Surah Al-Ma'idah
مَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَآئِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ ۙ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ ۖ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Mā ja‘alallāhu mim baḥīratiw wa lā sā'ibatiw wa lā waṣīlatiw wa lā ḥām(in), wa lākinnal-lażīna kafarū yaftarūna ‘alallāhil-każib(a), wa akṡaruhum lā ya‘qilūn(a).
Allah has not appointed [such innovations as] bahirah or sa'ibah or wasilah or ham. But those who disbelieve invent falsehood about Allah, and most of them do not reason.
📝 Footnotes
230) Baḥīrah refers to a female camel that has given birth five times, with the fifth offspring being male. Its ear was then slit, and it was set free; it could no longer be ridden, nor could its milk be taken. 231) Sā’ibah refers to a female camel left to roam freely wherever it pleased due to a vow. For instance, if a pagan Arab was about to undertake a difficult task or journey, he would vow to turn his camel into a sā’ibah if his endeavor was successful or if he returned safely. 232) According to one narration, waṣīlah refers to a female sheep born as a twin alongside a male. The waṣīlah sheep could not be slaughtered, while its male twin was sacrificed to idols. 233) Ḥām refers to a male camel that was left completely undisturbed because it had successfully sired offspring ten times. These practices regarding the baḥīrah, sā’ibah, waṣīlah, and ḥām were part of the superstitious beliefs of the pre-Islamic Arabs during the Period of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah).