Al-An'am (The Cattle): Verse 136

Translation and Exegesis

[136] And they assigned to Allah a portion of what He has produced, of crops and of cattle, saying, "This is for Allah," according to their claim, and then they assigned to their partners a portion of it. But what was for their partners did not reach Allah, and what was for Allah reached their partners. Evil is what they judge.

[136] And they assigned to Allah a portion of what He has produced...

It is important to note that after Allah (Exalted is He) clarified the ugliness of their method in denying the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment, He immediately followed it by mentioning various types of their foolishness and the weakness of their statements. This serves to highlight the feebleness of their intellects and the paucity of their understanding, and to deter the rational people from paying attention to their words.

Among these foolish acts was their practice of assigning a share of their crops (like dates and wheat) and their livestock (like sheep, goats, camels, and cattle) to Allah. They would say: {This is for Allah, according to their claim}, meaning, according to their falsehood.

A Question Raised: Is it not the case that all things belong to Allah? So how could they be accused of lying in their statement, "This is for Allah"?

The Answer: Their lie lies in the segregation (ifraz) of the portions: one portion designated for Allah, and another portion designated for their partners (idols). Al-Zajjaj stated that the implied meaning of the statement is: "They assigned a portion for Allah and a portion for their partners." This omission is indicated by the detailed explanation of the two divisions that follows: {This is for Allah, according to their claim, and this is for our partners}. They made the idols their partners because they allocated a share of their wealth to be spent on them.

Then the Almighty said: {But what was for their partners did not reach Allah, and what was for Allah reached their partners.}

There are several interpretations regarding the meaning of this statement:

1. Interpretation by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): The polytheists would set aside a portion of their crops and livestock for Allah and another portion for the idols. What was designated for the idol, they would spend on it. What was designated for Allah, they would feed to children and the poor, and they themselves would not eat from it at all. If something fell from the portion designated for Allah into the portion of the idols, they would leave it, saying, "Allah is self-sufficient and does not need this." But if something fell from the portion designated for the idols into the portion of Allah, they would take it back and return it to the idol's portion, saying, "The idol is poor."

2. Interpretation by Al-Hasan and Al-Suddi: If the portion belonging to their idols was destroyed, they would replace it from the portion designated for Allah, but they would not do the reverse for the portion designated for Allah (Exalted and Majestic).

3. Interpretation by Mujahid: The meaning is that if water from the irrigation designated for the idol's share burst into the area of Allah's share, they would block it. If the opposite occurred, they would leave it alone.

4. Interpretation by Qatadah: If they suffered drought, they would use what was designated for Allah and conserve what was designated for their partners.

5. Interpretation by Muqatil: If the portion of the gods increased and prospered while the portion of Allah did not increase, they would leave the gods' portion for them, saying, "If Allah had willed, He would have made His own portion prosper." But if the portion of Allah increased while the portion of the gods did not increase, they would say, "Our gods must have expenses," so they would take Allah's portion and give it to the temple custodians. This is what is meant by {But what was for their partners... did not reach Allah}—meaning the increase in crops and livestock—{and what was for Allah reached their partners}. They only said "reached Allah" because they designated it as Allah's portion and named it as such, but in reality, it reached them (the custodians/idols).

Then the Almighty condemned this action by saying: {Evil is what they judge.}

The scholars have mentioned many ways to explain the nature of this evil judgment:

1. First: They prioritized the side of the idols in care and preservation over the side of Allah Almighty, which is foolishness.
2. Second: They designated a portion for Allah and another portion for others, even though Allah is the Creator of everything. This is also foolishness.
3. Third: This judgment is a ruling they innovated from themselves, which is not supported by any rational proof or religious law, thus it is foolishness.
4. Fourth: If it were proper to segregate a portion for the idols, it would be proper to segregate a portion for every stone and clod of earth.
5. Fifth: The idols have no influence in bringing about the crops and livestock, nor do they have the power to benefit from that portion. Therefore, designating a portion for them is futile.

Based on these points, it is established that {Evil is what they judge}.

The purpose behind narrating such corrupt doctrines is for people to recognize the weakness of the intellects of those who hold these views, and for this to cause them to be held in contempt in the eyes of the rational, so that no one pays any attention to their words whatsoever.

[137] And similarly, have their partners made the killing of their children seem attractive to many of the polytheists, so that they might ruin them and confuse their religion for them. And if Allah had willed, He would not have done it. So leave them and what they fabricate.