مَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَآئِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ ۙ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ ۖ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ 103
Translations
Allāh has not appointed [such innovations as] baḥīrah or sā’ibah or waṣīlah or ḥām. But those who disbelieve invent falsehood about Allāh, and most of them do not reason.
Transliteration
Mā ja'ala Allāhu min bahīratin wa lā sā'ibatin wa lā wasīlatin wa lā hāmin, wa lākin alladhīna kafarū yaftarūna 'alā Allāhi al-kadhiba wa aktharhum lā ya'qilūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the pre-Islamic Arabian practices of dedicating certain animals to idols through superstitious customs: the bahīrah (slit-eared she-camel), sā'ibah (freed animal), wasīlah (animal born of twins), and hām (stallion camel reserved for idols). Allah emphasizes that He never instituted these practices; rather, they were fabrications of disbelievers who invented lies against Allah. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that these customs were economically harmful and religiously baseless, serving only to enrich the priests while denying sustenance to the poor.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Ma'idah's comprehensive legislation on permissible and impermissible practices. It addresses specific Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic) superstitions that were prevalent among Arab tribes, particularly among the Quraysh and other Arabian communities. The surah contextually follows discussions of lawful food and religious obligations, making this refutation of false religious innovations particularly appropriate.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (5515): Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ūd describing these four categories of animals and how the pre-Islamic Arabs would not benefit from them out of false piety. Also, the hadith in Sunan Ibn Mājah about the Messenger ﷺ abolishing all such superstitious practices upon his mission.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that religious practices must have clear divine authorization, not be based on superstition or cultural tradition. It reminds believers to critically examine inherited customs and reject any practice that contradicts Qur'anic guidance, encouraging reliance on reason illuminated by revelation rather than blind adherence to ancestral practices.