[5:0] In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
[5:1] O you who believe, you shall fulfill your covenants. Permitted for you to eat are the livestock, except those specifically prohibited herein. You shall not permit hunting throughout Hajj pilgrimage. GOD decrees whatever He wills.
[5:2] O you who believe, do not violate the rites instituted by GOD, nor the Sacred Months, nor the animals to be offered, nor the garlands marking them, nor the people who head for the Sacred Shrine (Ka`bah) seeking blessings from their Lord and approval. Once you complete the pilgrimage, you may hunt.* Do not be provoked into aggression by your hatred of people who once prevented you from going to the Sacred Masjid. You shall cooperate in matters of righteousness and piety; do not cooperate in matters that are sinful and evil. You shall observe GOD. GOD is strict in enforcing retribution.
*5:2 Hunting and the cutting of plants are forbidden during pilgrimage for the conservation of natural resources. With thousands of pilgrims converging on Mecca, if hunting were permitted, the land would quickly be stripped of its natural resources. Animal offerings are made part of the pilgrimage to provide for the converging pilgrims, as well as the local population, and to replenish any depleted supplies. See 2:196.
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