سورة الحج

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): What is meant by فَاذْکُرُوا اسْمَ اللهِ عَلَیْها [so mention the name of Allah over them] is pronouncing the name of Allah when sacrificing a camel, cow, or sheep, and the minimum is that you say "Bismillah"; and at the time of slaughtering the sacrificial animal and cutting the throat of the camel it is recommended (mustahabb) that you say: "I have turned my face with sincerity toward the One who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not among the polytheists" (al-An'am/79). "Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. * He has no partner. Thus I have been commanded, and I am among the first of the Muslims" (al-An'am/162–163). O Allah! "Bismillah" — from You and for You.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan narrated that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said concerning the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic فَاذْکُرُوا اسْمَ اللهِ عَلَیْهَا صَوَافَّ [so mention the name of Allah over them as they stand in a row]: "That is when the sacrificial camels are lined up in a row for their throats to be cut, and they are tied from the hoof up to the knees of their forelegs; and what is meant by وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُها [when their sides fall] is when they fall [lifeless] to the ground."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): What is meant by صَوَافُّ is the lining up of the sacrificial camels at the time they are drawn up in a row at the place of slaughter; while their legs are tied with a rope and they are standing on three legs, their throats are cut... And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) too cut the throat of his sacrificial camel while it was standing; but sheep and cattle are laid down on the ground and slaughtered.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): فَاذْکُرُوا اسْمَ اللهِ عَلَیْها صَوافَّ [So mention the name of Allah on them as they stand in a row]; the sacrificial camels have their throats cut while they are standing.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): صَوافَّ; that is, while the sacrificial camels, according to the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) [in performing the sacrifice], are standing and their legs have been tied.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): فَاذْکُرُوا اسْمَ اللهِ عَلَیْها [So mention the name of Allah on them]... the meaning of mentioning the name of Allah is that the one performing the sacrifice should say: "اللَّه اکبر، لا اله الّا اللَّه و اللَّه اکبر [Allah is the Greatest, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest]; O Allah, this sacrifice is from You and is sacrificed for You [as well]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): فَإِذا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُها [And when their sides fall]; that is, when the sacrificial camel has fallen to the ground.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): فَإِذا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُها [And when their sides fall]; when it became clear and they fell on their sides, Allah says: فَکُلُوا مِنْها وَ أَطْعِمُوا الْقانِعَ وَ الْمُعْتَرَّ [Then eat of them and feed the contented one and the beggar].

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Asbat narrates from one of the freed slaves of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), who said: "I saw Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) call for a camel and sacrifice it. When the butchers hamstrung the camel and it fell to the ground and they cut open some part of its hump, the Imam said: 'Cut up [the meat of] the camel into pieces, eat from it, and feed [others] as well, for Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَکُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا [then when they fall down on their sides, eat of them and feed others].'"

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): فَإِذا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُها [then when they fall down on their sides] — meaning, when the sacrificial camel falls to the ground, فَکُلُوا مِنْها [then eat of them].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is fitting that one who offers a sacrifice — whether it is recommended or obligatory (such as the sacrifice in the Hajj rites) — should eat from the meat of his sacrifice, and then give [from its meat] in charity.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): There are four instructions from Allah the Exalted that are not obligatory (meaning acting on them is not required). One is this saying of Allah [where He said]: "[With slaves who wish to make a contract for their freedom] make a contract if you perceive good [i.e. the capability of independent life] in them." (Nur/33) So whoever wishes may make a contract of freedom with his slave, and whoever wishes may leave this instruction aside and not make such a contract. Another is this saying of Allah [where He said]: "And when you come out of ihram, then hunt." (Ma'idah/2) So whoever comes out of ihram may hunt if he wishes, and if he wishes he may leave this instruction aside and not hunt. Another is this saying of Allah [where He said]: فَإِذا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُها فَکُلُوا مِنْها [then when they fall down on their sides, eat of them]; so when the pilgrim sacrifices an animal, if he wishes he may eat from [the meat of] his sacrifice, and if he wishes he may refrain. And another is this saying of Allah [where He said]: "And when the prayer is ended, disperse in the land." (Jumu'ah/10) — so whoever wishes may disperse, and whoever wishes to sit in the mosque may sit.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Safwan ibn Yahya al-Azraq said: I asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): "Is there any harm if someone gives his sacrifice to a person to skin it, and in return gives him the skin of the sacrifice?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "There is no harm in it. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: فَکُلُوا مِنْها وَ أَطْعِمُوا [eat of them and feed others]; and the skin is neither eaten nor fed to another."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): A person may give the recommended sacrifice to someone who will skin it and, in return, give the skin of the sacrifice to him, because Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: فَکُلُوا مِنْها وَ أَطْعِمُوا [then eat of them and feed]; and the skin of the animal is neither edible nor can it be fed to others; but doing this in the case of an obligatory sacrifice is not correct (rather, its skin must also be given as charity).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic [who says:] فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَکُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرّ [then when they fall down eat of them and feed the qani' (contented) and the mu'tarr (beggar)]; Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "By 'qani' (the contented) is meant the needy one who is satisfied with what you give him; 'mu'tarr' (the one who presents himself) is the needy one who places himself in your view [so that you may give him something]; 'sa'il' (the beggar) is the needy one who begs from you with his hands; and 'ba'is' is the destitute one."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): 'Qani' (the contented) is the one who is content with his income, and 'mu'tarr' is the one who, by asking, expresses his need.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'Qani' is the needy one who is satisfied with what you give him and does not become angry, does not frown, and does not twist his mouth out of anger; and 'mu'tarr' is the one who passes by you so that [you may glance at him and] give him some food.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Do not pluck the fruit of your garden at night, do not harvest your crop at night, do not slaughter your sacrifice at night, and do not sow seeds at night; for if you do so, the qani' and the mu'tarr will not come to you [so that you may give them their due]." I asked: "Who are the qani' and the mu'tarr?" He said: "Qani' is the needy one who is satisfied with what you give him, and mu'tarr is the one who comes as a passer-by and asks you for help."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Whenever you sacrifice an animal, eat from it yourself and feed others as well; as Allah the Exalted has said: فَکُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرّ [then eat of them and feed the poor man who is contented and the beggar].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The meaning of "qani'" is the needy person who asks you so that you may help him, and "mu'tarr" is the needy person who presents himself before you but does not ask for help.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sayf al-Tammar said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Sa'id ibn Abd al-Malik had come for Hajj when he met my father (peace be upon him) and asked him: 'I have brought a sacrifice with me; what shall I do with it?' My father said to him: 'Give one third of the sacrifice's meat to your family, one third to the qani', and the other third to the poor (miskin).' I asked: 'Is the miskin the one who begs?' He said: 'Yes; and the "qani'" is the needy person who is content with whatever you send him, be it a piece of meat or more; and the "mu'tarr" is the needy person who presents himself before you but does not ask you for help.'"

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): The "qani'" is the needy person who is content with whatever is given to him, and the "mu'tarr" is the needy person who goes to people's doors [seeking help].