Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 143

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(Allah has created) eight pairs: two of sheep and two of goats. Say, “Is it the two males that He has prohibited or the two females, or whatever the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me on the basis of knowledge if you are true.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Allah has created˺ four pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats—ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “Has He forbidden ˹to you˺ the two males or the two females or what is in the wombs of the two females? Tell me with knowledge, if what you say is true.”—

Ruwwad Translation Center

[They are] eight [in four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me on the basis of knowledge if you are truthful.”

A. J. Arberry

Eight couples: two of sheep, of goats two. Say: 'Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females? Or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with knowledge, if you speak truly.'

Abdul Haleem

[God gave you] eight animals, in [four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats- ask them [Prophet], ‘Has He forbidden the two males, the two females, or the young in the wombs of the two females? Tell me based on knowledge if you are telling the truth.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He hath created eight pairs of the sheep a twain, and of the goats a twain. Say thou: is it the two males He hath forbidden or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Declare unto me with knowledge, if ye are truth-tellers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

(Take) eight (head of cattle) in (four) pairs; of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair; say, hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with knowledge if ye are truthful;

Abul Ala Maududi

These are eight couples, two of sheep, two of goats. Now ask them: 'Is it either the two males that Allah has forbidden or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females may contain? Tell me about this on the basis of sure knowledge, if you speak the truth.'

Ahmed Ali

There are eight pairs, two of the species of sheep and two of goats. Ask them which has He forbidden, the two males or the two females, or what the females carry in their wombs? Produce the sanction if you are truthful.

Ahmed Raza Khan

“Eight males and females; one pair of sheep and one of goats”; say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the two females carry in their wombs? Answer with some knowledge, if you are truthful.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Eight mates: two of sheep, and two of goats. Say, ‘Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Inform me with knowledge, should you be truthful.’

Ali Ünal

Eight in pairs of cattle: two of sheep, two of goats. Say (to them, O Messenger): "Is it the two males that God has made unlawful or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females may contain? Inform me about this with sound, authoritative knowledge, if you are truthful (in your claim that God has made them unlawful)."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (of cattle slaughtered for food, He has created) eight (heads in four) pairs, the pair of sheep, the pair of goats. Say, `Is it the two males He has made unlawful, or the two females, or is it that (young) which the wombs of the two females contain (which He has forbidden)? Expound to me (the case) with (sure) knowledge if you are in the right.´

English Literal

Eight pairs , from the sheep two, and from the goats two, say: "Are the two males forbidden or the two females, but (or what) in the two females` wombs/uteruses contained/included on (in) it? Inform me with knowledge if you were truthful."

Faridul Haque

“Eight males and females; one pair of sheep and one of goats”; say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the two females carry in their wombs? Answer with some knowledge, if you are truthful.”

Hamid S. Aziz

Eight pairs - of sheep two, and of goats two; say, "Hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you tell the truth."

Hilali & Khan

Eight pairs; of the sheep two (male and female), and of the goats two (male and female). Say: "Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And of the cattle (He has created) some for burden and some for slaughter. Eat of that which Allah has given you and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Surely he is your open enemy --

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Eight in pairs-- two of sheep and two of goats. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Eight pairs: Of the sheep twain, and of the goats twain. Say: Hath He forbidden the two males or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Expound to me (the case) with knowledge, if ye are truthful.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Supposing) that there are eight pairs of cattle, two pairs of sheep, and two pairs of goats. Tell Me (which is lawful and which is not)? Are the two males unlawful (to eat) or the two females or those that are in the wombs of the females? If you are truthful, then, answer Me exactly.

Qaribullah & Darwish

(He has given you) eight couples, a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Say: 'Of these, has He forbidden you the males, the females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with knowledge, if you are truthful'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Eight pairs: of the sheep two (male and female), and of the goats two (male and female). Say: "Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful. "

Wahiduddin Khan

God has created four kinds of livestock of either sex: two of sheep and two of goats. Ask them, "Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me on the basis of knowledge, if you are truthful."

Talal Itani

Eight pairs: two of the sheep, and two of the goats. Say, “Did He forbid the two males, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Eight pairs, types (thamniyata azwjin substitutes for hamlatan wa-farshan, `some for burdens and some for light support'); two of sheep, a male and a female; and of goats (read ma`az or ma`z) two. Say, O Muhammad (s) to those who on one occasion deem male cattle forbidden, and on another, the females thereof, and then ascribe such [rules] to God; `Is it the two males, of the sheep and goats, He has forbidden, you, or the two females, of these two [types], or that which the wombs of the two females contain, be they male or female? Inform Me with knowledge, of the details of such prohibitions, if you speak truly', in this [matter], meaning; on what basis has the prohibition been made? If it is on the basis of maleness, then all males are forbidden; if on the basis of femaleness, then all females are so [forbidden]; if on what the womb may contain, then both genders are prohibited. So, on what basis are such specifications made? (the interrogative is meant as a repudiation).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

These Ayat demonstrate the ignorance of the Arabs before Islam

Allah says;

ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ مِّنَ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْمَعْزِ اثْنَيْنِ قُلْ الذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ الاُنثَيَيْنِ

Eight pairs;of the sheep two (male and female), and of the goats two (male and female). Say;"Has He forbidden the two males or the two females,

They used to prohibit the usage of some of their cattle and designate them as Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah and Ham etc. These were some of the innovations they invented for cattle, fruits and produce. Allah stated that He has created gardens, trellised and untrellised, and cattle, as animals of burden and as Farsh.

Allah next mentioned various kinds of cattle, male and female, such as sheep and goats. He also created male and female camels and the same with cows. Allah did not prohibit any of these cattle or their offspring. Rather, they all were created for the sons of Adam as a source for food, transportation, work, milk, and other benefits, which are many.

Allah said,

وَأَنزَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الاٌّنْعَـمِ ثَمَـنِيَةَ أَزْوَجٍ

And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs... (39;6)

Allah said;

أَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ الاُنثَيَيْنِ
or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose...

This refutes the idolators' statement,
مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَـذِهِ الَانْعَامِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَى أَزْوَاجِنَا
(What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females). (6;139)

Allah said,

نَبِّوُونِي بِعِلْمٍ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ



Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.

meaning, tell me with sure knowledge, how and when did Allah prohibit what you claimed is prohibited, such as the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah and Ham etc.

Al-Awfi said that Ibn Abbas said, "Allah's statement,
ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ مِّنَ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْمَعْزِ اثْنَيْنِ
(Eight pairs;of the sheep two, and of the goats two...),

these are four pairs,

قُلْ الذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ الاُنثَيَيْنِ

Say;"Has He forbidden the two males or the two females..."

I (Allah) did not prohibit any of these.

أَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ الاُنثَيَيْنِ

or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose,

and does the womb produce but males and females! So why do you prohibit some and allow some others!

نَبِّوُونِي بِعِلْمٍ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ



Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.

Allah is saying that all of this is allowed."

Allah said