وَمِنَ ٱلْإِبِلِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ ٱلْبَقَرِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۗ قُلْ ءَآلذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ أَمَّا ٱشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۖ أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ وَصَّىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا ۚ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا لِّيُضِلَّ ٱلنَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 144
Translations
And of the camels, two and of the cattle, two. Say, "Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when Allāh charged you with this? Then who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allāh to mislead the people by [something] other than knowledge? Indeed, Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people."
Transliteration
Wa mina al-ibil ithnayn wa mina al-baqar ithnayn. Qul a-al-dhakatayn harrama am al-unthatayn amma ishtamalat alayhi arham al-unthatayn? Am kuntum shuhadaa idh wassaakum Allah bi-hadha? Faman azlam mimman iftara ala Allah kathiban li-yudilla al-nasa bighayri ilm? Inna Allah la yahdee al-qawm al-zalimin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah challenges the pagan Arabs' arbitrary prohibition of certain animals (specifically females of camels and cattle) as offerings, which they falsely attributed to Allah without any divine sanction. The ayah uses rhetorical questions to expose the illogic of their claims: they had no knowledge, no revelation, and no witnesses to Allah's command—they were simply fabricating lies. Ibn Kathir notes this was a direct refutation of pre-Islamic Arab customs where they would forbid females of livestock while permitting males, or vice versa, based on superstition rather than divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a broader Meccan passage (6:136-145) where Allah refutes the false religious practices and superstitions of the pagan Quraysh regarding livestock prohibitions. The context addresses how polytheists invented their own religious rules without divine authority, attributing them to Allah. This relates to the surah's overarching theme of exposing shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the invalid bases for religious legislation.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (2858): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The worst type of people are those who fabricate lies about Allah.' This directly relates to the ayah's condemnation of those who invent false prohibitions. Also, Sunan Ibn Majah: The Prophet clarified the permissibility of all livestock for consumption unless specifically prohibited by clear divine command.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that religious laws must be based on divine revelation, not human fabrication or cultural superstition. For modern believers, it serves as a warning against inventing religious restrictions or innovations without clear evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, and emphasizes the grave sin of attributing false claims to Allah.
Related Ayahs
قَدْ جَآءَكُم بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ عَمِىَ فَعَلَيْهَا ۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ
There has come to you enlightenment from your Lord. So whoever will see does so for [the benefit of] his soul, and whoever is blind [does harm] against it. And [say], "I am not a guardian over you."
وَلَا تَطْرُدِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His face [i.e., favor]. Not upon you is anything of their account and not upon them is anything of your account. So were you to send them away, you would [then] be of the wrongdoers.
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ
And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you, [O Muḥammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship that perhaps they might humble themselves [to Us].
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُوقِنِينَ
And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith].