The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out on al-Bayḍāʾ and called out:

“O people, do not eat any of their meat, for it has been dedicated to other than Allah.” (1)

Thus those Companions explained that whatever is slaughtered with the intention of honoring anyone besides Allah falls under the ruling of “that over which a name other than Allah has been invoked.” (2) Hence it is clear (3) that the verse is not limited to merely pronouncing another name; rather, every slaughter meant as an act of devotion to someone other than Allah is included in the prohibition. Likewise, (4) the exegeses of the Successors state that “what is sacrificed upon the altars” is in fact what is slaughtered for other than Allah.

[Return to the detailed discussion of what is slaughtered upon the altars]

We have also transmitted, in the well-known commentary of Mujāhid—the sound version narrated by Ibn Abī Najīḥ—regarding the Almighty’s words,

“and that which has been sacrificed on the altars” [al-Māʾidah 5:3] (5)

that he said: “They were stones set up around the Kaʿbah to which the people of the Jāhiliyyah would sacrifice; and whenever they wished, they would replace them with stones they found more pleasing.” (6)

Ibn Abī Shaybah narrated—Muḥammad ibn Faḍīl related to us, from Ashʿath, from al-Ḥasan—about the verse,

“and that which has been sacrificed on the altars” [al-Māʾidah 5:3] (7)

that he said: “It is equivalent (8) to whatever is slaughtered for other than Allah.”

And in the well-known tafsīr of Qatādah it is said:

“As for what is slaughtered upon the altars: the altars were stones that the people of the Jāhiliyyah worshipped and to which they sacrificed, so Allah forbade that.” (9)