سُوْرَةُ الْحَجِّ
Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 28
لِّيَشْهَدُوا۟ مَنَـٰفِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْبَآئِسَ ٱلْفَقِيرَ ﴿28﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade), and mention the Name of Allâh on appointed days (i.e. 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah), over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice), [at the time of their slaughtering by saying: (Bismillah, Wallâhu-Akbar, Allâhumma Minka wa Ilaik).] Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor having a hard time.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لِّيَشْهَدُوا۟
liyashhadū
That they may witness
مَنَـٰفِعَ
manāfiʿa
benefits
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
وَيَذْكُرُوا۟
wayadhkurū
and mention
ٱسْمَ
is'ma
(the) name
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
فِىٓ
fī
on
أَيَّامٍۢ
ayyāmin
days
مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ
maʿlūmātin
known
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
مَا
mā
what
رَزَقَهُم
razaqahum
He has provided them
مِّنۢ
min
of
بَهِيمَةِ
bahīmati
(the) beast
ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۖ
l-anʿāmi
(of) cattle
فَكُلُوا۟
fakulū
So eat
مِنْهَا
min'hā
of them
وَأَطْعِمُوا۟
wa-aṭʿimū
and feed
ٱلْبَآئِسَ
l-bāisa
the miserable
ٱلْفَقِيرَ
l-faqīra
the poor
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
28. So that they may witness the benefits [37] appointed for them, and mention the name of Allah over the livestock He has provided for them during the appointed days [38]. Then eat from them yourselves [39], and feed the needy and the poor [40].
[37]
The Benefits and Blessings of Hajj:
These benefits are not only religious, but from this gathering of Hajj, various types of political, economic, financial, and social benefits are also obtained. And all Muslims are provided with a central point of unity. It was the blessing of Hajj that the Quraysh of Makkah, who were the custodians of the House of Allah, enjoyed a distinguished status throughout Arabia. And it was the blessing of Hajj that even in the era of looting and plundering, at least for four months, people could travel in peace and security. It was the blessing of Hajj that Makkah became a global commercial market. Although outsiders also benefited considerably from this trade, the greatest benefit was received by the people of Makkah themselves. And it is the blessing of Hajj that a voice raised from here would reach every corner of the world.
[38] Some scholars have interpreted the "known days" as the days from the 1st to the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah. However, this is in the case where the remembrance of Allah is understood in a general sense. And if taking the name of Allah is understood to be related to the sacrificial animals, then according to some, it refers to the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah and the two days after it. And according to others, it is three days, meaning until the Asr of the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah; according to them, sacrifice is permissible until then. "Baha'im al-An'am" refers to camels, cows, sheep, goats, etc., which are sacrificed, and they will only be lawful if the name of Allah is mentioned at the time of slaughter. If the name of anyone other than Allah is mentioned, or if the name of Allah is deliberately omitted, then eating such slaughtered animals will not be lawful or permissible. And if one forgets to mention the name of Allah at the time of slaughter, the sacrifice will still be valid and lawful; whenever one remembers, the name of Allah should be mentioned at that time. Although several supplications are narrated for the time of slaughter, the shortest words that can be said at the time of sacrifice are: ﴿بسم الله الله اكبر﴾
[39]
Those Practices Considered Good in the Age of Ignorance but Corrected by Islam:
In the age of ignorance, there were many practices that were performed considering them to be good deeds and acts of virtue, but Islam corrected them. For example, not engaging in trade during the journey of Hajj, traveling on foot, not riding the sacrificial animal even in difficulty, entering the house from the back upon returning from the journey, performing Tawaf naked, not considering the Tawaf of Safa and Marwah as good, not considering the stay at Arafat as necessary. Among such practices was also the notion that they would not eat anything from the meat of the sacrifice themselves. Allah Almighty removed their misunderstanding by saying these words.
[40]
Distribution of Sacrificial Meat:
This does not mean that wealthy people cannot eat from the sacrificial meat at all. Rather, it means that the needy, the poor, and the destitute must be included. And the meaning of eating oneself is not that it is absolutely necessary to eat from it, but that there is no harm in eating the sacrificial meat oneself. In this regard, the statement of Abdullah bin Umar ؓ is that keep one portion for yourself, distribute one portion among your neighbors and relatives, and one portion among the poor and needy. But it is not necessary that these three portions be equal; rather, they can be increased or decreased as needed, and it is better to keep less than a third for oneself and more than a third for the poor.
[37]
The Benefits and Blessings of Hajj:
These benefits are not only religious, but from this gathering of Hajj, various types of political, economic, financial, and social benefits are also obtained. And all Muslims are provided with a central point of unity. It was the blessing of Hajj that the Quraysh of Makkah, who were the custodians of the House of Allah, enjoyed a distinguished status throughout Arabia. And it was the blessing of Hajj that even in the era of looting and plundering, at least for four months, people could travel in peace and security. It was the blessing of Hajj that Makkah became a global commercial market. Although outsiders also benefited considerably from this trade, the greatest benefit was received by the people of Makkah themselves. And it is the blessing of Hajj that a voice raised from here would reach every corner of the world.
[38] Some scholars have interpreted the "known days" as the days from the 1st to the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah. However, this is in the case where the remembrance of Allah is understood in a general sense. And if taking the name of Allah is understood to be related to the sacrificial animals, then according to some, it refers to the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah and the two days after it. And according to others, it is three days, meaning until the Asr of the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah; according to them, sacrifice is permissible until then. "Baha'im al-An'am" refers to camels, cows, sheep, goats, etc., which are sacrificed, and they will only be lawful if the name of Allah is mentioned at the time of slaughter. If the name of anyone other than Allah is mentioned, or if the name of Allah is deliberately omitted, then eating such slaughtered animals will not be lawful or permissible. And if one forgets to mention the name of Allah at the time of slaughter, the sacrifice will still be valid and lawful; whenever one remembers, the name of Allah should be mentioned at that time. Although several supplications are narrated for the time of slaughter, the shortest words that can be said at the time of sacrifice are: ﴿بسم الله الله اكبر﴾
[39]
Those Practices Considered Good in the Age of Ignorance but Corrected by Islam:
In the age of ignorance, there were many practices that were performed considering them to be good deeds and acts of virtue, but Islam corrected them. For example, not engaging in trade during the journey of Hajj, traveling on foot, not riding the sacrificial animal even in difficulty, entering the house from the back upon returning from the journey, performing Tawaf naked, not considering the Tawaf of Safa and Marwah as good, not considering the stay at Arafat as necessary. Among such practices was also the notion that they would not eat anything from the meat of the sacrifice themselves. Allah Almighty removed their misunderstanding by saying these words.
[40]
Distribution of Sacrificial Meat:
This does not mean that wealthy people cannot eat from the sacrificial meat at all. Rather, it means that the needy, the poor, and the destitute must be included. And the meaning of eating oneself is not that it is absolutely necessary to eat from it, but that there is no harm in eating the sacrificial meat oneself. In this regard, the statement of Abdullah bin Umar ؓ is that keep one portion for yourself, distribute one portion among your neighbors and relatives, and one portion among the poor and needy. But it is not necessary that these three portions be equal; rather, they can be increased or decreased as needed, and it is better to keep less than a third for oneself and more than a third for the poor.
