2-189 They ask thee of the new moons. Say: They are times appointed for men, and (for) the pilgrimage.a And it is not righteousness that you enter the houses by their backs, but he is righteous who keeps his duty. And go into the houses by their doors; and keep your duty to Allah, that you may be successful.b
يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡأَهِلَّةِۖ قُلۡ هِىَ مَوَٲقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلۡحَجِّۗ وَلَيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرُّ بِأَن تَأۡتُواْ ٱلۡبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰۗ وَأۡتُواْ ٱلۡبُيُوتَ مِنۡ أَبۡوَٲبِهَاۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ (١٨٩)
2-189a أَهِلَّة It is the plural of ھلال and is the name given to the new moon that is one or two days old. After that, the moon is called قمر (R). The sighting of the ھلال crescent, heralds the beginning of the lunar month.
مَوَٲقِيتُ – It is the plural of میقات which is the time appointed to do something or a promise that is to be fulfilled by an appointed date (R), as in إِنَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ كَانَ مِيقَـٰتً۬ا (Surely, the Day of Decision is appointed) (78:17) and إِلَىٰ مِيقَـٰتِ يَوۡمٍ۬ مَّعۡلُومٍ۬ (…the appointed hour for a known day) (56:50).
What is the meaning of the question about the mew moons: All such questions beginning with يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ (They ask thee) are inquiries about injunctions on a particular subject, such as: يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡيَتَـٰمَىٰ (They ask thee concerning the orphans) (2:220), يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِۖ (They ask thee about intoxicants and games of chance) (2:219). The meaning is not how a person becomes an orphan, or how intoxicants are made, or how games of chance are played. So, the inquiry is regarding injunctions about the new moons, and by new moons is meant months. This inquiry is specifically about months or new moons as is apparent from the reply: هِىَ مَوَٲقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلۡحَجِّۗ (They are times appointed for men and for pilgrimage). These special months, in fact, start immediately after the month of Ramadan, that is Shawaal, Dhul Quidah, and the first ten days of Dhul Hijja. These are the months of pilgrimage and were so well known in Arabia that it was not necessary to specify their names, as stated elsewhere: ٱلۡحَجُّ أَشۡهُرٌ۬ مَّعۡلُومَـٰتٌ۬ۚ (The months of the pilgrimage are well known) (2:197). When the great blessings of the month of Ramadan were mentioned, the question arose about these months which begin immediately with the end of Ramadan. Because in the months of pilgrimage, there are two months that are considered sacred, therefore mention of these months is also included in the discussion.
Sacred months: There are four sacred months, that is, Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Quidah, and Dhul Hijja. In Arabia, during these sacred months fighting was halted, free and unmolested passage was assured, trading flourished, and hajj pilgrimage was performed as the days of Hajj were included in the sacred months. For these reasons, the Quran refers to this period as مَوَٲقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ that is, a time appointed for the welfare of people. The Arabs were a warrior nation given to long periods of internecine fighting. The respite given by the four sacred months allowed them to trade and survive otherwise they would have self-destructed. If the question asked at the start of the verse pertains to all the months generally, there is no objection in it either because all the months are an appointed period for the people.
2-189b أَبۡوَٲبِ It is the plural of باب meaning gate or door, whether of a city, a house, or an apartment. The باب of a thing is the means by which one can access that thing, as for example in the hadith: انا مدینة العلم و علیٌّ بابھا (I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate), and Allah states: فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ أَبۡوَٲبَ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ (We opened for them the gates of all things) (6:44) and ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ يَدۡخُلُونَ عَلَيۡہِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ۬ (…the angels will enter upon them from every gate) (13:23) which has been interpreted as with everything that gives joy (R). According to Imam Raghib, by ابواب الجنة and ابواب جھنم is meant those reasons that land one in paradise or hell.
بیت – The meaning of بَاتَ is spent the night, and so بیت is that place where one spends the night. Then the use is for any place where one lives (R). Metaphorically, it is used for the heart, as Imam Raghib has interpreted it in this hadith: لا تدخل الملٰئکة بیتاً فیه کلب و لا صورة (Angels do not enter that house which has a dog or pictures) that by بیت is meant heart and by کلب is meant greed. According to some, entering the house through the front door metaphorically stands for adopting the straight path, and entering from the back of the house metaphorically stands for not adopting the straight path.
Arabs given to superstition in Pre-Islamic times: According to Hassan and Asim, there was a tradition among the Arabs that when a person set an objective that turned out to be difficult to achieve, he would enter his house from the rear for a period of one year, and considered this would assist him in achieving his objective. The Muslims have been informed in this verse that their success does not depend on such superstitions, but on being righteous, that is on safeguarding the rights and responsibilities established by Allah. Because the real theme here is استعانت بالصبر و الصلٰوة (Assistance through patience and prayer), hence this practice has been proscribed so that the measure of success may not rest on a superstition. A hadith in Bukhari narrates that in the state of Araam, people, other than those of Hamas, used to enter the houses from their rear. Because Hajj has been mentioned in previous verses, the injunction to do away with this custom has been given here because there is a special relationship of Ramadan with Hajj. Just as the last ten nights of Ramadan, mentioned in the last but one verse of the previous section, are blessed, so too are the first ten nights of Dhul Hijja. It is for this reason that the superstitions associated with Hajj have been removed while the spiritual aspects of Hajj have been preserved.
2-190 And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you but be not aggressive. Surely Allah loves not the aggressors.a
وَقَـٰتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ (١٩٠)
2-190a قَـٰتِلُواْ – The meaning of مُقَاتلة is مُحارَبَة that is to wage war against one another or to attempt to kill one another.
The topic of fighting starts from here, and its relationship with the current narration has two facets. The first one is that it was stated clearly that the Muslims will be made the guardians of Kabah but for this to take place, the Muslims must seek Allah’s help with patience and prayer, and in pursuit of this objective some Muslims will be martyred. Further light is thrown on this subject here by informing them about the extent to which fighting is permitted. Second, when the question of the sacred months came under discussion and it was stated that the cessation of hostilities in these months was a benefit for the populace, it became necessary to lay down the rules by which hostilities would be governed. This was, in actual fact a response to the real question asked in يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ . Further, the mention of the great Islamic institution of Hajj required a clarification regarding how this rite was to be performed when the Kaba was in the possession of the unbelievers. Hence, it is stated next: وَأَخۡرِجُوهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ أَخۡرَجُوكُمۡۚ (…and drive them out from where they drove you out) (2:191) that is, the unbelievers would certainly be driven out, but it would not be possible without a fight. Hence, it became necessary to give the rules of warfare. In a like manner, in Surah Hajj too the narration of Hajj is followed by the narration about permission to fight and starts with: أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتَلُونَ (Permission (to fight) is given to those on whom war is made) (22:39).
The injunction here is to fight in the way of Allah: What does it mean? This fight is not to be waged for conquering countries and not even for safeguarding the nation, but to prevent the unbelievers from erasing the name of Allah and to prevent them from stopping the Muslims from worshiping Allah which is the means of reaching Him. Accordingly, it is narrated in the Hadith that the Holy Prophet prayed in the following words on the eve of the battle of Badar, the first battle with the unbelievers: ان ھلکت ھٰذہ العصابة فلن تعبد فی الارض ابدا (O Allah! If you destroy this small party, then there will be none to worship you on this earth). In the Quran, the need for this battle is described in the following way: وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعۡضَہُم بِبَعۡضٍ۬ لَّهُدِّمَتۡ صَوَٲمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ۬ وَصَلَوَٲتٌ۬ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ (And if Allah did not repel some people by others, cloisters, and churches, and synagogues, and mosques would have been pulled down) (22:40), and in this way, the remembrance of Allah would have been wiped of the face of this earth. The primary condition for Muslim battles is to bring about religious freedom and peace, and this is what is meant by فِى سَبِيل (in the way of Allah).
Two more conditions imposed for fighting: In this verse, two more conditions have been imposed before fighting can be justified. The first is to fight those who fight against you. It is not permitted to fight those who are non-participants in fighting, and those who do not initiate hostilities. The second condition is not to exceed the limit in hostilities, that is not to trespass beyond restoring ones right, or going beyond what is necessarily required in the military operation. There should be no unnecessary loss of life or destruction of property. Wherever in the Quran there is an injunction to fight a particular people, or there is permission to fight, it is subject to these three conditions. Fighting is not permitted unless these conditions are observed. The imposition of these three conditions made the Islamic wars a source of mercy not only compared to Jewish wars but also compared to modern wars. The Jews in their wars would slaughter old men, children, women, and cattle, and burn farms, houses, orchards, and chattels. Along with the three pre-conditions mentioned, there are injunctions in the Quran for observing duty, justice, moderation, and forgiveness.
2-191 And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you outa, and persecution is worse than slaughter.b And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it; so if they fight you (in it), slay them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.c
وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ حَيۡثُ ثَقِفۡتُمُوهُمۡ وَأَخۡرِجُوهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ أَخۡرَجُوكُمۡۚ وَٱلۡفِتۡنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ ٱلۡقَتۡلِۚ وَلَا تُقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ عِندَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ حَتَّىٰ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِيهِۖ فَإِن قَـٰتَلُوكُمۡ فَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡۗ كَذَٲلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ (١٩١)
2-191a ثَقِفۡتُمُوهُمۡ The real meaning of ثقف is to show wisdom in obtaining or doing something (R). However, exceeding the original sense, this word has also been used just for obtaining something. Here, the word has been used in its original sense. Ibn Jarir explains the use of the word as: فی ای مکان تمکنتم من قتلھم و ابصرتم مقاتلھم , that is, where you have the power to kill them, and you see them waging a war.
وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ The pronoun in وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ refers to the people who were mentioned in the previous verse, that is, ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ (those who fight against you). These people were to be killed wherever found. It does not mean to kill all non-Muslims wherever they are found. Further, by the use of the word ثَقِفۡتُمُوهُمۡ , it has been communicated that the command is not to commit blind slaughter, but that killing is permissible only in a state of war.
The second part of the verse gives the period of hostilities in the present conflict. The unbelievers had expelled the Muslims from Makkah without any valid reason, and now they were prevented even from going there for religious purposes. Hence it is stated that war with these people will continue until they are expelled from Makkah. There is also a prophecy in this of the ultimate victory, and a communication that the war waged by the Muslims was for the restoration of their rights.
191b فِتۡنَةُ – The real meaning of فَتَن is to heat gold over fire so that the dross becomes separated from pure gold, and for this reason, the word is also spoken for just putting something in fire, as in: يَوۡمَ هُمۡ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ يُفۡتَنُونَ ((It is) the day when they are tried at the Fire) (51:13). The word is, therefore, spoken for affliction and punishment (R). In the Quran, this word has been used for the persecution and pain that the unbelievers inflicted on the believers, as in: إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَتَنُواْ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ (Those who persecute believing men and believing women,…) (85:10) فَإِذَآ أُوذِىَ فِى ٱللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتۡنَةَ ٱلنَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ (…but when he is persecuted for the sake of Allah, he thinks the persecution of men to be as the chastisement of Allah) (29:10). Persecution in the way of Allah is clearly spoken of as فِتۡنَةُ . A narration in Bukhari by Ibn Umar states: کان الاسلام قلیلا فکان الرجل یفتن فی دینه اماقتلوہ و امایعذّ بوہ حتی کثر الاسلام فلم تکن فتنتةٌ (Islam was weak, so a person was persecuted for his religion or was killed, or was tortured, until Islam spread, and persecution came to an end). In the Mufradat فتنة is said to be spoken of afflictions murder, punishment, and other onerous difficulties, and they may be attributed to Allah, in which case it is a decree based on His wisdom. The meaning here in this verse is that the Muslims are being persecuted and the country is in a state of unrest, and this condition is worse than war.
191c Fighting in the Sacred Mosque prohibited: Despite the prophecy that the unbelievers would be expelled from the Sacred Mosque and Makkah, but because of the sacredness of the Mosque, fighting even within the environs of the Mosque was prohibited. However, if the unbelievers initiated fighting within precincts of the sacred area, then the Muslims were permitted to defend themselves.
2-192 But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.a
فَإِنِ ٱنتَہَوۡاْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ (١٩٢)
2-192a ٱنتَہَو نہی is to forbid from doing something, as in: تَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنڪَرِ (you forbid evil) (3:110) and أَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنۡهَىٰ عَبۡدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ (Hast thou seen him who forbids a servant when he prays). And the meaning of انتھاء is to desist from what has been forbidden (R). فَمَن جَآءَهُ ۥ مَوۡعِظَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ فَٱنتَهَىٰ (To whomsoever then the admonition has come from his Lord, and he desists) (2:275) لَٮِٕن لَّمۡ تَنتَهِ لَأَرۡجُمَنَّكَۖ (If you desist not, I will certainly drive thee away) (19:46).
Injunction about how to proceed if the unbelievers desist from hostilities: Because the real reason why permission to fight was given was that the unbelievers had opened hostilities. As indicated in the previous verse, the Muslims were being subjected to فِتۡنَہ or torture, so if the unbelievers desisted from fighting and stopped torturing the Muslims, the Muslims too must stop fighting and Allah will forgive their previous mistakes.
2-193 And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion is only for Allah. But if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.a
وَقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ۬ وَيَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ لِلَّهِۖ فَإِنِ ٱنتَہَوۡاْ فَلَا عُدۡوَٲنَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (١٩٣)
2-193a فِتۡنَةٌ۬ Its meaning from the lexicon, Quran and Hadith have been explained in 191b. So, the meaning of قَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ۬ is to fight them until the Muslims are no longer tortured for professing their religion. However, a misconception has arisen from the words that follow: وَيَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ لِلَّهِ (and religion is only for Allah). The incorrect conclusion drawn from this is that Islam should be the only religion in the land. First of all, such a conclusion militates against what is espoused here that لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ۬ (there is no persecution), and further such a conclusion runs counter to those verses of the Quran that contain injunctions to make peace with the unbelievers, as in: وَإِن جَنَحُواْ لِلسَّلۡمِ فَٱجۡنَحۡ لَهَا (And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it) (8:61). Such a conclusion is also against the actions of the Holy Prophet in that he did not persist in waging war until the only religion was Islam. He contracted the peace treaty at Hudaibiya on the conditions laid down by the unbelievers, and even agreed to return those converts from the unbelievers who came to him for refuge. Then at the time of the conquest of Makkah, he forgave the unbelievers even as they were still in a state of unbelief, and some of the unbelievers later even fought battles alongside the Muslims. In the ninth and tenth year of Hijra, delegation after delegation of unbelievers came to meet with the Holy Prophet. If there was a command to fight them, how could these delegations have visited Madinah in a state of hostilities. At the time of the Prophet’s death, there were Christians and Jews living in Arabia, and even then, Islam was not the only religion in Arabia. Then later in لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِۖ, it is stated that there is no compulsion in religion. How is it possible that a contrary command is being given here to convert by force. An interpretation that is so contrary to the context, contrary to the Quran, and contrary to the practice of the Prophet cannot be accepted.
The meaning of وَيَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ لِلَّهِ is clear, that is, religion should be for Allah. When there is no one to persecute for following a particular belief, then religion will only be for Allah. This is also the meaning of لَّهُدِّمَتۡ صَوَٲمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ۬ وَصَلَوَٲتٌ۬ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ (cloisters, and churches, and synagogues and mosques would have been pulled down) (22:40), namely that the purpose of war is to ensure religious freedom. And this is also the meaning of لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ that there is no compulsion in religion. This meaning is further supported in the Hadith by Bukhari, where Imam Bukhari has cited the following hadith of Hazrat Umar under the heading: يَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ لِلَّهِ When he was asked to participate in the affair of Ibn Zubair, he replied:قاتلنا حتی لم تکن فتنة و کان الدین للّٰه و انتم تریدون ان تقاتلوا حتی تکون فتنة و یکون الدین لغیر اللّٰه (We fought until there was no more persecution and religion was for Allah, and you desire to wage war until there is persecution and religion is for other than Allah). The clear meaning of this is that we fought to establish freedom of religion and you want to fight to do away with religious freedom. In the matter of Ibn Zubair, it was two Muslim parties that were about to open hostilities, and there was no question of the domination of the unbelievers.
عُدۡوَٲنَ Its meaning here is punishment for their excesses. See 194b.
2-194 The sacred month for the sacred month, and retaliation (is allowed) in sacred things.a Whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on youb and keep your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty.
ٱلشَّہۡرُ ٱلۡحَرَامُ بِٱلشَّہۡرِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ وَٱلۡحُرُمَـٰتُ قِصَاصٌ۬ۚ فَمَنِ ٱعۡتَدَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَٱعۡتَدُواْ عَلَيۡهِ بِمِثۡلِ مَا ٱعۡتَدَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ (١٩٤)
2-194a Injunction not to wage war in the sacred months: A clear order is given here that Muslims should respect the sacred month and all sacred things, and are allowed to retaliate only if the unbelievers initiate hostilities. Imam Ahmad has narrated a hadith from Jabir that the Holy Prophet did not wage war in the sacred months, and if a sacred month started during ongoing hostilities, he would pause the fighting. Accordingly, in the confrontation at Hudaibiya, he refused to fight, and in the campaign against the Hawazin, he paused the fighting because of the arrival of a sacred month (T).
2-194b The real meaning of ٱعۡتَدَاء is مجاوزة الحق (exceeding the limit), but it is obvious that if the enemy has exceeded the limit than similar action against such an enemy is not exceeding the limit but is only doing what is right and appropriate. Hence the meaning of the second ٱعۡتَدَاء is مجاوزة عدوان that is, retribution for a transgression or a punishment for it, and it is in accordance with what the Quran calls جَزَٲٓؤُاْ سَيِّئَةٍ۬ (recompense of evil) (42:40) as سَيِّئَةٌ۬ (evil) although the punishment is not in fact an evil. For this reason, Mufradat gives the meaning of فَٱعۡتَدُواْ عَلَيۡهِ as قابلوہ بحسب ٱعۡتَدَائه ,that is, to compete in accordance with the severity of the transgression.
2-195 And spend in the way of Allah and cast not yourselves to perdition with your own handsa and do good (to others). Surely Allah loves the doers of good.
وَأَنفِقُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تُلۡقُواْ بِأَيۡدِيكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلتَّہۡلُكَةِۛ وَأَحۡسِنُوٓاْۛ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ (١٩٥)
2-195a ٱلتَّہۡلُكَ It is from ھلک which means death and destruction, but it also means the loss of something from ones hand even though that something may be present with somebody else, as in: هَلَكَ عَنِّى سُلۡطَـٰنِيَهۡ (My authority has gone from me) (69:29) and discord and dissension also leads to destruction ( ھلک ) as in يُهۡلِكَ ٱلۡحَرۡثَ (destroys the tilth) (2:205). And تھۡلُكَةِۛ is that which leads to destruction.
Not spending money in the way of Allah is destruction: In respect of cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands, there is a comment in Bukhari which states: نزلت فی النفقة that is, this verse was revealed regarding spending. The meaning is that when you fight in the way of Allah, it is necessary to have financial resources for it and so your wealth should also be spent in the way of Allah, or the meaning is that just as it is necessary to pick up your sword in defense of your religion now, a time will come when it will be necessary only to spend your money, and the warning is given that when such a time comes, you should spend your money and save yourself from perdition. During the assault on Constantinople which took place during the lifetime of the Companions, one Muslim fighter broke through the enemy ranks and fought his way far ahead of the Muslim line, leading some to say القی بیدہ الی التھلکة (He has put himself in perdition with his own hands). Hazrat Ayub Ansari replied that that is not the meaning of this verse: فکانت التھلکة فی الاھل ا المال و ترك الجھاد (Perdition would be if a person stayed back with his family and wealth and gave up jihad). In accordance with this, the verse has appropriately ended with an exhortation to do احسٰن (doing of good). Even today, to sit in the comfort of one’s home is perdition, and there is a need to spend money on the propagation of Islam. And this is the best safeguard for Muslims.
2-196 And accomplish the pilgrimage and the visit for Allah. But if you are prevented, (send) whatever offering is easy to obtain; and shave not your heads until the offering reaches its destination.a Then whoever among you is sick or has an ailment of the head, (he may effect) a compensation by fasting or alms or sacrificing.b And when you are secure, whoever profits by combining the visit with the pilgrimage (should take) whatever offering is easy to obtain. But he who cannot find (an offering) should fast for three days during the pilgrimage and for seven days when you return. These are ten (days) complete. This is for him whose family is not present in the Sacred Mosque.c And keep your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is Severe in requiting (evil).
وَأَتِمُّواْ ٱلۡحَجَّ وَٱلۡعُمۡرَةَ لِلَّهِۚ فَإِنۡ أُحۡصِرۡتُمۡ فَمَا ٱسۡتَيۡسَرَ مِنَ ٱلۡهَدۡىِۖ وَلَا تَحۡلِقُواْ رُءُوسَكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَبۡلُغَ ٱلۡهَدۡىُ مَحِلَّهُ ۥۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوۡ بِهِۦۤ أَذً۬ى مِّن رَّأۡسِهِۦ فَفِدۡيَةٌ۬ مِّن صِيَامٍ أَوۡ صَدَقَةٍ أَوۡ نُسُكٍ۬ۚ فَإِذَآ أَمِنتُمۡ فَمَن تَمَتَّعَ بِٱلۡعُمۡرَةِ إِلَى ٱلۡحَجِّ فَمَا ٱسۡتَيۡسَرَ مِنَ ٱلۡهَدۡىِۚ فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَـٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍ۬ فِى ٱلۡحَجِّ وَسَبۡعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعۡتُمۡۗ تِلۡكَ عَشَرَةٌ۬ كَامِلَةٌ۬ۗ ذَٲلِكَ لِمَن لَّمۡ يَكُنۡ أَهۡلُهُ ۥ حَاضِرِى ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ (١٩٦)
2-196a أُحۡصِرۡتُمۡ – اِحصار means being prevented by an enemy or illness, while حَصۡر means prevented just by the latter (R).
ٱلۡهَدۡى – It is the plural of ھَدِیَّة which means a gift, as in: بَلۡ أَنتُم بِہَدِيَّتِكُمۡ تَفۡرَحُونَ (Nay, you are exultant because of your present) (27:36). And هَدۡى is specific to sacrificial animals that are brought to the Sacred Mosque and could be camel, or cow or sheep (R).
مَحِلَّ – حَلَّ can be an adverb of either time or place. What is meant by the offering reaches its destination ? In Imam Abu Hanifa’s opinion which is based on:مَحِلُّهَآ إِلَى ٱلۡبَيۡتِ ٱلۡعَتِيقِ (…their place of sacrifice is the Ancient House) (22:33), it is in any case necessary for the sacrifice to reach the Kabah, but when the Holy Prophet was stopped by the unbelievers at Hudaibiya at a distance of some nine miles from the Kabah, he sacrificed the animals there. It has been said that that place was within the precincts of the area denoted as Haram. However, the question that arises is that if an enemy stops the sacrificial animals from reaching the Haram, then what should be done? If one is to follow strictly the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa that the sacrifices should reach the Haram, then where would one find the answer to the question poised earlier because there is no guidance in the Quran about that. In any case, it would be a difficult proposition to take the sacrificial animals to the Haram. So, in that case مَحِلَّ would be the place where one has been stopped and the sacrificial animals should be slaughtered there. However, in the case of illness, it is possible to have the animal taken to Kabah, and in that case مَحِلَّ would be Kabah. The connection of this verse with the previous verse is that wars were the subject of the previous verse, and because of the state of hostility, the enemy was preventing the Muslims from performing Hajj. One could almost say that the mention of wars is parenthetical. The real topic is Hajj and the section begins and ends with it, and the next section continues the topic. Because there was a restriction on performance of Hajj at the time because of ongoing hostilities, the mention of wars became a necessity.
Shaving of head is symbolic of ending the state of ahraam: For performing Hajj, the pilgrim enters into the state of ahraam during which he dresses in two unstitched sheets, and when the rites of Hajj are over, the pilgrim marks the end of the state of ahraam by shaving his head or having the hair cut short. Hence, the shaving of head is symbolic of coming out of the state of ahraam.
2-196b نُسُكٍ – Its real meaning has been explained in 128a. It is also the plural of نسیکة which means sacrifice.
If one has to get a haircut because of illness or has to commit an act not consistent with the requirements of ahraam, he can affect redemption for the act, which according to a hadith in Bukhari is to fast for three days, or to feed six poor people or to sacrifice an animal.
2-192c تَمَتَّعَ بِٱلۡعُمۡرَةِ إِلَى ٱلۡحَجِّ – The meaning of متاع has been explained in 126b and متعة الحج is a special terminology that means combining the Umrah with Hajj in a special way. Hajj can be performed in three ways: افراد – قِران – تمتع . In افراد the Hajj and Umrah are performed separately. For example, to don on the ahraam for Umrah after performing the Hajj, or perform the Umrah prior to the months mentioned for Hajj and then perform the Hajj in the months of Hajj in the same year. In قِران the pilgrim makes an intention to perform the Umrah and Hajj together and enters into the state of ahraam for doing both and does not get out of the state of ahraam until he has performed both, or during the months of pilgrimage enters into the state of ahraam for performing the Umrah but before coming out of the state of ahraam performs the Hajj. In تمتع the pilgrim first gets into the state of ahraam during the months of pilgrimage, performs the Umrah and then gets out of the state of ahraam, and then again enters into the state of ahraam during the days of Hajj. Thus, a person benefits from combining the Umrah and the redemption for it is sacrificing an animal or fasting for ten days.
Bayan-ul-Quran 