سورة الحج

The Imams (peace be upon them): It is narrated that the custom of the people of Jahiliyya was that when they sacrificed a camel, they would smear its blood [as a mark of veneration and respect] on the wall of the Ka'ba; when the Muslims performed Hajj, they wished to repeat the same act, whereupon this verse was revealed [and forbade them from doing so].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): What is the reason for [the great emphasis on] offering a sacrifice? The Imam said: "At the moment the first drop of the sacrifice's blood falls on the ground, the sins of the one offering the sacrifice are forgiven, and by this act, the one who has taqwa (Allah-consciousness) of Allah even in secret is made known. Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: لَنْ یَنالَ اللهَ لُحُومُها وَ لا دِماؤُها وَ لکِنْ یَنالُهُ التَّقْوی مِنْکُمْ [There does not reach Allah their flesh nor their blood, but to Him is acceptable the guarding (against evil) on your part]." Then the Imam said [in confirmation of this]: "See how Allah accepted the offering of Habil [who was among the pious] and did not accept the offering of Qabil."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) was asked: "What is the smallest deed that admits a person into Hellfire?" The Imam said: "That he consumes [unlawfully] a single dirham of an orphan's wealth; and we [the Ahl al-Bayt] too are orphans... So whoever gains any benefit through these avenues (trade, inheritance, etc.) is obliged to pay one-fifth of it (as khums). If he does so, he has discharged the divine obligation that was upon him and has secured an increase in his wealth for himself, and the remainder of his wealth becomes lawful and wholesome for him; and surely, Allah is more able to fulfil His promise to His servants regarding the increase of their wealth and freeing them from miserliness than that a person should, by being miserly [and withholding his financial obligations such as khums], seek to make himself self-sufficient and wealthy by polluting his wealth with the unlawful [by not giving the right of the infallible Imam (peace be upon him)]. Rather, such a person has in truth lost both this world and the Hereafter, and that is the manifest loss. Since it is so, be conscious of Allah and pay the right of Allah from what is in your possession, so that Allah may place blessing in what remains of it and your wealth may increase, for surely Allah is free of need and we (human beings) are needy; and Allah has said: لَنْ یَنالَ اللهَ لُحُومُها وَ لا دِماؤُها وَ لکِنْ یَنالُهُ التَّقْوی مِنْکُمْ [There does not reach Allah their flesh nor their blood, but to Him is acceptable the guarding (against evil) on your part]. As much as you can, do not abandon seeking nearness to Allah the Mighty and Majestic through wealth, whether little or much, and by this act, get ahead of [adverse] events [prevent them], and beware of the consequences of postponing this religious command (paying the right of Allah), for indeed the cause of destruction of those from past nations who perished was precisely this [that they did not pay the right of Allah]; and [know that] deliverance from difficulties lies only in the shade of reliance upon Allah."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): لَنْ یَنالَ اللهَ لُحُومُها وَ لا دِماؤُها وَ لکِنْ یَنالُهُ التَّقْوی مِنْکُمْ [There does not reach Allah their flesh nor their blood, but to Him is acceptable the guarding (against evil) on your part]; that is, if the one who offers the sacrifice is not among the people of taqwa and piety, his sacrifice will not reach [the presence of] Allah, and Allah accepts only from the pious.

The Imams (peace be upon them): It is thus narrated that one of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them), regarding this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic [where He says:] "and that you may magnify Allah because He has guided you aright" (Baqarah/185), said: "[The reality of] takbir is exalting Allah, and what is meant by guidance is [directing and guiding people to] the wilayah [of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)]."

Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) — in a letter he wrote refuting the belief of those who hold to jabr (that is, that we creatures have no will or choice and are compelled in our actions) and [or] tafwid (that is, the absolute delegation of affairs to human beings without any consideration of Allah's will), and to establish the justice of Allah and [the true position, namely] al-amr bayn al-amrayn (that is, neither jabr nor tafwid — meaning that man is neither compelled and without choice in his conduct, nor is he wholly independent with Allah's will playing no part in his behaviour) — said: "...So the first blessing that Allah bestowed upon man is the soundness of his intellect and his preference over many of the other creatures through the perfection of intellect and the clarity of expression. That is because the endurance and development of every moving creature on the face of the earth is by the light of its senses and perceptions. So Allah preferred the race of Adam through the power of speech, which is not found in the other creatures we can perceive through our senses. And it is through this very power of expression that Allah has set him over the other creatures, to the point that man commands and forbids and they are subject to his command — as Allah said: كَذلِكَ سَخَّرَها لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللهَ عَلى ما هَداكُمْ [Thus has He made them subservient to you, that you may magnify Allah because He has guided you]. And He said: وَ هُوَ الَّذي سَخَّرَ الْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ لَحْماً طَرِيًّا وَ تَسْتَخْرِجُوا مِنْهُ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَها [He is the One who made the sea subservient (to you) that you may eat from it fresh flesh and bring forth from it ornaments (such as pearls) which you wear] (Nahl/14). And He said: وَ الْأَنْعامَ خَلَقَها لَكُمْ فِيها دِفْءٌ وَ مَنافِعُ وَ مِنْها تَأْكُلُونَ * وَ لَكُمْ فِيها جَمالٌ حِينَ تُرِيحُونَ وَ حِينَ تَسْرَحُونَ * وَ تَحْمِلُ أَثْقالَكُمْ إِلى بَلَدٍ لَمْ تَكُونُوا بالِغِيهِ إِلاَّ بِشِقِّ الْأَنْفُسِ [And He created the cattle — in them for you is a means of warmth and (other) benefits, and of them you eat. And for you in them is beauty when you drive them home (in the evening) and when you send them out (in the morning to pasture). And they carry your heavy loads to a land you could not reach except with great hardship of yourselves] (Nahl/75)."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ بَشِّرِ الْمُحْسِنينَ [And give good news to those who do good]; that is, [give good news to] the monotheists.