Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

33. “You have benefits in them till an appointed time, then their place of sacrifice is by the Ancient House, (the ka‘bah).”

Some Islamic narrations indicate that a group of people believed that when they appointed a camel, or one of other animals, as a sacrifice, and they brought it with them from a near or far distance toward the place of virtual consecration and from there toward Mecca, they should not ride on it, nor use its milk. They used to think that the animal was entirely separated from them.

The noble Qur’an negated this superstitious thought, where it implies that there are benefits in these animals of sacrifice for you until when the day of sacrifice comes.

The holy verse says:

“You have benefits in them till an appointed time…”

In an Islamic tradition we read that once, on the way to Mecca, the holy Prophet (S) passed by a man who was walking with much difficulty while he was leading a camel and no one was riding on it. The Prophet (S) told him to ride on it, and he answered the Messenger of Allah (S) that the camel was for sacrifice.

The Prophet (S) said:

“woe on you, ride on it!”1

In some narrations, which have been quoted from Ahl-ul-Bayt (as), this meaning has also been emphasized on.

For example, Abubasir narrates from Imam Sadiq (as) who upon the commentary of this holy verse said:

“If (the owner of the animal) needs its riding, he can ride on it, but he must not put it in trouble, and if it (the animal) has milk, he can milk it, but not extremely.”2

In fact, the abovementioned order is a moderate style which is between two excessive manners. On one side, some pilgrims did not observe the respect of the animals of sacrifice at all, and sometimes they killed them in their city and used their meat, which has been referred to in Surah Al-Ma’idah, No. 5, verse 2, which says:

“…do not profane Allah’s Monuments, nor the sacred month, nor the offering, nor the sacrificial animals with garlands…”

And, on the other side, some others treated so excessively that as soon as the name of sacrifice was called to an animal, they neither used its milk, nor did they ride on it, even though they were coming from a far place to Mecca. This situation has been counted permissible in the above verse.

However, at the end of the verse, regarding the fate of the sacrifice, the Qur’an says:

“…then their place of sacrifice is by the Ancient House, (the ka‘bah).”

Thus, before that the sacrificial animal reaches the place of sacrifice, it can be taken benefit of, such as milking and riding, and after reaching there the duty of sacrificing must be done upon the animal.

According to what the jurisprudents have said, based on the Islamic evidences, if the sacrificial animal relates to Hajj, it must be slaughtered in Muna, but if it is for ‘single minor Hajj’ the animal must be slaughtered in Mecca.

So, since the verses under discussion are about the rites of Hajj, the Qur’anic phrase /bayt-ul-‘atiq/ (the House of Ka‘bah), here, must mean in the vast scope of the concept of the word, which envelops the suburb of Mecca (Muna), too.