Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:143

(Eight pairs) The term zawj (pair) is used for each of the two counterparts, whether male or female, among paired animals; it is also used for the collective sum of both. The intended meaning here is the former, otherwise, there would only be four. Presenting them under this title and this number is more appropriate for the discourse that has preceded. "Eight," according to al-Farra’—a view chosen by more than one researcher—is an appositive (badal) to "beasts of burden and animals for slaughter" (hamulatan wa farshan), and it is in the accusative case, governed by the same verb that governs them. This is clear if one interprets "beasts of burden and animals for slaughter" as inclusive of the eight pairs. However, if one restricts that term to camels, the connection remains obscure.

It is also possible that the estimation is "And He created eight pairs," making it a conjunction to "gardens," with the verb and the particle of conjunction omitted, though Abu al-Baqa’ deemed this weak, and the orientation of it is not hidden. It may also be an object for "Eat" which preceded it, with the estimation being: "Eat the meat of eight pairs."

(And do not follow) is a parenthetical sentence. It may also be an accusative state (hal) of "what," where "what" refers to the livestock, interpreted as "differing" or "multiple," to serve as an explanation of their state. For those who require the hal to be a derivative or interpreted as one, this is clear. Shaykh al-Islam countered this by stating that the eloquence of the noble arrangement rejects it, for it is clearly driven toward clarifying the state of the livestock by first detailing them into beasts of burden and animals for slaughter, then detailing them into eight pairs, derived from the detail of the former into camels and cattle, and the detail of the latter into sheep and goats, then detailing each of the four categories into male and female. All of this is to examine the subjects regarding which they falsely attributed the legalization and prohibition to Him, Exalted is He, and then to rebuke them by exposing their lies and fabrications regarding each of those subjects by directing the denial to them in detail. This concludes his statement, though in it is a manifest prohibition.

His saying, Exalted is He, (Of the sheep, two) means two pairs: the ram and the ewe. As for "two," it is said: it is an appositive (badal) to "eight pairs," either as a part of a whole or as a whole of a whole, if the conjunction to it is observed as being in the accusative case governed by its governor, and the prepositional phrase is connected to it.

The second scholar said: The apparent meaning is that "of the sheep" is an appositive to "the livestock," and "two" is an appositive to "beasts of burden and animals for slaughter," or to "eight pairs," if we allow an appositive to have an appositive. It is also possible that "two" is a hal from the indefinite noun that preceded it. It was also read as (ithnan), as a subject (mubtada) whose predicate is the prepositional phrase, with the sentence being explanatory and having no place in inflection.

Al-da’n (sheep) is a generic noun, like al-ibil (camels), being the plural of da’in (like amir and abid) or the plural of da’in (like tajir and tujar). It was also read with a fatha on the hamza, which is a dialectal variation.

(And of the goats, two) the he-goat and the she-goat. Ibn Kathir, Abu ‘Amr, Ya’qub, and Ibn ‘Amir read it with a fatha on the ‘ayn (ma’az), which is the plural of ma’iz (like sahib and sahb, or haris and hars). Ubayy read it as al-ma’za, which is a collective noun for goats.

These four pairs, according to what Shaykh al-Islam chose, are a detail of the "animals for slaughter." He said: Perhaps they were presented first in the detail—despite their origin being late in the summary—because these two types are the ones most prone to consumption, which is the majority of what pertains to legality and prohibition. This is the secret behind limiting the command to it in His saying, "Eat from what Allah has provided for you," without addressing the utilization of carrying and riding and other things they prohibited in the sa’ibah and its peers. Others among the people attributed the priority to the nobility of sheep, and for this reason, the prophets, upon them be peace, tended them. However, that does not suit the context, as is not hidden.

(Say) as a rebuke to them and an exposure of their inability to answer: (Are the two males) the male of the sheep and the male of the goat (has He forbidden, or the two females) meaning the females of those two categories? The males and the females are in the accusative case due to "forbidden." (Or that which the wombs of the two females contain) meaning: or that which the females of the two types carried, whether it be male or female.

(Inform me with knowledge) meaning: tell me of a matter known from His side, Exalted is He, which the prophets, upon them be peace, brought, indicating that He, Exalted is He, has forbidden anything of what you mentioned; or inform me with evidence clothed in knowledge, emanating from Him (if you are truthful) in your claim of prohibition regarding Him, Exalted is He. The command is an emphasis on the rebuke and the exposure of their desperation.