ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ
That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
Tafsir
Verse range: 22:28
"Benefits" (manāfiʿ) is used as an indefinite noun because He intended benefits specific to this act of worship—both religious and worldly—that are not found in other acts of worship.
It is narrated of Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) that he used to weigh the merits of various acts of worship against one another before he performed Hajj. Once he performed Hajj, he favored Hajj over all other acts of worship due to the unique characteristics he witnessed.
"Mentioning the name of Allah" is used as a metonym for slaughtering and sacrificing, because the people of Islam never fail to mention His name when they slaughter or sacrifice. This contains a reminder that the primary purpose of that which is offered to draw near to Allah is the mention of His name.
The speech is rendered exceptionally beautiful by combining His saying: "And mention the name of Allah" with His saying: "over what He has provided for them." Had it been said, "That they may slaughter the cattle of livestock during the known days," you would not see any of that beauty or splendor.
"The known days" (al-ayyām al-maʿlūmāt): According to Abu Hanifa, these are the ten days [of Dhu al-Hijjah], which is also the view of al-Hasan and Qatada. According to his two companions [Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani], they are the days of slaughter (the days of Tashriq).
"The beast" (al-bahīma): This is an ambiguous term for every four-legged creature on land or sea. It is then clarified by "the livestock" (al-anʿām), which are camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.
The command to eat from them is a command of permissibility, as the people of the Pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah) would not eat from their sacrificial offerings. It is also possible that it is a recommendation, due to the equality and consolation it provides to the poor, and the practice of humility it entails. Hence, the jurists have recommended that one who has the means should eat a third of their sacrifice.
It is narrated that Ibn Masʿud sent an offering and said regarding it: "When you slaughter it, eat, give in charity, and send some of it to ʿUtba," meaning his son. In the Hadith: "Eat, store, and seek reward."
"The miserable" (al-bāʾis): The one who has been struck by buʾs, meaning hardship. "The poor" (al-faqīr): The one who has been weakened by destitution.
