وَأَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلْحَجَّ وَٱلْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ فَإِنْ أُحْصِرْتُمْ فَمَا ٱسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ ٱلْهَدْىِ وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا۟ رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ ٱلْهَدْىُ مَحِلَّهُۥ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِۦٓ أَذًى مِّن رَّأْسِهِۦ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِّن صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ فَإِذَآ أَمِنتُمْ فَمَن تَمَتَّعَ بِٱلْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى ٱلْحَجِّ فَمَا ٱسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ ٱلْهَدْىِ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِى ٱلْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ تِلْكَ عَشَرَةٌ كَامِلَةٌ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن لَّمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُۥ حَاضِرِى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
“Perform the pilgrimage and the visit (to Makka) for Allah. And if ye are prevented, then send such gifts as can be obtained with ease, and shave not your heads until the gifts have reached their destination. And whoever among you is sick or hath an ailment of the head must pay a ransom of fasting or almsgiving or offering. And if ye are in safety, then whosoever contenteth himself with the visit for the pilgrimage (shall give) such gifts as can be had with ease. And whosoever cannot find (such gifts), then a fast of three days while on the pilgrimage, and of seven when ye have returned; that is, ten in all. That is for him whoso folk are not present at the Inviolable Place of Worship. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is severe in punishment.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
Taberî conveys the view that the last day of the three-day fast is the Day of Arafah, citing various reports transmitted from al-Hakam, Ibrahim, Ibn Umar, and Ubayd ibn Umayr; while some scholars say these three days are the Days of Tashriq, the view he prefers is the day before Tarviyah, the Day of Tarviyah, and the Day of Arafah. He also notes that the ten days (three plus seven) being referred to as 'complete ten days' means that their complete fulfillment is commanded, because although the verse comes in the form of a statement, its meaning is a command.
وأولى هذه الأقوال عندي قول من قال: معنى ذلك تلك عشرة كاملة عليكم فرضنا إكمالها. وذلك أنه جل ثناؤه قال: فمن لم يجد الهدي فعليه صيام ثلاثة أيام في الحج وسبعة إذا رجع، ثم قال: تلك عشرة أيام عليكم إكمال صومها لمتعتكم بالعمرة إلى الحج. فأخرج ذلك مخرج الخبر، ومعناه الأمر بها
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
In this section, Zamakhshari explains that the word 'hawa' (desire) means 'perished,' and that its original meaning is to fall from a mountain and perish. He also states that everything commanded and forbidden by the Messenger must be obeyed, and that this is not limited to a specific matter but encompasses all commands and prohibitions in general; he expresses that the matter of booty and fay also falls within this general scope. To support this, he transmits the report of Ibn Masud reading a single verse to a man who wore clothing while in the state of ihram as evidence.
والأجود أن يكون عاما في كل ما أتى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ونهى عنه ، وأمر الفيء داخل في عمومه . وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه : أنه لقي رجلا محرما وعليه ثيابه فقال له : انزع عنك هذا فقال الرجل : اقرأ علي في هذا آية من كتاب الله . قال : نعم ، فقرأها عليه .
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Râzî, the expression 'complete' is an absolute command; that is, it means perform the pilgrimage and umrah with perfection and completeness, and not conditioned merely on 'complete what you have begun,' as Abû Hanîfah says. As a result of this interpretation, according to Râzî's school, umrah is considered a separate obligatory act of worship from the pilgrimage, whereas according to Abû Hanîfah it is not obligatory. He also notes that the word 'ghair' means negation rather than exception, and is explained as the condition of the necessity.
المعنى : افعلوا الحج والعمرة على نعت الكمال والتمام والقول الثاني : وهو قول أبي حنيفة رضي الله عنه : إن هذا الأمر مشروط ، والمعنى أن من شرع فيه فليتمه
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Baydâwî, the expression 'complete the pilgrimage and umrah for Allah' means to fulfill completely the prescribed rites of these two acts of worship, and this expression indicates the obligation of both the pilgrimage and umrah. The differing views of the Shâfi'î and Hanafî schools regarding the rulings on ihsâr, ransom, tamattu' pilgrimage, sacrifice, and fasting are transmitted in detail; particularly discussed are whether ihsâr occurs only due to enemy obstruction or due to all types of obstacles such as illness, how one knows where the sacrificial animal has arrived, and the practice of ransom and fasting in tamattu' and qirân pilgrimages.
وأتموا الحج والعمرة لله أي ائتوا بهما تامين مستجمعي المناسك لوجه الله تعالى، وهو على هذا يدل على وجوبهما ويؤيده قراءة من قرأ وأقيموا الحج والعمرة لله
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Qurtubî, the statement 'until the sacrifice reaches its place' encompasses both those in ihsâr and those who are free, but some scholars have said this is specific only to those in ihsâr; accordingly, one does not exit the sacred state until the sacrifice is slaughtered. Regarding the place where the sacrifice is to be made, Mâlik and Shâfi'î base themselves on the place where ihsâr occurred in cases of enemy obstruction, while Abû Hanîfah bases himself on the Sacred Sanctuary in all cases.
فالمحل في حصر العدو عند مالك والشافعي : موضع الحصر اقتداء برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زمن الحديبية
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kathîr transmits the different views of the Companions and Successors regarding the completion of the pilgrimage and umrah: according to Ali ibn Abî Tâlib, this means separating the pilgrimage from the umrah and performing umrah outside the pilgrimage months; according to Ibn Abbas, once a person enters the sacred state, they cannot exit it until they complete the pilgrimage or umrah. Moreover, regarding the ruling of tamattu' (enjoyment), it is reported from Ibn Abbas that tamattu' is forbidden for the people of Mecca but permissible for the people of other regions. Ibn Jarîr, on the other hand, prefers the view of Shâfi'î on this matter, stating that it refers to the inhabitants of the Sacred Sanctuary and those at a distance where travel in prayer is not excused.
الحج عرفة والعمرة الطواف
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes agree that the verse commands the complete and perfect fulfillment of acts of worship related to pilgrimage and umrah; reliance on reports from the Companions and Successors is the common method in determining the specific rulings and conditions of these acts of worship (fasting days, completion, sacrifice, ihsâr, etc.).
Differences
While Taberî and Ibn Kathîr primarily transmit the diversity of reports and offer preference, Zamakhshari focuses on linguistic analysis and the general scope of commands and prohibitions. Râzî and Baydâwî highlight differences between jurisprudential schools (particularly the distinction between Abû Hanîfah and Shâfi'î), discussing the aspect of obligation in the expression 'completion'; Qurtubî, meanwhile, concentrates on comparative jurisprudential reasoning regarding the matter of ihsâr and the place of sacrifice. These differences stem from the jurisprudential schools to which the exegetes belonged and their methodological priorities (whether report-heavy, language/rhetoric-heavy, or jurisprudential reasoning-heavy).
Historical context
Early exegetes (Taberî) limited themselves to transmitting the multiplicity of reports and expressing preference, while later exegetes (Zamakhshari, Râzî, Baydâwî, Qurtubî, Ibn Kathîr) made linguistic analysis and comparative jurisprudential reasoning between schools increasingly systematic over time; the fundamental topics (completion of pilgrimage, ihsâr, tamattu') remained fixed, but the depth of discussion and the jurisprudential framework expanded over time.