Aslam

The Sealed Nectar Sign in to save

Religions of the Arabs — page 23

"Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which All? ’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal)." [Al- Qur'an 6:121] 4. Consecration of certain portions of food, drink, cattle, and crops to idols. Surprisingly enough, portions were also consecrated to All? Himself, but people often found reasons to transfer parts of All? ’s portion to idols, but never did the opposite. To this effect, the Qur’? ic verses go:

"And they assign to All? a share of the tilth and cattle which He has created, and they say: ‘This is for All? according to their pretending, and this is for our (All? ’s so-called) partners.’ But the share of their (All? ’s so- called) ‘partners’, reaches not All? , while the share of All? reaches their (All? ’s so-called) ‘partners’. Evil is the way they judge." [Al-Qur'an 6:136]

5. Currying favours with these idols through votive offerings of crops and cattle, to which effect, the Qur’? goes:

"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 All? is not pronounced; lying against Him (All? )." [Al-Qur'an 6:138]

6. Dedication of certain animals (such as Bahira, Sa’iba, Wasila and Hami) to idols, which meant sparing such animals from useful work for the sake of these heathen gods. Bahira, as reported by the well-known historian, Ibn Ishaq, was daughter of Sa’iba which was a female camel that gave birth to ten successive female animals, but no male ones, was set free and forbidden to yoke, burden or being sheared off its wool, or milked (but for guests to drink from); and so was done to all her female offspring which were given the name ‘Bahira’, after having their ears slit. The Wasila was a female sheep which had ten successive female daughters in five pregnancies. Any new births from this Wasila were assigned only for male people. The Hami was a male camel which produced ten progressive females, and was thus similarly forbidden. In mention of this, the Qur’? ic verses go:

"All? has not instituted things like Bahira ( a she-camel whose milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it) or a Sa’iba (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 Wasila (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 H? (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 All? , and most of them have no understanding." [Al-Qur'an 5:103]

All? also says:

The Sealed Nectar · Safiur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri · Translation: Issam Diab · Dar-us-Salam. PDF page 23. Source edition