“Eight mates: two of sheep and two of goats. Say, ‘Has He forbidden the two males, the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful. And two of camels and two of cattle. Say, “Has He forbidden the two males, the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you present when Allah enjoined this upon you?” Who, then, is more unjust than one who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to mislead people without knowledge? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.’”
These are the livestock with which Allah has blessed His servants and which He has made entirely lawful and wholesome. He specified them as “eight mates: two of sheep”—a male and a female—“and two of goats” likewise. These are four, all included among what Allah has made lawful, with no distinction between any of them. Say, then, to those who make arbitrary distinctions—declaring some of them unlawful but not others, or prohibiting some to females but not to males—thereby compelling them to acknowledge that there is no difference between what they permit and what they prohibit: “Has He forbidden the two males” of the sheep and goats? You neither claim this nor apply it consistently. “Or the two females” of the sheep and goats? This is not your claim either, for you do not prohibit all the males or all the females of both kinds.
There remains the case in which the womb contains a male and a female, or one whose sex is unknown. He therefore said: “Or” do you prohibit “what the wombs of the two females contain”—that is, the female sheep and the female goat—without distinguishing between male and female? Nor do you maintain this position either.
Since you affirm none of these three positions, which encompass every possible category in this matter, what position can you possibly take?
“Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful” in your claim and assertion. It is well known that they cannot advance any rationally tenable position except one of these three, yet they affirm none of them. They merely claim that certain livestock, to which they assign designations of their own invention, are forbidden to females but not to males, or are forbidden at particular times, or make similar claims. It is known beyond doubt that these claims spring from compound ignorance, impaired and deviant minds, and corrupt opinions. Allah has sent down no authority for what they say, nor do they possess any proof or evidence for it.
He then stated the same regarding camels and cattle. Having demonstrated the falsehood and corruption of their claim, He addressed them with an argument whose consequences they could not evade except by following Allah’s law: “Or were you present when Allah enjoined this upon you?” That is, only one claim remains for you—a claim whose truth and validity you have no means of establishing. You would have to say that Allah enjoined this upon you and revealed it to you just as He revealed to His messengers—or, rather, that He gave you a revelation contrary to that which the messengers proclaimed and the scriptures conveyed. This is a fabrication whose falsehood is evident to everyone. He therefore said: “Who, then, is more unjust than one who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to mislead people without knowledge?” That is, in addition to lying and fabricating claims against Allah, his purpose is to lead Allah’s servants away from His path, though he possesses neither evidence nor proof, neither reason nor revelation. “Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people”—those who desire nothing but wrongdoing, injustice, and fabricating lies against Allah.