Quran Universe
6:139

وَقَالُواْ مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ خَالِصَةٞ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِنَاۖ وَإِن يَكُن مَّيۡتَةٗ فَهُمۡ فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُۚ سَيَجۡزِيهِمۡ وَصۡفَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٞ

Waqaloo ma fee butooni hathihi alanAAami khalisatun lithukoorina wamuharramun AAala azwajina wain yakun maytatan fahum feehi shurakao sayajzeehim wasfahum innahu hakeemun AAaleemun

And they say, "What is in the bellies of these animals is exclusively for our males and forbidden to our females. But if it is [born] dead, then all of them have shares therein." He will punish them for their description. Indeed, He is Wise and Knowing.

Word by word
  1. وَقَالُواْAnd they say
  2. مَاWhat
  3. فِي(is) in
  4. بُطُونِ(the) wombs
  5. هَٰذِهِ(of) these
  6. ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِcattle
  7. خَالِصَةٞ(is) exclusively
  8. لِّذُكُورِنَاfor our males
  9. وَمُحَرَّمٌand forbidden
  10. عَلَىٰٓon
  11. أَزۡوَٰجِنَاۖour spouses
  12. وَإِنBut if
  13. يَكُنis
  14. مَّيۡتَةٗ(born) dead
  15. فَهُمۡthen they (all)
  16. فِيهِin it
  17. شُرَكَآءُۚ(are) partners
  18. سَيَجۡزِيهِمۡHe will recompense them
  19. وَصۡفَهُمۡۚ(for) their attribution
  20. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,He
  21. حَكِيمٌ(is) All-Wise
  22. عَلِيمٞAll-Knowing
Al-An'am · 6:139Makkah

Good for our men, forbidden to our women, unless it died.

Unfair rules women carried in the name of religion

Their rule
the milk, the youngfor males only
women forbidden
except
if born deadthen all share
What Allah made of it
a sacred custom
a false descriptionHe will repay it

Ibn Abbas said this was about milk and newborn animals: the men got them, the women did not, unless the animal was born dead, then they all shared. Allah forbade it. Mujahid and others said He will repay them for what their tongues falsely described as lawful and forbidden.

At family gatherings the men eat first and the women get what is left. Someone says it is just how religious families do it. Unfairness wrapped in religion is still unfairness. Allah is wise and knows what is really being done.

If it is an old custom, it must be part of the faith.

Allah condemned customs that favored men in His name. He sees through the label.

Try this

At the next family meal, make sure someone who is usually served last gets served first.

Related16:116
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females, but if it is born dead, then all have shares therein." He will punish them for their attribution (of such false orders to Allah). Verily, He is All-Wise, All-Knower (139)

Abu Ishaq As-Subay'i narrated that 'Abdullah bin Abi Al-Hudhayl reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

وَقَالُوا مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَٰذِهِ الْأَنْعَامِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا

(And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone...") refers to milk. 'Awfi said that Ibn 'Abbas said about this Ayah,

وَقَالُوا مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَٰذِهِ الْأَنْعَامِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا

(And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone...")

"It is about milk, which they prohibited for their females and allowed only their males to drink. When a sheep would give birth to a male sheep, they would slaughter it and feed it to their males, but not to their females. If the newly born lamb was a female, they would not slaughter it, but if it was stillborn, they would share in it (with their females)! Allah forbade this practice." Similar was said by As-Suddi.

Ash-Sha'bi said, "The Bahirah's milk was only given to the men. But if any cattle from the Bahirah died, both men and women would share in eating it." Similar was said by 'Ikrimah, Qatadah and 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Mujahid commented;

وَقَالُوا مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَٰذِهِ الْأَنْعَامِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِنَا

(And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females...")

"It refers to the 'Sā'ibah' and the 'Baḥīrah'." Abu Al-'Aliyah, Mujahid and Qatadah said that Allah's statement,

سَيَجْزِيهِمْ وَصْفَهُمْ

(He will punish them for their attribution.) means, uttering such falsehood. This is explained by Allah's statement,

وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ

(And say not concerning that which your tongues falsely utter: "This is lawful and this is forbidden." so as to invent lies against Allah. Verily, those who invent lies against Allah will never prosper.)[16:116] Allah said,

إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ

(Verily, He is All-Wise.) in His actions, statements, Law and decree,

عَلِيمٌ

(All-Knower), in the actions of His servants, whether good or evil, and He will recompense them for these deeds completely.