Overall meaning : Allah Almighty declares that He has created eight types of grazing livestock, made in four pairs: a pair of sheep (male and female) and a pair of goats (male and female). Then, addressing His Prophet, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, He directs him to tell those who declare forbidden what Allah has provided for them, making certain types forbidden or considering some of them lawful for their males but not for their females, that there is no difference whatsoever between what they have declared lawful and unlawful: Has my Lord forbidden the two males (the male goats and sheep), the two females or what is in the wombs of the two females? The fact of the matter is that they do not reply to any of these questions in the affirmative. If this is the case, why do they, then, forbid some types of grazing livestock and permit others? Allah Almighty asks him to demand that they should inform him about the difference between what they have forbidden and what they have permitted with sound, authoritative knowledge if what they claim is true.
Allah, Exalted be he, then mentions the rest of the eight types of grazing livestock that are made in four pairs. Here He mentions a pair of camels (male and female) and a pair of cattle (male and female). Then He instructs His Prophet, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to deploy the same argument and inform those who declare forbidden what Allah has provided for them, making certain types forbidden or considering some of them lawful for their males but not for their females, that there is no difference at all between what they have declared lawful and unlawful: Has my Lord forbidden the two males (the male camels and cattle), the two females or what is in the wombs of the two females? The fact is that they do not reply to any of these questions in the affirmative. If this is the case, why do they, then, forbid some types of grazing livestock and permit others? Or were they witnesses when Allah gave them this commandment which they falsely attribute to Him? No one, Allah warns, does greater wrong than those who invent lies about Him to lead people astray without sound, authoritative knowledge, stating that He does not guide wrongdoers to the truth.