In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
The sacrifice of camels We have ordained for you as one of the symbols set up by God, in which there is much good for you. Hence, extol the name of God over them when they are lined up (for sacrifice); and after they have fallen lifeless to the ground, eat of their meat, and feed the poor who is contented with his lot, as well as the one who is forced to beg. It is to this end that We have made them subservient to your needs, so that you might have cause to be grateful.
Never does their meat or their blood reach God; it is your piety that reaches Him. It is to this end that He has made them subservient to your needs, so that you might glorify God for all the guidance with which He has graced you. Give good news to those who do good.
God will certainly defend those who believe. For certain, God does not love anyone who betrays his trust and is bereft of gratitude.
Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged. Most certainly, God has the power to grant them victory. (The Pilgrimage, Al-Haj: 22: 36-39)
We referred last week to the sacrifice ritual in pilgrimage and the importance of invoking God’s name when slaughtering the sacrifice. The surah continues to emphasize the link between faith and worship rituals as it outlines some pilgrimage duties, speaking here of the sacrifice of cows and camels: "The sacrifice of camels We have ordained for you as one of the symbols set up by God, in which there is much good for you."
Camels are mentioned here in particular because they are the largest and most valuable of sacrificial animals. The surah states that there is much good for mankind in camels: they serve as good mounts when they are alive, and they provide plenty of milk. When they are sacrificed, they provide much meat to eat and give for charity. In return for all these benefits, people should invoke God’s name, making their purpose clear and their sacrifice purely for God’s sake.
This should be clear in their minds as they bring the camels forward for sacrifice: "Hence, extol the name of God over them when they are lined up." Camels are slaughtered standing on three legs, while the fourth is tied. "After they have fallen lifeless to the ground, eat of their meat, and feed the poor who is contented with his lot, as well as the one who is forced to beg." The owner of the slaughtered sacrifice is recommended to partake of its meat, but they are required to give gifts to poor people who are contented and do not ask for charity, as well as those whose poverty makes them beg. It is for the fact that all these benefits are provided that people should give thanks to God: "It is to this end that We have made them subservient to your needs, so that you might have cause to be grateful."
As people are commanded to slaughter their sacrifice invoking God’s name, it is made clear to them that "never does their meat or their blood reach God." He has no need for them. What reaches Him, however, is people’s piety and consciousness of Him." It is the intention behind any action that gives it its worth. Compare this with the practice of the Quraysh idolaters who used to splatter the blood of their sacrifices over their idols. How crude and ugly!
"It is to this end that He has made them subservient to your needs, so that you might glorify God for all the guidance with which He has graced you." It is He who has guided you to the proper and true faith of submission to Him alone. Thus, you have become aware of the proper relation between man and God and the true meaning of action undertaken purely for God’s sake. "Give good news to those who do good," putting their beliefs, worship, life activities on the proper footing.
Thus a Muslim turns to God with every move he or she makes, at any time of day or night, conscious of His majesty, seeking His pleasure. With this attitude, life becomes a series of acts of worship, fulfilling God’s purpose of creation. Life on earth is set on its proper basis, with a solid link between this world and heaven.
It is imperative that such worship rituals be provided with protection against those who turn people away from God’s path. No aggression against the freedom of belief and worship or the sanctity of mosques and places of worship may be tolerated. Believers should have the freedom to implement the divine code of living, based on faith, and aiming to achieve every benefit for man. Therefore, when the early Muslims had settled in Madinah after enduring persecution in Makkah for years, God permitted them to fight the idolaters to repel aggression against themselves and their faith.
Given at a time when such aggression had reached its peak, the permission to fight also aimed to ensure freedom of belief and worship for themselves and for others. God promises the believers that they would achieve victory and establish their authority, provided that they would fulfill their duties, required by their faith, as these are detailed in the following verses: "God will certainly defend those who believe. For certain, God does not love anyone who betrays his trust and is bereft of gratitude. Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged. Most certainly, God has the power to grant them victory.
These are the ones who have been driven from their homelands against all right for no other reason than their saying, ‘Our Lord is God!’ Were it not that God repels some people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques – in all of which God’s name is abundantly extolled – would surely have been destroyed. God will most certainly succor him who succors God’s cause. God is certainly most powerful, almighty. They are those who, if We firmly establish them on earth, attend regularly to their prayers, give charity, enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong. With God rests the final outcome of all events."
Forces of evil are active in this world. The fight between goodness, divine guidance and forces of faith on the one hand and evil, falsehood and tyrannical forces on the other has been raging on ever since the creation of man. What is more is that evil and falsehood command great firepower. They have no hesitation to use all their arsenal and weaponry to achieve their aims. With such power and false temptation, they try hard to turn people away from the true faith. Hence, it is imperative that faith, goodness and truth should have enough power to repel aggression and to make futile all wicked schemes.
It has not been God’s will to leave unarmed the advocates of faith, truth and goodness so that they face up to the forces of evil and falsehood relying only on the power of faith as it penetrates into people’s souls and natures and on the depth of goodness in their hearts. The material power of evil could be very strong, able to shake people and blind their eyes. Besides, people may be able to endure hardships and trials up to a certain point. God knows all this and the limit of people’s ability. Hence,
He wanted the believers to endure the hardship only for a short period during which they would be able to acquire the means of resistance and become able to defend themselves. When they achieved that, they were given permission to fight to repel the aggression.
Before stating this permission to allow them to move in self defense, God tells them that it is He who will defend them: "God will certainly defend those who believe." He also tells them that He dislikes their enemies because of their treachery and ingratitude. "For certain, God does not love anyone who betrays his trust and is bereft of gratitude."