Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 138

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They say, “These are prohibited cattle and produce; none can eat them except those whom we wish” - so they claimed - “and there are cattle whose backs are prohibited (for riding or loading)”, and there are cattle over which they do not pronounce the name of Allah,-all being fabrications against Him. He will soon punish them for what they have been fabricating.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They say, “These cattle and crops are reserved—none may eat them except those we permit,” so they claim. Some other cattle are exempted from labour and others are not slaughtered in Allah’s Name—falsely attributing lies to Him. He will repay them for their lies.

Ruwwad Translation Center

They say, “These livestock and crops are reserved, none may eat them except those whom we wish,” – as they claim – and there are livestock whose backs are forbidden [from labor], and livestock over whom they do not mention the name of Allah [while slaughtering] – fabricating lies against Him. He will punish them for their lies.

A. J. Arberry

They say, 'These are cattle and tillage sacrosanct; none shall eat them, but whom we will'-- so they assert -- 'and cattle whose backs have been forbidden, and cattle over which they mention not the Name of God.' All that they say, forging against God; He will assuredly recompense them for what they were forging.

Abdul Haleem

They also say, ‘These cattle and crops are reserved, and only those we allow may eat them’- so they claim! There are some animals they exempt from labour and some over which they do not pronounce God’s name [during slaughter], falsely attributing these [regulations] to Him: He will repay them for the falsehoods they invent.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they say according to their fancy: such cattle and tilth are taboo none shall eat thereof save whom we allow, and there are cattle whose backs are forbidden, and cattle over which they pronounce not the name of Allah: a fabrication against Him Anon He shall requite them for that which they were wont to fabricate.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And they say that such and such cattle and crops are taboo, and none should eat of them except those whom - so they say - We wish; further, there are cattle forbidden to yoke or burden, and cattle on which, (at slaughter), the name of Allah is not pronounced; - inventions against Allah's name; soon will He requite them for their inventions.

Abul Ala Maududi

They say: 'These animals and these crops are sacrosanct: none may eat of them save those whom we will' - imposing interdictions of their own contriving. And they declare that it is forbidden to burden the backs of certain cattle, and these are the cattle over which they do not pronounce the name of Allah. All these are false fabrications against Allah, and He will soon requite them for all that they fabricate.

Ahmed Ali

They also say: "These cattle and these crops are consecrated. None may eat of them other than those we permit," -- so they assert. "And the use of these cattle is forbidden for carrying burden." They do not pronounce the name of God on certain animals, inventing lies against Him. He will punish them for what they fabricate.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And they said, “These cattle and crops are forbidden; only those whom we wish can eat them” – in their opinion – and some cattle are those which they have forbidden riding upon, and some cattle over which they do not mention the name of Allah while slaughtering – all this is fabricating lies against Allah; He will soon repay them for their fabrications.

Ali Quli Qarai

And they say, ‘These cattle and tillage are a taboo: none may eat them except whom we please,’ so they maintain, and there are cattle whose backs are forbidden and cattle over which they do not mention Allah’s Name, fabricating a lie against Him. Soon He will requite them for what they used to fabricate.

Ali Ünal

(Putting some of the produce and cattle to one side,) they say: "These animals and crops are taboo; none can eat of them save those whom we will – so they assert – and there are cattle whose backs they declare are forbidden (to bear loads), and cattle over which they do not pronounce God’s Name. (Their attributing these customs to God) is a lie against Him. He will soon recompense them for all that they fabricate in attribution to God.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And they say (according to their fancies), `Such and such cattle and tillage are secure; (since their use is forbidden for others,) none shall eat them except whom we please.´ So they assert - there are some cattle whose backs have been forbidden (for use), and some cattle over which they would not pronounce the name of Allâh. (They do all this) forging a lie against Him (that such practices are by His will). Soon He will surely punish them for the lies they have forged.

English Literal

And they said: "Those camels/livestock, and cultivation/plantation (are) prohibited, no (one) eats it except whom we will/want." With their claims/pretensions , and camels/livestock its backs were forbidden ,and camels/livestock they do not mention/remember God`s name on it, fabrication on Him, He will reward/reimburse them because (of) what they were fabricating.

Faridul Haque

And they said, “These cattle and crops are forbidden; only those whom we wish can eat them” - in their opinion - and some cattle are those which they have forbidden riding upon, and some cattle over which they do not mention the name of Allah while slaughtering - all this is fabricating lies against Allah; He will soon repay them for their fabrications.

Hamid S. Aziz

And they say, " Such and such cattle and crops are inviolable; none shall taste thereof, save such as we please." - So they say - "And there are cattle whose backs are forbidden to burden (or yoke), and cattle over whom Allah´s name is not pronounced (at slaughter)" - inventions against Him! He shall reward them for their inventions.

Hilali & Khan

And according to their pretending, they say that such and such cattle and crops are forbidden, and none should eat of them except those whom we allow. And (they say) there are cattle forbidden to be used for burden or any other work, and cattle on which (at slaughtering) the Name of Allah is not pronounced; lying against Him (Allah). He will recompense them for what they used to fabricate.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And thus their associate-gods have made fair-seeming to many polytheists the killing of the children, that they may cause them to perish and obscure for them their religion. And if Allah had pleased, they would not have done it, so leave them alone with that which they forge.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they say: These are cattle and tilth prohibited, none shall eat them except such as We please-- so they assert-- and cattle whose backs are forbidden, and cattle on which they would not mention Allah's name-- forging a lie against Him; He shall requite them for what they forged.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And they say: Such cattle and crops are forbidden. No-one is to eat of them save whom we will - in their make-believe - cattle whose backs are forbidden, cattle over which they mention not the name of Allah. (All that is) a lie against Him. He will repay them for that which they invent.

Muhammad Sarwar

They, (the pagans), have said that their cattle and farms are dedicated to private idols and that no one can consume (the produce) except those whom We wanted, in their opinion. They prohibited the riding of certain animals and they ate the flesh of certain animals slaughtered without a mention of the Name of God. Instead, they ascribed falsehood to Him. They will all be given an evil recompense for their sinful invention.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They say: 'These cattle, and these crops are forbidden. None can eat of them except those whom we permit' so they claim 'and cattle whose backs are forbidden, and others over which they do not pronounce the Name of Allah' As such fabricating lies against Him. He will recompense them for their invented lies.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And according to their claim, they say that such and such cattle and crops are Hijr (forbidden), and none should eat of them except those whom we allow. And (they say) there are cattle forbidden to be used for burden, and cattle on which (at slaughtering) the Name of Allah is not pronounced; lying against Him (Allah). He will recompense them for what they used to fabricate.

Wahiduddin Khan

They also say, "These animals and these crops are forbidden. None may eat them except those we permit." So they claim! There are some animals they exempt from labour and some over which they do not pronounce God's name, thus committing a sin against Him. He will requite them for the falsehoods they invent.

Talal Itani

And they say, “These animals and crops are restricted; none may eat them except those we permit,” by their claims, and animals whose backs are forbidden, and animals over which they do not pronounce the name of God—fabricating lies against Him. He will repay them for what they used to invent.

Tafsir jalalayn

They say, `These cattle and tillage are sacrosanct, forbidden. No one is to eat of them except whom we will', from among the retainers of the graven images and others -- so they assert, in other words, they have no [convincing] argument for it -- `and cattle whose backs have been forbidden, and cannot therefore be ridden, such as the camels [they call] S'ibas or Hms, and cattle over which they do not invoke the Name of God', when they slaughter them, invoking instead the names of their idols, ascribing such [rules] to God; forging lies against Him. He will assuredly requite them for what they used to fabricate, against Him.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Idolators Forbade Certain Types of Cattle

Allah says;

وَقَالُواْ هَـذِهِ أَنْعَامٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ لاَّ يَطْعَمُهَا إِلاَّ مَن نّشَاء بِزَعْمِهِمْ

And according to their claim, they say that such and such cattle and crops are Hijr (forbidden), and none should eat of them except those whom we allow.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"Hijr refers to what they forbade, such as the Wasilah, and the like."

Similar was said by Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and others.

Qatadah commented on,
وَقَالُواْ هَـذِهِ أَنْعَامٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ
(They say that such and such cattle and crops are Hijr),

"It is a prohibition that the Shayatin appointed for their wealth, and a type of exaggeration and extremism that did not come from Allah."

Abdur-Rahman Ibn Zayd bin Aslam said that,

حِجْرٌ
(Hijr) refers to what the idolators designated for their deities.

As-Suddi said that the Ayah,
لااَّ يَطْعَمُهَا إِلااَّ مَن نّشَاء بِزَعْمِهِمْ
(And none should eat of them except those whom we allow, they claimed...),

means, "They said, only those whom we choose can eat of them, and the rest are prohibited from eating them."

Similar to this honorable Ayah, Allah said,

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَّأ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِّن رِّزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِّنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلَلاً قُلْ ءَاللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ أَمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَفْتَرُونَ

Say;"Tell me, what provision Allah has sent down to you! And you have made of it lawful and unlawful."

Say;"Has Allah permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allah!" (10;59)

and,

مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ مِن بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَأيِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ وَلَـكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

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. (5;103)

As-Suddi said that;

cattle forbidden to be used for burden were the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah and Ham, as well as cattle for which the idolators did not mention Allah's Name when slaughtering them nor when they were born.

Abu Bakr bin Ayyash said that Asim bin Abi An-Najud said,

"Abu Wa'il said to me, `Do you know the meaning of the Ayah,

وَأَنْعَامٌ حُرِّمَتْ ظُهُورُهَا

وَأَنْعَامٌ لاَّ يَذْكُرُونَ اسْمَ اللّهِ عَلَيْهَا

And (they say) there are cattle forbidden to be used for burden, and cattle on which the Name of Allah is not pronounced.

I said, `No.'

He said, `It is the Bahirah, which they would not use to for Hajj (either by riding it or carrying things on it)."'

Mujahid also said that;

they were some of the camels belonging to idolators on which Allah's Name was not mentioned when riding, milking, carrying things, copulation or any other action.

افْتِرَاء عَلَيْهِ

lying against Him.

against Allah.

The idolators indeed lied when they attributed this evil to Allah's religion and Law; He did not allow them to do that nor did He approve of it.

سَيَجْزِيهِم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ



He will recompense them for what they used to fabricate.

against Him, and falsely attribute to Him