thamāniyata azwājin mina l-ḍani ith'nayni wamina l-maʿzi ith'nayni qul āldhakarayni ḥarrama ami l-unthayayni ammā ish'tamalat ʿalayhi arḥāmu l-unthayayni nabbiūnī biʿil'min in kuntum ṣādiqīna
Translation
[They are] eight mates - of the sheep, two and of the goats, two. Say, "Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you should be truthful."
Verse 143 of Surah Al-An’am (6:143), a Meccan surah, is in juz 8, on page 147 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 143
Al-Mukhtasar
He created for you eight types: two types of sheep, male and female, and two types of goats. Say, O Messenger, to the idolaters: Did Allah make the two males unlawful because of their being male? If they say, ‘Yes,’ then ask them: Why do you regard the females as unlawful? Or did He make the two females unlawful because of their being female? If they say, ‘Yes,’ then ask them: Why do you regard the males as unlawful? Or did He make what the wombs of the two females contain unlawful because of being contained in the womb? If they say, ‘Yes,’ then ask them: Why do you differentiate between what the wombs contain by making the male unlawful sometimes and making the female unlawful at other times? Tell me, O idolaters, what proper knowledge do you base this on, if you are truthful in your claim that the prohibition for this is from Allah?
[They are] eight [in four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me on the basis of knowledge, if you are truthful.”
Eight pairs: of the sheep two (male and female),18 and of the goats two (male and female). Say: "Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful."
Notes
[18] (V.6:143) Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: I heard Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم saying, "While a shepherd was amongst his sheep, a wolf attacked them and took away one sheep. When the shepherd chased the wolf, the wolf turned towards him and said, ‘Who will be their guard on the day of wild animals when nobody except I will be their shepherd’*. And while a man was driving a cow with a load on it, it turned towards him and spoke to him saying, ‘I have not been created for this purpose, but for ploughing.’" The people said, "Glorified be Allâh." The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said, "But I believe in it and so does Abu Bakr and ‘Umar رضي الله عنهم." (Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Vol.5, Hadîth No.15).
* It has been written that a wolf also spoke to a shepherd during the Prophet’s lifetime near Al-Madinah, as narrated in Musnad Imam Ahmad in the Musnad of Abu Sa‘îd Al-Khudri رضي الله عنه (Vol.3, Page 83): Narrated Abu Sa‘îd Al-Khudri رضي الله عنه: (While a shepherd was in his hered of sheep), suddenly a wolf attacked a sheep and took it away, the shepherd chased the wolf and took back the sheep, the wolf sat on its tail and addressed the shepherd saying: "Be afraid of Allâh, you have taken the provision from me which Allâh gave me." The shepherd said: "What an amazing thing! A wolf sitting on its tail speaks to me in the language of a human being." The wolf said: "Shall I tell you something more amazing than this? There is Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم the Messenger of Allâh in Yathrib (Al-Madinah) informing the people about the news of the past." Then the shepherd (after hearing that) proceeded (towards Al-Madinah) driving his sheep till he entered Al-Madinah, cornered his sheep in a place, and came to Allâh’s Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and informed the whole story. Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered for the proclamation of a congregational salat (صلاة جامعة) then he صلى الله عليه وسلم came out and asked the shepherd to inform the people (about the story), and he informed them. Then Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "He (the shepherd) has spoken the truth. By Him (Allâh) in Whose Hands my soul is, the Day of Resurrection will not be established till beasts of prey (سباع) speak to the human beings, and the stick lash and the shoe-laces of a person speak to him and his thigh inform him about his family as to what happened to them after him.
Eight pairs: Of the sheep twain, and of the goats twain. Say: Hath He forbidden the two males or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Expound to me (the case) with knowledge, if ye are truthful.
(Take) eight (head of cattle) in (four) pairs: of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair; say, hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with knowledge if ye are truthful:
Eight in pairs-- two of sheep and two of goats. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.
Eight pairs: (i.e., eight males and females paired together) of mutton two, (i.e., sheep) and of goats two. Say, "Has He prohibited the two males or even the two females? Or even what the wombs of the two females contain? Fully inform me with knowledge, in case you are sincere."
He created you from one soul. Then He made from it its mate, and He produced for you from the grazing livestock eight mates. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, within three darknesses. That is Allāh, your Lord; to Him belongs dominion. There is no deity except Him, so how are you averted?
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
And of the camels, two and of the cattle, two. Say, "Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when Allāh charged you with this? Then who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allāh to mislead the people by [something] other than knowledge? Indeed, Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people."
