ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامُ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ ﴿۳۰﴾ حُنَفَاءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ ﴿۳۱﴾

﴾30﴿ Zaalika wa mai yu'azzim hurumaatil laahi fahuwa khairul lahoo 'inda Rabbih; wa uhillat lakumul an'aamu illaa maa yutlaa 'alaikum fajtanibur rijsa minal awsaani wajtaniboo qawlaz zoor
﴾31﴿ Hunafaaa'a lillaahi ghaira mushrikeena bih; wa mai yushrik billaahi faka annamaa kharra minas samaaa'i fatakh tafuhut tairu aw tahwee bihir reehu bee makaanin saheeq

﴾30﴿ This [is what you should remember]. And whoever honors the sacred ordinances of Allah, it is best for him in the sight of his Lord. And livestock have been made lawful for you, except what is recited to you. So avoid the impurity of idol worship and avoid false speech
﴾31﴿ Be steadfast in devotion to Allah, associating nothing with Him. And whoever associates partners with Allah, it is as if he has fallen from the sky, then the birds snatch him away, or the wind carries him off to a distant place

[30] In this verse, additional benefits of Hajj are mentioned, including:
1. Honoring the sacred prohibitions of Allah (حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ),
2. Condemning man-made prohibitions,
3. Avoiding vows made to anyone besides Allah,
4. Avoiding polytheistic expressions and false speech.
Through Hajj, one practically trains in these principles. So, if a pilgrim does not uphold these, it shows their Hajj was not truly fulfilled.
The term “حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ” refers to all that Allah has made forbidden during iḥrām and in the Haram of Makkah—such as hunting, cutting the plants of the Haram (except for the plant “idhkhar”), and so on.
To honor these prohibitions means to avoid actions that Allah has forbidden.
The phrase “وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامُ” is a refutation of man-made prohibitions, as the polytheists used to forbid certain animals on themselves by imitating religious law. This is explained in detail in Surah al-Mā’idah.
“إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ” refers to animals that Allah has clearly forbidden, such as dead animals, pigs, etc.
“فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ” – “awthān” (idols) refers to anything worshipped besides Allah, whether it’s an idol, a Christian cross (as in the hadith of ‘Adī ibn Ḥātim, where the cross is called an "wathan"), or even a grave—as stated in the authentic hadith: “O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped.” Any act of worship at a grave—such as prostration, vows, or circumambulation—makes it a wathan. This is also mentioned in Al-Balāgh al-Mubīn.
So, the verse commands abandoning the worship of idols, and anything vowed in their name is impure.
In Ibn ‘Atiyyah’s Tafsir, this is linked to animals slaughtered in the name of idols, and the phrase “مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ” can be understood in two ways:
As explanatory (min bayāniyyah): meaning “the impurity is the worship of idols itself.” As for initiation (min ibtidā’): meaning “stay away from all impurity that stems from idol-worship (i.e., shirk).”
The phrase “قَوْلَ الزُّورِ” applies to any false or deviant speech, particularly words of shirk, such as declaring things forbidden or vowing in the name of anyone besides Allah. It also includes false testimony and lying in general.
Avoiding such speech is obligatory upon all Muslims, and even more so upon those performing Hajj.
[31] In the phrase “حُنَفَاءَ”, there is an indication that abandoning idols and false speech is essential due to true monotheism (ḥanīfiyyah)—not merely out of personal desire or worldly gain.
A ḥanīf is someone who abandons false religion and firmly adheres to the true religion.
The phrase “وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ” gives a powerful metaphor for the humiliation and destruction of the polytheist, showing that there is no way for him to be saved. It is like a person who falls from the sky and is either torn apart by birds or swept away into a deep desert pit.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) explains this metaphor in detail: Tawḥīd is likened to the sky, which contains the sun, moon, and stars (symbolizing divine guidance). Whoever commits shirk falls away from this sky—thus, they are cut off from the Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the path of the noble Companions.
Falling from the sky represents deep humiliation. The scholars and spiritual leaders of the polytheists are likened to birds—once the person falls into their hands, they tear apart his faith, modesty, honor, and wealth.
If he does not fall into their hands, then he becomes trapped in atheism or materialism (dahriyyah)—completely denying Allah and His religion.
In both cases, the person becomes disgraced in this world and the Hereafter.