Dawud ibn al-Husayn, that he heard Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib saying: "The maysir of the people of the Jahiliyyah was the sale of meat for a sheep or two sheep."

His saying: "The ansab [idolatrous altars]"

[6754] Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah narrated to us, Hajjaj ibn Muhammad narrated to us, Ibn Jurayj and ‘Umar ibn ‘Ata’ informed us, from ‘Ata’, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, who said: "The ansab are stones for which they used to sacrifice." Similar was narrated from Mujahid, ‘Ata’, al-Hasan, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, al-Dahhak, al-Rabi‘ ibn Anas, and Muqatil ibn Hayyan.

His saying: "And the azlam [divining arrows]"

[The First Aspect]

[6755] And by way of him, from Ibn ‘Abbas regarding His saying: "And the azlam," he said: "The azlam are arrows [qidhah] with which they used to divide matters." Similar was narrated from al-Hasan, Mujahid, ‘Ata’, Ibrahim, and Muqatil ibn Hayyan.

[The Second Aspect]

[6756] Ahmad ibn Sinan narrated to us, Abu Ahmad narrated to us, Isra’il narrated to us, from Abu Husayn, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr regarding His saying: "And the azlam," he said: "They had pebbles; when one of them wanted to wage war or sit [to decide a matter], he would use them for divination." Similar was narrated from al-Thawri.

[6757] Abu Zur‘ah ibn Yahya ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Bukayr narrated to us, Ibn Lahi‘ah narrated to me, ‘Ata’ ibn Dinar narrated to me, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr regarding His saying: "The azlam," meaning the two arrows which the people of the Jahiliyyah used to use for divination in their affairs. On one of them was written: "My Lord commanded me," and on the other: "My Lord forbade me." When they wanted to undertake a matter, they would use them. If the one with "My Lord commanded me" written on it came out, they would proceed with the matter they intended. If the one with "My Lord forbade me" written on it came out, they would abandon the matter they intended to undertake. These are the azlam.

[His saying: Rijs [impurity/abomination]]

[The First Aspect]

[6758] My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn ‘Abbas regarding His saying: "Rijs," he says: "Displeasure."