namely camels, cattle, and sheep.

Al-Zajjaj preferred the view that the appointed days are the Day of Sacrifice and the Days of Tashriq, because the mention of Allah’s name over livestock indicates pronouncing His name when slaughtering them, and the sacrificial animals are slaughtered on these days. “So eat from them” is a command indicating permissibility, not obligation. This was said because the people of the Age of Ignorance would not eat anything from the meat of their sacrificial offerings. The scholars agreed that when a sacrificial offering is voluntary, it is permissible for the one offering it to eat from it; the same applies to a voluntary udhiyah (Eid sacrifice), as related in the following report:

Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Khirqi informed us; Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Abd Allah al-Taysafuni informed us; Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Jawhari informed us; Ahmad ibn Ali al-Kushmihani informed us; Ali ibn Hujr informed us; Isma'il ibn Ja'far informed us, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, who said concerning the account of the Farewell Pilgrimage: Ali arrived from Yemen with sacrificial camels, while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had driven one hundred camels. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, slaughtered sixty-three of them with his own hand, and Ali slaughtered the remainder. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered that a piece be taken from every camel and placed in a pot. They both ate of its meat and drank of its broth. (1)

They differed concerning sacrificial offerings made obligatory by the Sacred Law: may the one offering them eat anything from them? This includes the sacrifices due for tamattu' and qiran, those required for invalidating or missing the Hajj, and compensation for hunting game.

One group held that he may not eat any of it. This was the view of al-Shafi'i, as well as concerning whatever a person has made binding upon himself through a vow. Ibn Umar said: He should not eat from the compensation for hunting game or from a vowed offering, but he may eat from whatever is other than these. This was also the view of Ahmad and Ishaq. Malik said: He may eat from the sacrifice of tamattu' and from every sacrificial offering that has become obligatory upon him, except the expiation for harm, compensation for hunting game, and vowed offerings. According to the adherents of legal opinion, he may eat from the sacrifices of tamattu' and qiran, but not from any other obligatory sacrifice.

His saying, exalted is He, “And feed the distressed poor.” This means the impoverished, chronically infirm person who possesses nothing. The distressed person is one whose misery has become severe, and misery is extreme poverty.

“Then let them remove their untidiness, fulfil their vows, and circumambulate the Ancient House.” (29)

“Then let them remove their untidiness.” Untidiness means the dirt and uncleanliness resulting from long hair, nails, and dishevelment. The Arabs say to someone whom they find unclean: “How filthy you are!” That is, “How dirty you are!” The pilgrim is dishevelled and dust-covered; he has not shaved his hair or trimmed his nails. Thus, removing untidiness means removing these things: “Let them remove their untidiness,” that is, let them remove their dirt. What is meant is leaving the state of ihram by shaving the head, trimming the moustache, plucking the underarm hair, shaving the pubic hair, clipping the nails, and putting on ordinary clothing. Ibn Umar