"O you who have believed, do not violate the symbols of Allah, nor the sacred month, nor the sacrificial animals, nor the garlands, nor those repairing to the Sacred House." This was before they were commanded to fight the polytheists in their entirety.

His saying: "Nor the garlands" means: the people of the garlands. The garlands were that a man, when he left his family for Hajj or 'Umrah and had no sacrificial animal with him, would place garlands of hair or [fur around his neck, and he would be safe] by them until he reached Mecca. And when he left Mecca, he would hang on himself some bark from the trees of Mecca, and he would be safe by it until he reached his land.

And his saying: "Nor those repairing to the Sacred House" means: the polytheist pilgrims, and the bounty and pleasure they were seeking was that Allah should rectify their livelihoods for them in this world, and not punish them in it.

Muhammad said: The singular of "those repairing" is "the repairer"; they are those who are intending. The symbols of Allah: what Allah has established as a sign of obedience to Him; its singular is "symbol". The sacred month (Muharram); he says: Do not fight therein.

"But when you have become lawful [to hunt], then hunt," meaning: when you have exited your state of ihram. It is a permission; if