سُوْرَةُ الْحَجِّ
Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 36
وَٱلْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَـٰهَا لَكُم مِّن شَعَـٰٓئِرِ ٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَآفَّ ۖ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْقَانِعَ وَٱلْمُعْتَرَّ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرْنَـٰهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿36﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And the Budn (cows, oxen, or camels driven to be offered as sacrifices by the pilgrims at the sanctuary of Makkah) We have made them for you as among the Symbols of Allâh, wherein you have much good. So mention the Name of Allâh over them when they are drawn up in lines (for sacrifice). Then, when they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat thereof, and feed the poor who does not ask (men), and the beggar who asks (men). Thus have We made them subject to you that you may be grateful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلْبُدْنَ
wal-bud'na
And the camels and cattle
جَعَلْنَـٰهَا
jaʿalnāhā
We have made them
لَكُم
lakum
for you
مِّن
min
among
شَعَـٰٓئِرِ
shaʿāiri
(the) Symbols
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
فِيهَا
fīhā
therein
خَيْرٌۭ ۖ
khayrun
(is) good
فَٱذْكُرُوا۟
fa-udh'kurū
So mention
ٱسْمَ
is'ma
(the) name
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
عَلَيْهَا
ʿalayhā
over them
صَوَآفَّ ۖ
ṣawāffa
(when) lined up
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
and when
وَجَبَتْ
wajabat
are down
جُنُوبُهَا
junūbuhā
their sides
فَكُلُوا۟
fakulū
then eat
مِنْهَا
min'hā
from them
وَأَطْعِمُوا۟
wa-aṭʿimū
and feed
ٱلْقَانِعَ
l-qāniʿa
the needy who do not ask
وَٱلْمُعْتَرَّ ۚ
wal-muʿ'tara
and the needy who ask
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
سَخَّرْنَـٰهَا
sakharnāhā
We have subjected them
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ
tashkurūna
be grateful
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
36. 1. Badan is the plural of badnah; this animal is generally fat and healthy, hence it is called badnah. A fattened animal. The linguists have restricted it only to camels, but according to hadith, applying badnah to cows is also Sahih. The meaning is that camels and cows taken for sacrifice are also among the symbols of Allah, that is, among those commands of Allah which are specific to Muslims and are their distinguishing marks.
3. Sawaf means musaffafah (lined up, i.e., standing in rows). The camel is slaughtered while standing in such a way that its left foreleg is tied and it stands on three legs.
36. 2. That is, let all the blood flow out and let it fall lifeless to the ground, then begin to cut it. Because it is forbidden to eat the meat of a living animal; if meat is cut from an animal while it is alive, that (cut) meat is considered dead.
36. 3. According to some scholars, this command is for obligation, i.e., eating the sacrificial meat is obligatory for the one who offers the sacrifice, meaning it is necessary. According to most scholars, this command is for permissibility, i.e., the purpose of this command is only to establish permissibility, meaning if it is eaten, it is permissible or preferred, and if someone does not eat it but distributes all of it, there is no sin.
3. One meaning of qani‘ is the one who asks (beggar), and another meaning is the one who is content, i.e., who does not ask. The meaning of mu‘tar, according to some, is the one who comes forward without asking, and thirdly, for the beggars and the needy of society. In support of this, the hadith is also presented in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I had previously forbidden you from storing sacrificial meat for more than three days, but now I permit you to eat and store whatever you find appropriate. In another narration, the words are: So eat...
3. Sawaf means musaffafah (lined up, i.e., standing in rows). The camel is slaughtered while standing in such a way that its left foreleg is tied and it stands on three legs.
36. 2. That is, let all the blood flow out and let it fall lifeless to the ground, then begin to cut it. Because it is forbidden to eat the meat of a living animal; if meat is cut from an animal while it is alive, that (cut) meat is considered dead.
36. 3. According to some scholars, this command is for obligation, i.e., eating the sacrificial meat is obligatory for the one who offers the sacrifice, meaning it is necessary. According to most scholars, this command is for permissibility, i.e., the purpose of this command is only to establish permissibility, meaning if it is eaten, it is permissible or preferred, and if someone does not eat it but distributes all of it, there is no sin.
3. One meaning of qani‘ is the one who asks (beggar), and another meaning is the one who is content, i.e., who does not ask. The meaning of mu‘tar, according to some, is the one who comes forward without asking, and thirdly, for the beggars and the needy of society. In support of this, the hadith is also presented in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I had previously forbidden you from storing sacrificial meat for more than three days, but now I permit you to eat and store whatever you find appropriate. In another narration, the words are: So eat...
