Ayah
Word by Word
قُل
Say
لَّآ
Not
أَجِدُ
(do) I find
فِي
in
مَآ
what
أُوحِيَ
has been revealed
إِلَيَّ
to me
مُحَرَّمًا
(anything) forbidden
عَلَىٰ
to
طَاعِمٖ
an eater
يَطۡعَمُهُۥٓ
who eats it
إِلَّآ
except
أَن
that
يَكُونَ
it be
مَيۡتَةً
dead
أَوۡ
or
دَمٗا
blood
مَّسۡفُوحًا
poured forth
أَوۡ
or
لَحۡمَ
(the) flesh
خِنزِيرٖ
(of) swine
فَإِنَّهُۥ
for indeed, it
رِجۡسٌ
(is) filth
أَوۡ
or
فِسۡقًا
(it be) disobedience
أُهِلَّ
[is] dedicated
لِغَيۡرِ
to other than
ٱللَّهِ
Allah
بِهِۦۚ
[on it]
فَمَنِ
But whoever
ٱضۡطُرَّ
(is) compelled
غَيۡرَ
not
بَاغٖ
desiring
وَلَا
and not
عَادٖ
transgressing
فَإِنَّ
then indeed
رَبَّكَ
your Lord
غَفُورٞ
(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمٞ
Most Merciful
قُل
Say
لَّآ
Not
أَجِدُ
(do) I find
فِي
in
مَآ
what
أُوحِيَ
has been revealed
إِلَيَّ
to me
مُحَرَّمًا
(anything) forbidden
عَلَىٰ
to
طَاعِمٖ
an eater
يَطۡعَمُهُۥٓ
who eats it
إِلَّآ
except
أَن
that
يَكُونَ
it be
مَيۡتَةً
dead
أَوۡ
or
دَمٗا
blood
مَّسۡفُوحًا
poured forth
أَوۡ
or
لَحۡمَ
(the) flesh
خِنزِيرٖ
(of) swine
فَإِنَّهُۥ
for indeed, it
رِجۡسٌ
(is) filth
أَوۡ
or
فِسۡقًا
(it be) disobedience
أُهِلَّ
[is] dedicated
لِغَيۡرِ
to other than
ٱللَّهِ
Allah
بِهِۦۚ
[on it]
فَمَنِ
But whoever
ٱضۡطُرَّ
(is) compelled
غَيۡرَ
not
بَاغٖ
desiring
وَلَا
and not
عَادٖ
transgressing
فَإِنَّ
then indeed
رَبَّكَ
your Lord
غَفُورٞ
(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمٞ
Most Merciful
Translation
Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah's". But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- thy Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
Tafsir
Say: 'I do not find, in what is revealed to me, anything forbidden to him who eats thereof except it be (read yakoon or takoon) carrion (maytatan; or if read maytatun, then with the form yakoon, 'it be', preceding it) or blood poured forth, flowing, as opposed to [the case of] a liver or a spleen; or the flesh of swine - that indeed is an abomination, forbidden, or, except it be, a wicked thing that has been hallowed to other than God, that is to say, it has been slaughtered in the name of someone else. But whoever is constrained, to do any of what has been mentioned, and he consumes it, neither coveting nor transgressing, then surely your Lord is Forgiving, to him for what he has consumed, Merciful', towards him. To these [prohibited things] the Sunna adds all beasts of prey with canine teeth and birds [of prey] with talons.
Forbidden Things
Allah commands His servant and Messenger, Muhammad ,
قُل
Say,
O Muhammad to those who prohibited what Allah has provided them, claiming this falsehood to be from Allah,
لااَّ أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوۡحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطۡعَمُهُ
I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it,
This Ayah means, I do not find any animals that are prohibited, except these mentioned here. We should mention here that the prohibited things mentioned in Surah Al-Ma'idah and the Hadiths on this subject amend the meaning of this Ayah.
إِلاَّ أَن يَكُونَ مَيۡتَةً
unless it be Maytah (a dead animal),
أَوۡ دَمًا مَّسۡفُوحًا
or blood poured.
Qatadah commented,
Poured blood was prohibited, but the meat that still has some blood in it is allowed.
Al-Humaydi said that Sufyan narrated to us that `Amr bin Dinar narrated to us,
I said to Jabir bin Abdullah, `They claim that the Messenger of Allah prohibited the meat of donkeys during (the day of) Khaybar.'
He said, Al-Hakam bin `Amr narrated that from the Messenger of Allah. That scholar - referring to Ibn Abbas - denied it, reciting the Ayah;
قُل
لااَّ أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوۡحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطۡعَمُهُ
Say:I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it...'
Al-Bukhari and Abu Dawud collected it.
Abu Bakr bin Marduwyah and Al-Hakim, in his Mustadrak, recorded that Ibn Abbas said,
During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people used to eat some things and avoid some other things, because they disliked them. Later on, Allah sent His Prophet, revealed His Book, allowed what He allowed, and prohibited what He prohibited. Therefore, whatever Allah allowed is lawful and whatever He prohibited is unlawful. Whatever He did not mention, there is no sin in it.
He then recited the Ayah,
قُل لَا أَجِدُ فِى مَأ أُوۡحِىَ إِلَىَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطۡعَمُهُ
(Say:I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it...).
This is the wording with Ibn Marduwyah.
Abu Dawud also recorded this statement, and Al-Hakim said, Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Abbas said,
A sheep belonging to Sawdah bint Zam`ah died and she said, `O Allah's Messenger! So-and-so (sheep) has died.' He said,
فَلِمَ لَا أَخَذۡتُمۡ مَسۡكَهَا
Why did you not use its skin?
She said, `Should we use the skin of a sheep that has died?'
Allah's Messenger said,
إِنَّمَا قَالَ اللهُ
Allah only said,
قُل لاَّ أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوۡحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطۡعَمُهُ إِلاَّ أَن يَكُونَ مَيۡتَةً أَوۡ دَمًا مَّسۡفُوحًا أَوۡ لَحۡمَ خِنزِيرٍ
Say:I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, except Maytah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine....,
وَإِنَّكُمۡ لَاإ تَطۡعَمُونَهُ أَنۡ تَدۡبَغُوهُ فَتَنۡتَفِعُوا بِه
You will not be eating it if you tan its skin and benefit from it.
So she had the sheep skinned, the skin was tanned and made into a water skin that she kept until it wore out.
Al-Bukhari and an-Nasa'i collected a similar Hadith.
فَإِنَّهُ رِجۡسٌ أَوۡ فِسۡقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ اللّهِ بِهِ
for that surely, is unclean (Rijs), or immorally slaughtered in the name of other than Allah.
Allah said,
فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَيۡرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ
But whosoever is forced by necessity without willful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits;
Therefore, whoever is forced by necessity to eat anything that Allah has forbidden in this honorable Ayah, without transgressing his limits, then for him,
فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
certainly, your Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
We mentioned the explanation of this Ayah in Surah Al-Baqarah. This honorable Ayah contradicts the idolators' innovated prohibitions for certain kinds of wealth, relying merely on their misguided ideas, such as the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah and Ham. Allah commanded His Messenger to inform them that he does not find that such types of animals are prohibited in what Allah revealed to him.
In this Ayah, Allah only prohibited;
dead animals,
poured blood,
the flesh of swine and
what has been slaughtered for something other than Allah.
Other things were not prohibited here, but rather treated as that which does not have a ruling, i.e., permissible. Therefore, how do you -- idolators -- claim that such items are prohibited, and why did you prohibit them when Allah did not prohibit them.
Foods that were Prohibited for the Jews Because of their Transgression
Allah says,
وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواۡ حَرَّمۡنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ
And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof,
Allah says, We forbade for the Jews every bird and animal with undivided hoof, such as the camel, ostrich, duck and goose.
Allah said here,
وَمِنَ الۡبَقَرِ وَالۡغَنَمِ حَرَّمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ شُحُومَهُمَا
and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep...,
The Jews used to forbid these types of foods saying that Israil, or Yaqub, used to forbid them for himself so they too forbid them.
This was mentioned by As-Suddi.
إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتۡ ظُهُورُهُمَا
except what adheres to their backs,
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said that it,
refers to the fat that clings to their backs.
Allah said next,
أَوِ الۡحَوَايَا
or their Hawaya,
According to Abu Jafar bin Jarir,
that is, the entrails.
He also said,
The meaning here is, `And from ox and sheep, We forbade their fat for the Jews, except the fat on their backs and what the entrails carry.
Ali bin Abi Talhah said that, Ibn Abbas said that
the, Hawaya, are the entrails.
Similar was reported from Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak.
Allah's statement,
أَوۡ مَا اخۡتَلَطَ بِعَظۡمٍ
.or is mixed up with a bone.
means, We allowed the Jews the fat that is mixed with bones. Ibn Jurayj commented,
The fat on the rump that is mixed with the tailbone was allowed for them, and also the fat on the legs, head, eyes and what adheres to the bones.
As-Suddi said similarly.
Allah said,
ذَلِكَ جَزَيۡنَاهُم بِبَغۡيِهِمۡ
Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion.
meaning, We imposed this restriction on them as recompense for their rebellion and defying Our commandments.
Allah said in another Ayah,
فَبِظُلۡمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواۡ حَرَّمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتۡ لَهُمۡ وَبِصَدِّهِمۡ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً
For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful for them certain good foods which had been lawful for them -- and for their hindering many from Allah's way. (4:160)
Allah's statement,
وِإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ
And verily, We are Truthful.
means, We were justified in the penalty We gave them.
Ibn Jarir commented,
We are Truthful in what We informed you of, O Muhammad; Our forbidding these foods for them, not as they claimed, that Israel merely forbade these things for himself (so they imitated him, they claimed).
The Tricks of the Jews, and Allah's Curse
Abdullah bin Abbas narrated,
When Umar bin Al-Khattab was told that Samurah sold liquor, he commented, `May Allah fight Samurah! Did he not know that the Messenger of Allah said,
لَعَنَ اللهُ الۡيَهُودَ حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ الشُّحُومُ فَجَمَلُوهَا فَبَاعُوهَا
May Allah curse the Jews! The fats were forbidden for them, so they melted the fat and sold it.
This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Jabir bin Abdullah said,
In the year of the victory of Makkah, I heard Allah's Messenger saying;
إِنَّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ حَرَّمَ بَيۡعَ
الۡخَمۡرِ
وَالۡمَيۡتَةِ
وَالۡخِنۡزِيرِ
وَالاۡاَصۡنَام
Allah and His Messenger have forbidden selling
alcoholic drinks (intoxicants),
dead animals,
swine and
idols.
He was asked, `What about the fat of dead animal; they are used to dye skins, paint ships and are used as light by the people.'
He said,
لَاا هُوَ حَرَام
No, it is still unlawful.
He then said,
قَاتَلَ اللهُ الۡيَهُودَ إِنَّ اللهَ لَمَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ شُحُومَهَا جَمَلُوهُ ثُمَّ بَاعُوهُ وَأَكَلُوا ثَمَنَه
May Allah fight the Jews! When Allah forbade them the fats of animals, they melted the fat, sold it and ate its price.
The Group recorded this Hadith
Allah says,
فَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ
If they deny you,
Allah says, if your opponents among the idolators, Jews and their likes reject you, O Muhammad,
قُل رَّبُّكُمۡ ذُو رَحۡمَةٍ وَاسِعَةٍ
Say:Your Lord is the Owner of vast mercy...
encouraging them to seek Allah's vast mercy and follow His Messenger,
وَلَا يُرَدُّ بَأۡسُهُ عَنِ الۡقَوۡمِ الۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
and never will His wrath be turned back from the people who are criminals.
discouraging them from defying the Messenger, the Final Prophet, Muhammad.
Allah often joins encouragement with threats in the Qur'an. Allah said at the end of this Surah:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الۡعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Surely, your Lord is swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (6:165)
Allah also said,
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغۡفِرَةٍ لِّلنَّاسِ عَلَى ظُلۡمِهِمۡ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَشَدِيدُ الۡعِقَابِ
But verily, your Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind in spite of their wrongdoing. And verily, your Lord is (also) severe in punishment. (13:6)
and,
نَبِّىءۡ عِبَادِى أَنِّى أَنَا الۡغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ وَأَنَّ عَذَابِى هُوَ الۡعَذَابُ الاٌّلِيمُ
Declare unto My servants, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. And that My torment is indeed the most painful torment. (15:49-50)
and,
غَافِرِ الذَّنبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوۡبِ شَدِيدِ الۡعِقَابِ
The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment. (40:3)
and,
إِنَّ بَطۡشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبۡدِىءُ وَيُعِيدُ وَهُوَ الۡغَفُورُ الۡوَدُودُ
Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful. Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats. And He is Oft-Forgiving, full of love. (85:12-14)
There are many other Ayat on this subject.
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