`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "Hijr refers to what they forbade, such as the Wasilah, and the like.'' Similar was said by Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and others. Qatadah commented on,

﴿وَقَالُواْ هَـذِهِ أَنْعَـمٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ﴾

(They say that such and such cattle and crops are Hijr,) "It is a prohibition that the Shayatin appointed for their wealth, and a type of exaggeration and extremism that did not come from Allah.'' ﴿`Abdur-Rahman﴾ Ibn Zayd bin Aslam said that, d

﴿حِجْرٍ﴾

(Hijr,) refers to what the idolators designated for their deities. As-Suddi said that the Ayah,

﴿لاَّ يَطْعَمُهَآ إِلاَّ مَن نَّشَآءُ بِزَعْمِهِمْ﴾

(And none should eat of them except those whom we allow, they claimed...) means, "They said, only those whom we choose can eat of them., and the rest are prohibited from eating them.'' Similar to this honorable Ayah, Allah said,

﴿قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَّآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِّن رِّزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِّنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلاَلاً قُلْ ءَآللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ أَمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَفْتَرُونَ ﴾

(Say: "Tell me, what provision Allah has sent down to you! And you have made of it lawful and unlawful." Say: "Has Allah permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allah") ﴿10:59﴾, and,

﴿مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ مِن بَحِيرَةٍ وَلاَ سَآئِبَةٍ وَلاَ وَصِيلَةٍ وَلاَ حَامٍ وَلَـكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴾

(Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham. But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have no understanding.) ﴿5:103﴾ As-Suddi said that cattle forbidden to be used for burden were the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah and Ham, as well as cattle for which the idolators did not mention Allah's Name when slaughtering them nor when they were born. Abu Bakr bin `Ayyash said that `Asim bin Abi An-Najud said, "Abu Wa'il said to me, `Do you know the meaning of the Ayah,

﴿وَأَنْعَـمٌ حُرِّمَتْ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنْعَـمٌ لاَّ يَذْكُرُونَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا﴾

(And (they say) there are cattle forbidden to be used for burden, and cattle on which the Name of Allah is not pronounced.) I said, `No.' He said, `It is the Bahirah, which they would not use to for Hajj (either by riding it or carrying things on it).''' Mujahid also said that they were some of the camels belonging to idolators on which Allah's Name was not mentioned when riding, milking, carrying things, copulation or any other action.

﴿افْتِرَآءً عَلَيْهِ﴾

(lying against Him.) against Allah. The idolators indeed lied when they attributed this evil to Allah's religion and Law; He did not allow them to do that nor did He approve of it,

﴿سَيَجْزِيهِم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ﴾

(He will recompense them for what they used to fabricate.) against Him, and falsely attribute to Him.

﴿وَقَالُواْ مَا فِى بُطُونِ هَـذِهِ الأَنْعَـمِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَى أَزْوَجِنَا وَإِن يَكُن مَّيْتَةً فَهُمْ فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُ سَيَجْزِيهِمْ وَصْفَهُمْ إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴾

(139. And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females, but if it is born dead, then all have shares therein." He will punish them for their attribution (of such false orders to Allah). Verily, He is All-Wise, All-Knower.) Abu Ishaq As-Subay`i narrated that `Abdullah bin Abi Al-Hudhayl reported that Ibn `Abbas said that,

﴿وَقَالُواْ مَا فِى بُطُونِ هَـذِهِ الأَنْعَـمِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا﴾

(And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone...") refers to milk. `Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said about this Ayah,

﴿وَقَالُواْ مَا فِى بُطُونِ هَـذِهِ الأَنْعَـمِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا﴾

(And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone...") "It is about milk, which they prohibited for their females and allowed only their males to drink. When a sheep would give birth to a male sheep, they would slaughter it and feed it to their males, but not to their females. If the newly born lamb was a female, they would not slaughter it, but if it was stillborn, they would share in it (with their females)! Allah forbade this practice.'' Similar was said by As-Suddi. Ash-Sha`bi said, "The Bahirah's milk was only given to the men. But if any cattle from the Bahirah died, both men and women would share in eating it.'' Similar was said by `Ikrimah, Qatadah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Mujahid commented;

﴿وَقَالُواْ مَا فِى بُطُونِ هَـذِهِ الأَنْعَـمِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَى أَزْوَجِنَا﴾

(And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females...'') "It refers to the Sa'ibah and the Bahirah.'' Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid and Qatadah said that Allah's statement,

﴿سَيَجْزِيهِمْ وَصْفَهُمْ﴾

(He will punish them for their attribution. ) means, uttering such falsehood. This is explained by Allah's statement,

﴿وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَـذَا حَلَـلٌ وَهَـذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لاَ يُفْلِحُونَ ﴾

(And say not concerning that which your tongues falsely utter: "This is lawful and this is forbidden." so as to invent lies against Allah. Verily, those who invent lies against Allah will never prosper.) ﴿16:116﴾ Allah said,

﴿إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ﴾

(Verily, He is All-Wise.) in His actions, statements, Law and decree,

﴿عَلِيمٌ﴾

(All-Knower), in the actions of His servants, whether good or evil, and He will recompense them for these deeds completely.

﴿قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ قَتَلُواْ أَوْلَـدَهُمْ سَفَهاً بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَحَرَّمُواْ مَا رَزَقَهُمُ اللَّهُ افْتِرَآءً عَلَى اللَّهِ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ ﴾

(140. Indeed lost are they who have killed their children, foolishly, without knowledge, and (they) have forbidden that which Allah has provided for them, inventing a lie against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and were not guided.)