22:67 Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

يخبر تعالى أنه جعل لكل أمة { مَنْسَكًا } أي: معبدا وعبادة، قد تختلف في بعض الأمور، مع اتفاقها على العدل والحكمة، كما قال تعالى: { لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ } الآية، { هُمْ نَاسِكُوهُ } أي: عاملون عليه، بحسب أحوالهم، فلا اعتراض على شريعة من الشرائع، خصوصا من الأميين، أهل الشرك والجهل المبين، فإنه إذا ثبتت رسالة الرسول بأدلتها، وجب أن يتلقى جميع ما جاء به بالقبول والتسليم، وترك الاعتراض، ولهذا قال: { فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ } أي: لا ينازعك المكذبون لك، ويعترضون على بعض ما جئتهم به، بعقولهم الفاسدة، مثل منازعتهم في حل الميتة، بقياسهم الفاسد، يقولون: \" تأكلون ما قتلتم، ولا تأكلون ما قتل الله \" وكقولهم { إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا } ونحو ذلك من اعتراضاتهم، التي لا يلزم الجواب عن أعيانها، وهم منكرون لأصل الرسالة، وليس فيها مجادلة ومحاجة بانفرادها، بل لكل مقام مقال، فصاحب هذا الاعتراض، المنكر لرسالة الرسول، إذا زعم أنه يجادل ليسترشد، يقال له: الكلام معك في إثبات الرسالة وعدمها، وإلا فالاقتصار على هذه، دليل أن مقصوده التعنت والتعجيز، ولهذا أمر الله رسوله أن يدعو إلى ربه بالحكمة والموعظة الحسنة، ويمضي على ذلك، سواء اعترض المعترضون أم لا، وأنه لا ينبغي أن يثنيك عن الدعوة شيء، لأنك { على هُدًى مُسْتَقِيمٍ } أي: معتدل موصل للمقصود، متضمن علم الحق والعمل به، فأنت على ثقة من أمرك، ويقين من دينك، فيوجب ذلك لك الصلابة والمضي لما أمرك به ربك، ولست على أمر مشكوك فيه، أو حديث مفترى، فتقف مع الناس ومع أهوائهم، وآرائهم، ويوقفك اعتراضهم، ونظير هذا قوله تعالى: { فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ الْمُبِينِ } مع أن في قوله: { إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى هُدًى مُسْتَقِيمٍ } إرشاد لأجوبة المعترضين على جزئيات الشرع، بالعقل الصحيح، فإن الهدى وصف لكل ما جاء به الرسول، والهدى: ما تحصل به الهداية، من مسائل الأصول والفروع، وهي المسائل التي يعرف حسنها وعدلها وحكمتها بالعقل والفطرة السليمة، وهذا يعرف بتدبر تفاصيل المأمورات والمنهيات.

يخبر تعالى أنه جعل لكل قوم منسكا قال ابن جرير يعني لكل أمة نبي منسكا قال: وأصل المنسك في كلام العرب هو الموضع الذي يعتاده الإنسان ويتردد إليه إما لخير أو شر قال ولهذا سميت مناسك الحج بذلك لترداد الناس إليها وعكوفهم عليها فإن كان كما قال من أن المراد لكل أمة نبي جعلنا منسكا فيكون المراد بقوله " فلا ينازعك في الأمر " أي هؤلاء المشركون وإن كان المراد " لكل أمة جعلنا منسكا " جعلا قدريا كما قال " ولكل وجهة هو موليها " ولهذا قال ههنا " هم ناسكوه " أي فاعلوه فالضمير ههنا عائد على هؤلاء الذين لهم مناسك وطرائق أي هؤلاء إنما يفعلون هذا عن قدر الله وإرادته فلا تتأثر بمنازعتهم لك ولا يصرفك ذلك عما أنت عليه من الحق ولهذا قال " وادع إلى ربك إنك لعلى هدى مستقيم " أي طريق واضح مستقيم موصل إلى المقصود وهذه كقوله " ولا يصدنك عن آيات الله بعد إذ أنزلت إليك وادع إلى ربك ".

Every Nation has its Religious Ceremonies

Allah tells us that He has made Mansak for every nation. Ibn Jarir said, "This means that there are Mansak for every Prophet's nation." He said, "The origin of the word Mansik in Arabic means the place to which a person returns repeatedly, for good or evil purposes. So the Manasik (rites) of Hajj are so called because the people return to them and adhere to them." If the phrase "For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies" means that every Prophet's nation has its religious ceremonies as ordained by Allah, then the phrase "So let them (the pagans) not dispute with you on the matter" refers to the idolators. If the phrase "For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies" means that it is the matter of Qadar (divine decree), as in the Ayah,

وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا

(For each nation there is a direction to which they face)2:148 Allah says here:

هُمْ نَاسِكُوهُ

(which they Nasikuh) meaning, which they must act upon. The pronoun here refers back to those who have these religious ceremonies and ways, i.e., they do this by the will and decree of Allah, so do not let their dispute with you over that divert you from following the truth. Allah says:

وَادْعُ إِلَى رَبِّكَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى هُدًى مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

(but invite them to your Lord. Verily, you indeed are on the straight guidance.) i.e., a clear and straight path which will lead you to the desired end. This is like the Ayah:

وَلاَ يَصُدُّنَّكَ عَنْ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أُنزِلَتْ إِلَيْكَ وَادْعُ إِلَى رَبِّكَ

(And let them not turn you away from the Ayat of Allah after they have been sent down to you: and invite to your Lord) 28:87

وَإِن جَـدَلُوكَ فَقُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And if they argue with you, say: "Allah knows best what you do.") This is like the Ayah:

وَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل لِّى عَمَلِى وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ أَنتُمْ بَرِيئُونَ مِمَّآ أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَاْ بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And if they belie you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!") 10:41

اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

(Allah knows best of what you do.) This is a stern warning and definite threat, as in the Ayah:

هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ كَفَى بِهِ شَهِيداً بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ

(He knows best of what you say among yourselves concerning it! Sufficient is He as a witness between me and you!)46: 8. Allah says here:

اللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

(Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein you used to differ.) This is like the Ayah:

فَلِذَلِكَ فَادْعُ وَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَآ أُمِرْتَ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ وَقُلْ ءَامَنتُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ مِن كِتَـبٍ

(So unto this then invite, and stand firm as you are commanded, and follow not their desires but say: "I believe in whatsoever Allah has sent down of the Book.") 42:15

For every community We have appointed a holy rite read mansakan or mansikan a Holy Law which they are to observe which they are to implement. So do not let them dispute with you the intended meaning is ‘do not dispute with them’ about the matter namely the matter of the slaughter animal when they said ‘What God has killed is worthier for you to eat than what you killed’; but summon people to your Lord to His religion. Indeed you follow a straight guidance a straight religion.

Commentary

لِّكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا (For every ummah (religious community) We have appointed a way of worship - 22:67). This sentence has come earlier in almost identical words in verse number 34 of this Surah, but the word مَنسَكً (mansak) conveys a different meaning in each verse. In the earlier verse the words مَنسَكً and نسَكً have been used in the context of the rites of Hajj and mean sacrifice of animals, while in the present verse the word مَنسَكً has been used in the sense of the rules of slaughter or general rules of worship. That is why, unlike the verse 34, the present verse does not have the conjunctive letter ' وَ ' (i.e. 'and' ) in the beginning.

One interpretation of this verse is that the infidels used to engage the Muslims in futile arguments regarding the slaughter of animals. They thought it odd that Islam permitted its followers to eat the meat of those animals which they slaughtered with their own hands but forbade eating the meat of those animals whom Allah Ta’ ala killed, that is the carrion. The present verse was revealed to answer these objections of the infidels. (Ruh ul-Ma’ ani). Thus the meaning of the word مَنسَكً here would refer to ` the method of slaughter', and the sum and substance of the verse is that Allah Ta’ ala gave each nation a code of laws, and the rules governing the slaughter of animals are different in each code. The rules of slaughter given to the Holy Prophet ﷺ are independent and self-sufficient and it is not permissible to compare them. with those of an earlier Shari'ah, let alone comparing them with someone's own whims and conjectures. As regards the meat of dead animals, it is well known that its oral use was forbidden in all earlier codes. (Ruh u1-Ma` ani) Therefore, it is sheer ignorance to argue with the Holy Prophet ﷺ on that basis.

However, majority of commentators has interpreted this verse in another way. They say that the word مَنسَكً here means the general rules of Shari'ah. Lexically, the word مَنسَكً means a place which is fixed for a

specific purpose, whether the purpose is good or bad, and for this reason the rites of pilgrimage are known as نسَكً , because different rites connected with the pilgrimage have to be performed at places fixed for each rite. (Ibn Kathir). The dictionary meaning of is ` piety and worship of Allah Ta’ a1a', and the words أَرِ‌نَا مَنَاسِكَنَا (And show us our ways of worship - 2:128) occurring in the Qur'an have been used in this sense Manasik means rules governing worship. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has adopted this second interpretation also. Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi, Ruh u1-Ma` ani etc. have adopted this meaning of the word, and the context of the verse also lends support to this interpretation. Having said all this, it is evident that the meaning of this verse would be that the infidels and the polytheists who dispute the Islamic code of laws on the ground that their own ancestral religion did not include those laws must understand very clearly that any comparison between the old book or Shari` ah and the new book or Shari` ah is totally misplaced and irrelevant, because Allah Ta` a1a granted to each nation in its own time a special Shari` ah and a Book which was binding upon it until another book or Shari` ah arrived on the scene after which it becomes the duty of all people to follow the new Shari` ah, and if any of its laws are in conflict with the laws of the old Shari` ah, then the new rules shall prevail and the old laws will stand invalidated, and nobody has the right to raise a dispute on this matter with the Prophet ﷺ ، who is the recipient of the latest book and Shari` ah. This is the meaning of the following words of this verse. فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ‌ (They should never quarrel with you in the matter - 22:67). That is, now that the Holy Prophet has brought a new Book and new code of laws no one has the right to dispute them and create any confusion about them.

This also shows that there is in fact no inconsistency between the two interpretations of this verse. It is quite possible that this verse was revealed with reference to some specific dispute about the slaughter of animals but since, as a general rule, the words must be interpreted in the sense they are understood by the common people and not in reference to a particular event, the words of this verse can be so construed as to apply to all the laws of Shari'ah. The essence of both the interpretations, therefore is, that since Allah Ta’ ala has given each nation its own particular set of rules where differences as to details do exist, the latest set of rules becomes binding on all peoples, and issues relating to these differences cannot be raised. This is the reason why it has been stated at the end of this verse وَادْعُ إِلَىٰ رَ‌بِّكَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ هُدًى مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (And do call them to your Lord. Surely, you are on straight Guidance - 22:67) in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been advised not to take any notice of the machinations and disputes raised by the infidels but to continue with his mission, because he was following the path of righteousness whereas his opponents were steeped in error.

A doubt and its answer

In verse 67 it has been averred that Allah Ta’ ala granted to the earlier nations their own Shari` ah or set of rules, and the Mosaic Code and the Christian Code are instances in point. The Jews and the Christians may, therefore, are that their Codes also being Divine should be allowed to exist alongside of the Islamic Code. But this is a fallacious argument because it is a well established fact that an earlier Shari` ah is cancelled by a subsequent Shari` ah, and this view is reinforced by the following verses in which the infidels who challenge the Islamic Shari` ah have been warned of severe chastisement. وَإِن جَادَلُوكَ فَقُلِ اللَّـهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ (And if they dispute with you, then say, "Allah knows best what you do." - 22:68)