سورة الأنعام

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Dawud al-Raqqi said: One of the Khawarij asked me about these verses: "and of the camels a pair and of the cows a pair [He created for you]" (Baqarah/144). [He asked] what has Allah made lawful and what has He made unlawful of these? I had no answer for them. In the year I was on Hajj, I came to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and told him the matter. He said: "and of the camels a pair and of the cows a pair [He created for you]" (Baqarah/144). Allah the Exalted, at the time of sacrifice at Mina, has made lawful the domestic sheep and goat, and has forbidden the sacrifice of the mountain sheep and goat. As for [regarding] this word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: "and of the camels a pair and of the cows a pair [He created for you]" (Baqarah/144), [it must be said]: Allah the Blessed and Exalted, at the time of sacrifice, has made lawful the pure-bred [Arabian] camels and has forbidden the non-pure-bred, and has permitted the domestic cows for sacrifice and has forbidden the mountain cows. So I went off to that man and gave him this answer. He said: "This is something [an answer] that the camels have brought from the Hijaz."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): These are the animals which Allah has made lawful in His Book in this verse: وَ أَنزَلَ لَکُم مِّنْ الْأَنْعَامِ ثَمَانِیَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ [And He sent down to you of the cattle eight in pairs]. Then in this verse He has explained and said thus: "and of the camels a pair, and of the cows a pair [He created for you]" (Baqarah/144). The word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: مِّنَ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَیْنِ [of sheep two]; what is meant is the domestic and the mountain. وَ مِنَ المَعْزِ اثْنَیْن [and of goats two]; what is meant is the domestic and the wild mountain. وَ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَیْنِ [and of cows two], meaning the domestic and the wild mountain. وَ مِنَ الإِبْلِ اثْنَیْنِ [and of camels two]; meaning the non-pure-bred and the pure-bred. So Allah has made these [kinds of animals] lawful.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): مِنَ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَیْنِ [of sheep two] — what is meant is the domestic and the mountain. وَ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ اثْنَیْنِ [and of goats two] — what is meant is the domestic and the wild mountain. وَ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَیْنِ [and of cows two]; what is meant is the domestic and the wild mountain. وَ مِنَ الإِبْلِ اثْنَیْنِ [and of camels two]; what is meant is the Khurasani and Arabian camels. Allah made these lawful.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Nuh (peace be upon him) carried in the ark the eight pairs about which Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: ثَمَانِیَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ مِّنَ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَیْنِ وَ مِنَ المَعْزِ اثْنَیْنِ، وَ مِنَ الإِبْلِ اثْنَیْنِ وَ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَیْنِ [Eight in pairs — two of sheep and two of goats, and two of camels and two of cows]. From the sheep he took two pairs: the domestic pair which people raise, and the other pair, which was the wild sheep (wild rams) that live in the mountains, and Allah has made hunting them lawful. From the goats he took two pairs: the domestic pair which people raise, and the other pair, which was the gazelles that live in the deserts. From the camels, two pairs: the Khurasani camels and the Arabian camels. From the cows, two pairs: the domestic pair which people raise, and the other pair, the wild cows. And every wholesome bird, whether wild or domestic. Then the earth was drowned in water.