Juz 8: Al-Anʿām 111 to Al-Aʿrāf 87
Section 6 of 16 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
8. Divine Bounties and Foolishness of Pre-Islamic Customs
The pre-Islamic Arabs engaged in numerous irrational practices concerning animals and agricultural produce, which Allah (swt) addresses and corrects in these verses. These customs were rooted in ignorance (jahiliyyah), as they had been deprived of prophetic guidance for over five hundred years.
وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُوا هَٰذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَٰذَا لِشُرَكَائِنَا
“And they assign a portion to Allah from the tillage and the cattle created by Him, and then say, "This is for Allah" - so they claim - "and this is for our associate-gods.”
The polytheists would designate portions of their crops and livestock, claiming some were for Allah and others for their false deities. In their distorted practice, what they assigned to their idols would never be given for Allah's cause, but what they had designated for Allah could be diverted to their idols. This revealed their true priorities—the idols received preference while Allah's share was neglected.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٍ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قَتْلَ أَوْلَادِهِمْ شُرَكَاؤُهُمْ لِيُرْدُوهُمْ وَلِيَلْبِسُوا عَلَيْهِمْ دِينَهُمْ
“And thus their associate-gods have made the killing of their children seem fair to many mushriks, so that they may ruin them and may confuse their faith for them.”
Another abhorrent practice was female infanticide. The pre-Islamic Arabs would bury their daughters alive out of fear of poverty and concerns about tribal honor. This horrific custom was one that Islam explicitly abolished, recognizing it as one of the most reprehensible manifestations of jahiliyyah. Allah's declaration that He provides sustenance for both parent and child directly addresses and eliminates the economic justification for such barbarism.
The polytheists also devised arbitrary rules regarding livestock. They would say:
وَقَالُوا هَٰذِهِ أَنْعَامٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ لَّا يَطْعَمُهَا إِلَّا مَن نَّشَاءُ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَأَنْعَامٌ حُرِّمَتْ ظُهُورُهَا
“And they say, "These cattle and crops are reserved; none can eat them except whom we wish"- so they claim - "and there are cattle whose backs are prohibited (for riding or loading).”
They would designate certain animals as sacred, forbidding anyone except those they deemed worthy from consuming them. They would also prohibit riding or loading certain animals, claiming religious sanctity. These restrictions had no divine origin but were invented traditions that served the interests of tribal leaders.
Regarding pregnant animals, they established another baseless rule:
وَقَالُوا مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَٰذِهِ الْأَنْعَامِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِنَا ۖ وَإِن يَكُن مَّيْتَةً فَهُم.
“They say, “Whatever is in the wombs of these cattle is purely for our males, and forbidden to our wives.” If it be born dead, then all of them share in it. Soon, He will punish them for what they attribute. Surely, He is All-Wise, All-Knowing.” (6:139)