English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 22: Al-Hajj — The Pilgrimage (Revealed at Makkah: 10 sections, 78 verses)

Section 4 (Verses 22:26–22:33): Pilgrimage

Translation:

وَ اِذۡ بَوَّاۡنَا لِاِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ مَکَانَ الۡبَیۡتِ اَنۡ لَّا تُشۡرِکۡ بِیۡ شَیۡئًا وَّ طَہِّرۡ بَیۡتِیَ لِلطَّآئِفِیۡنَ وَ الۡقَآئِمِیۡنَ وَ الرُّکَّعِ السُّجُوۡدِ ﴿۲۶﴾

22:26 And when We pointed to Abraham the place of the House, saying: Do not set up any partner with Me, and purify My House for those who make circuits and stand to pray and bow and prostrate themselves.

وَ اَذِّنۡ فِی النَّاسِ بِالۡحَجِّ یَاۡتُوۡکَ رِجَالًا وَّ عَلٰی کُلِّ ضَامِرٍ یَّاۡتِیۡنَ مِنۡ کُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِیۡقٍ ﴿ۙ۲۷﴾

22:27 And proclaim to mankind the Pilgrimage:1 they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every remote path,2

لِّیَشۡہَدُوۡا مَنَافِعَ لَہُمۡ وَ یَذۡکُرُوا اسۡمَ اللّٰہِ فِیۡۤ اَیَّامٍ مَّعۡلُوۡمٰتٍ عَلٰی مَا رَزَقَہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَہِیۡمَۃِ الۡاَنۡعَامِ ۚ فَکُلُوۡا مِنۡہَا وَ اَطۡعِمُوا الۡبَآئِسَ الۡفَقِیۡرَ ﴿۫۲۸﴾

22:28 that they may witness benefits (provided) for them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days over the cattle quadrupeds that He has given them; then eat of them and feed the distressed one, the needy.3

ثُمَّ لۡیَقۡضُوۡا تَفَثَہُمۡ وَ لۡیُوۡفُوۡا نُذُوۡرَہُمۡ وَ لۡیَطَّوَّفُوۡا بِالۡبَیۡتِ الۡعَتِیۡقِ ﴿۲۹﴾

22:29 Then let them accomplish their needful acts of cleansing, and let them fulfil their vows and go round the Ancient House.4

ذٰلِکَ ٭ وَ مَنۡ یُّعَظِّمۡ حُرُمٰتِ اللّٰہِ فَہُوَ خَیۡرٌ لَّہٗ عِنۡدَ رَبِّہٖ ؕ وَ اُحِلَّتۡ لَکُمُ الۡاَنۡعَامُ اِلَّا مَا یُتۡلٰی عَلَیۡکُمۡ فَاجۡتَنِبُوا الرِّجۡسَ مِنَ الۡاَوۡثَانِ وَ اجۡتَنِبُوۡا قَوۡلَ الزُّوۡرِ ﴿ۙ۳۰﴾

22:30 That (shall be so). And whoever respects the sacred ordinances of Allah, it is good for him with his Lord. And the cattle are made lawful for you, except what is recited to you, so shun the filth of the idols and shun false words,

حُنَفَآءَ لِلّٰہِ غَیۡرَ مُشۡرِکِیۡنَ بِہٖ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یُّشۡرِکۡ بِاللّٰہِ فَکَاَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ فَتَخۡطَفُہُ الطَّیۡرُ اَوۡ تَہۡوِیۡ بِہِ الرِّیۡحُ فِیۡ مَکَانٍ سَحِیۡقٍ ﴿۳۱﴾

22:31 being upright for Allah, not setting up partners with Him. And whoever sets up partners with Allah, it is as if he had fallen from on high, then the birds had snatched him away, or the wind had carried him off to a distant place.

ذٰلِکَ ٭ وَ مَنۡ یُّعَظِّمۡ شَعَآئِرَ اللّٰہِ فَاِنَّہَا مِنۡ تَقۡوَی الۡقُلُوۡبِ ﴿۳۲﴾

22:32 That (shall be so). And whoever respects the ordinances of Allah, this is surely from the piety of hearts.

لَکُمۡ فِیۡہَا مَنَافِعُ اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی ثُمَّ مَحِلُّہَاۤ اِلَی الۡبَیۡتِ الۡعَتِیۡقِ ﴿٪۳۳﴾

22:33 In them are benefits for you for a term appointed, then their place of sacrifice is the Ancient House.

Commentary:

  1. The words are addressed to the Holy Prophet, and contain a mighty prophecy that Makkah will become the centre to which people will come for pil­grimage. It was announced just at the time when the Holy Prophet was being driven away from Makkah by his enemies. Just when Makkah seemed to have lost every chance of becoming a Muslim centre, and when Muslims themselves were in danger of being entirely destroyed, a mighty prophecy is announced in the most forcible words that Islam will spread to all countries of the world, and Makkah will become the universal centre to which pilgrims from all nations will come. ↩
  2. The lean camel is particularly mentioned here to indicate the great dis­tances from which pilgrims would come. The addition of the words from every remote path shows that people will come from the remotest parts of the earth. ↩
  3. The subject of sacrifice is one that is specially related to the pil­gri­mage, because every pilgrim must sacrifice an animal. Thus it is the lesson of sacrifice that is taught in pilgrimage. The act of the pilgrim finds an echo through­out the Muslim world, for every Muslim who can afford is required to sacrifice an animal on this occasion, and this subject is discussed in the next section. ↩
  4. The mention of the Ka‘bah as the Ancient House, here and in v. 33, shows that it is so old that it came to be known throughout Arabia by that name, thus pointing to its very remote antiquity; see 2:125. ↩

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