيِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ

Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said,

"The Bahirah is a female camel whose milk was spared for the idols and no one was allowed to milk it.

The Sa'ibah is a female camel let loose for free pasture for the idols, and nothing was allowed to be carried on it.

Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

رَأَيْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ عَامِرٍ الْخُزَاعِيَّ يَجُرُّ قُصْبَهُ فِي النَّارِ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَيَّبَ السَّوَايِب

I saw `Amr bin Amir Al-Khuza`i pulling his intestines behind him in the Fire, and he was the first to start the practice of Sa'ibah.

As for the Wasilah, it is a female camel set free for the idols, because it had given birth to a she-camel in its first delivery and then another she-camel at its second delivery. They used to set such camel free if she gave birth to two females without a male between them.

As for the Ham, it is a male camel which would be freed from work for the idols, after it had finished a number of copulations assigned for it. The male camel freed from work in this case is called a Hami."

Muslim and An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَيَّبَ السَّوَايِبَ وَعَبَدَ الاَْصْنَامَ أَبُو خُزَاعَةَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَامِرٍ وَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ يَجُرُّ أَمْعَاءَهُ فِي النَّار

The first to start the practice of Sa'ibah and worshipping idols was Abu Khuza`ah, `Amr bin Amir. I saw him pulling his intestines behind him in the Fire.

The `Amr mentioned in the above Hadith is the son of Luhay bin Qam`ah, one of the chiefs of the tribe of Khuza`ah who were the caretakers of the House of Allah after the tribe of Jurhum, (and before the Prophet's tribe, Quraysh). He was the first to change the religion of Ibrahim (Al-Khalil in Makkah) bringing idol worshipping to the area of Hijaz (Western Arabia). He also called the foolish people to worship idols and offer sacrifices to them and started these ignorant rituals concerning the animals as well as other rituals of Jahiliyyah.

Allah said in Surah Al-An`am,

وَجَعَلُواْ لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالاٌّنْعَامِ نَصِيباً

And they assign to Allah a share of the tilth and cattle which He has created... (6;136)

As for the Bahirah, Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said,

"It is the female camel that has given delivery five times. After that, they looked at the fifth delivery, if it were a male, they would slaughter it and give it to the men only and not the women. If it were a female, they would cut off its ears and proclaim, `This is a Bahirah (no one is allowed to milk it)."'

As-Suddi and others mentioned a similar statement.

As for the Sa'ibah, Mujahid said that;

it is for sheep, and mentioned a similar meaning as for Bahirah.

He said that it delivers six females and then a male, female or two males, and that they then would slaughter it (the newly born sheep) and feed its meat to the men, but not to the woman.

Muhammad bin Ishaq said that;

the Sa'ibah is the female camel that delivers ten females, without giving birth to a single male between them. They would then set it free and no one was allowed to ride it, cut its wool or milk it, except for a guest.

Abu Rawq said,

"The Sa'ibah was made as such when one goes out for some of his affairs and succeeds in whatever he intended to do. So he would designate a Sa'ibah from his property, a female camel or another type, and would set it free for the idols (in appreciation for his success). Then, whatever this camel gave birth to was set free for the idols too."

As-Suddi said,

"When one's affair was successful, or if he was cured from an illness, or if his wealth increased, he would set some of his wealth free for the idols. Those who would try to acquire any of the Sa'ibah property were punished in this world."

As for the Wasilah, Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said,

"It is the sheep that gives birth seven times, if she gives birth to a male or a female stillborn at its seventh delivery, the men, but not the women, would eat from it. If she gave birth to a female, or a female and a male, they would set them free, proclaiming (about the male in this case), His sister Wasalat (literally, `connected him to being forbidden on us')."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement.

Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Az-Zuhri said that Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that,
وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ
(Or a Wasilah),

"It is the female camel that gives delivery to a female and then another female at its second delivery. They would call such a camel a Wasilah, proclaiming that she has Wasalat (connected) between two females without giving birth to a male between them. So they used to cut off the ears of the Wasilah and let it roam free to pasture for their idols."

A similar explanation was reported from Imam Malik bin Anas.

Muhammad bin Ishaq said,

"The Wasilah sheep is the ewe that gives birth to ten females in five deliveries, giving birth to two females at each delivery. This sheep would be called Wasilah and would be set free. Whatever this sheep delivers afterwards, male or female, would be given to the men, but not the women, but if it delivers a stillborn, men and women would share it!"

As for the Ham, Al-Awfi said that Ibn Abbas said,

"If a man's camel performs ten copulations, they would call him a Ham, `So set him free.,"

Similar was reported from Abu Rawq and Qatadah.

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said,

"The Ham is the male camel whose offspring gave birth to their own offspring; they would then proclaim, `This camel has Hama (protected) its back.' Therefore, they would not carry anything on this male camel, cut his wool, prevent him from grazing wherever he likes or drinking from any pool, even if the pool did not belong to its owner."

Ibn Wahb said,

"I heard Malik saying, `As for the Ham, it is the male camel who is assigned a certain number of copulations, and when having finished what was assigned to him, would have peacock feathers placed on him and be set free."'

Other opinions were also mentioned to explain this Ayah.

There is a Hadith on this subject that Ibn Abi Hatim collected from Abu Ishaq As-Subay`i from Al-Ahwas Al-Jushami from his father Malik bin Nadlah who said,

"I came to the Prophet wearing old clothes. So he said to me,

هَلْ لَكَ مِنْ مَالٍ


Do you have any property?

I said, `Yes.'

He asked,

مِنْ أَيِّ الْمَالِ



What type?

I said, `All types; camels, sheep, horses and slaves.'

He said,

فَإِذَا اتَاكَ اللهُ مَالاًإ فَلْيُرَ عَلَيْك

If Allah gives you wealth, then let it show on you.

He then asked,

تُنْتِجُ إِبِلُكَ وَافِيَةً اذَانُهَا



Do your camels deliver calves that have full ears?

I said, `Yes, and do camels give birth but to whole calves.'

He said,

فَلَعَلَّكَ تَأْخُذُ الْمُوسَى فَتَقْطَعَ اذَانَ طَايِفَةٍ مِنْهَا وَتَقُولَ هَذِهِ بَحِيَرةٌ تَشُقَّ اذَانَ طَايِفَةٍ مِنْهَا وَتَقُولَ هَذِهِ حُرِّم

Do you take the knife and cut off the ears of some of them saying, `This is a Bahirah,' and tear the ears of some of them and proclaim, `This is Sacred?'

I said, `Yes.'

He said,

فَلَ تَفْعَلْ إِنَّ كُلَّ مَا اتَاكَ اللهُ لَكَ حِل

Then do not do that, for all the wealth that Allah has given you is allowed for you.

Then he said;

مَا جَعَلَ اللّهُ مِن بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَأيِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ

Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham.

As for the Bahirah, it is the animal whose ears were cut, one would not allow his wife, daughters, or any of his household to benefit from its wool, hair or milk. But, if it died, they would share it.

As for the Sa'ibah, they used to set it free for their idols and announce this fact in the vicinity of the idols.

As for the Wasilah, it is the sheep that gives birth to six offspring. When she delivered for the seventh time, they would cut its ears and horns, saying, `it has Wasalat (connected deliveries),' and they would not slaughter it, hit it or prevent it from drinking from any pool."

This Hadith was narrated with the addition of the explanation of these words in it.

In another narration for this Hadith from Abu Ishaq from Abu Al-Ahwas, `Awf bin Malik used his own words (i.e., he explained these words not as a part of the Hadith itself) and this is more sound.

Imam Ahmad recorded this Hadith from Sufyan bin Uyaynah, from Abu Az-Za`ra' `Amr bin `Amr, from his uncle Abu Al-Ahwas `Awf bin Malik bin Nadlah from his father, Malik bin Nadlah.

This narration also does not contain the explanation of Bahirah, Ham etc., that is added to the Hadith above, and Allah knows best.

Allah's statement,

وَلَـكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ



But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have no understanding.

means, Allah did not legislate these invented rituals and He does not consider them acts of obedience. Rather, it is the idolators who made them into rituals and acts of worship that they used to draw near to Allah. But they did not and will not help them to draw near to Him, rather, these innovations will only harm them