"And a proclamation from Allah and His Messenger"—meaning, an announcement from Allah and His Messenger.
"To the people on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage," which is the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr), "that Allah is free from [obligations to] the polytheists, and so is His Messenger," if they do not believe.
Tafsir of Mujahid: The Messenger of Allah returned from Tabuk once he had finished it; he wanted to perform the Hajj. Then he said: "Polytheists attend the House, circumambulating it naked, and I do not like to perform the Hajj until that does not happen." So he sent Abu Bakr and Ali, and they toured among the people at Dhu al-Majaz, and at the places where they used to trade, and throughout the entire pilgrimage season. They proclaimed to the people of the treaty that they should be secure for four [months] from the Day of Sacrifice until ten nights had passed of the month of Rabi' al-Akhir, and thereafter there would be no treaty.
Qatadah said: Abu Bakr was appointed as the leader of the pilgrims that day, and Ali made the proclamation among them. That was the year in which both the Muslims and the polytheists performed the Hajj.
﴿وأذان من الله وَرَسُوله﴾ أَيْ: وإعلامٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ.
﴿إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الأَكْبَرِ﴾ وَهُوَ يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ ﴿أَنَّ اللَّهَ بريءٌ من الْمُشْركين وَرَسُوله﴾ إِنْ لَمْ يَؤْمِنُوا.
تَفْسِيرُ مُجَاهِدٍ: أَقْبَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ مِنْ تَبُوكَ حِينَ فَرَغَ مِنْهَا؛ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَحُجَّ.
ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّهُ يَحْضَرُ الْبَيْتَ مُشْرِكُونَ يَطُوفُونَ عُرَاةً، وَلا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَحُجَّ حَتَّى لَا يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ. فَأَرْسَلَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعَلِيًّا فَطَافَا فِي النَّاسِ بِذِي الْمَجَازِ، وَبِأَمْكِنَتِهِمِ الَّتِي كَانُوا يَتَبَايَعُونَ فِيهَا، وَبِالْمَوْسِمِ كُلِّهِ، فَآذَنُوا أَصْحَابَ الْعَهْدِ بَأَنَّ يَأْمَنُوا أَرْبَعَةَ [أَشْهُرٍ] مِنْ يَوْمِ النَّحْرِ إِلَى عَشْرِ لَيَالٍ يَمْضِينَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الآخِرِ، ثُمَّ لَا عَهْدَ.
وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ أُمِّرَ عَلَى الْحَاجِّ يومئذٍ، وَنَادَى عليٌّ فِيهِ بِالأَذَانِ، وَكَانَ عَامًا حَجَّ فِيهِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ.
