لِّيَشْهَدُوا۟ مَنَـٰفِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْبَآئِسَ ٱلْفَقِيرَ 28
Translations
That they may witness [i.e., attend] benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allāh on known [i.e., specific] days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
Transliteration
Liyashhadoo manāfi'a lahum wa yadhkuroo isma Allāhi fī ayyāmin ma'lūmātin 'alā mā razaqahum min bahīmati al-an'ām, fa-kulū minhā wa aṭ'imū al-bā'isa al-faqīr
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the purpose and benefits of the Hajj pilgrimage and the animal sacrifice ('Eid al-Adha), commanding the believers to witness the benefits of this sacred ritual and remember Allah's name during the designated days (10-13 Dhul-Hijjah) when slaughtering sacrificial animals. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that the 'manāfi'' (benefits) refer to spiritual elevation, forgiveness, and social welfare through charity, while the commandment to eat from the sacrifice and feed the poor reflects Islam's integration of worship with social responsibility.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Madinah as part of the comprehensive regulations for Hajj and its associated rites. It appears within the context of Surah Al-Hajj's detailed instructions on pilgrimage, particularly addressing the practice of animal sacrifice that accompanies the Hajj ceremony and its charitable dimensions.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of days is the Day of 'Arafah,' emphasizing the spiritual significance of the Hajj period. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Mājah records that the Prophet encouraged believers to eat from their sacrifices and gift portions to others, directly reflecting the injunction in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
True worship is not merely individual spiritual exercise but carries communal and social dimensions; believers must couple their remembrance of Allah with practical charity and care for the less fortunate. This ayah teaches that religious rituals gain their complete meaning when combined with compassion, generosity, and social justice.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلْمُنكَرَ ۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۗ قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ ٱلنَّارُ وَعَدَهَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, you recognize in the faces of those who disbelieve disapproval. They are almost on the verge of assaulting those who recite to them Our verses. Say, "Then shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that? [It is] the Fire which Allāh has promised those who disbelieve, and wretched is the destination."
۞ ذَٰلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِۦ ثُمَّ بُغِىَ عَلَيْهِ لَيَنصُرَنَّهُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ
That [is so]. And whoever responds [to injustice] with the equivalent of that with which he was harmed and then is tyrannized - Allāh will surely aid him. Indeed, Allāh is Pardoning and Forgiving.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ ٱلسَّاعَةِ شَىْءٌ عَظِيمٌ
O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُجَـٰدِلُ فِى ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَـٰبٍ مُّنِيرٍ
And of the people is he who disputes about Allāh without knowledge or guidance or an enlightening book [from Him],