Explanation of the Udhiyyah and the Sha`a'ir of Allah

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَـئِرَ اللَّهِ

(and whosoever honors the Sha`a'ir of Allah,) means, His commands.

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ (And if one observes the sanctity of the symbols of Allah - 22:32) The word شَعَائِرَ‌ is the plural of شَعِیرہ which means a ` symbol', ` a distinctive sign', and refers to those things which are considered as the specific emblems of certain groups of people or certain faiths. شَعَائِرَ‌ are those special laws which are generally taken to be the identifying features of a Muslim. Most of the rules of Hajj fall in this category.

فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ (then such things emanate from the piety of the hearts - 22:32). It means that respect for the شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ (Symbols of Allah) is an evidence of the piety of heart, which indicates that the symbols of Allah are respected by the one who has taqwa (fear of Allah) in his heart and that taqwa is a quality which rests in one's heart. When the heart is equipped with this quality, it is reflected in all his actions.