Surah al-An`am (The Cattle) 6 : 145

Overview (Verses 145 - 147)

Prohibitions by the Most Gracious
 
The Arabs’ absurdity exposed, they are now made to realize that the false concepts they held before Islam have no foundation whatsoever. They are given an example to reflect upon in that God has brought into existence all their crops and cattle, yet they felt they had the right to determine how these were allocated, either by following their own whims or acting on the inspiration of evil ones. They did so knowing that those who were evil did not create the crops and cattle, but that these were of God’s creation. Hence, it is He who determines what use is to be made of His creation given to His servants as sustenance or property.
 
In these verses God spells out clearly to them what He has actually forbidden, making His prohibition clear through revelations, not through guesswork and imagination. It goes without saying that God has the authority to legislate, and that what He forbids is totally forbidden and what He makes lawful is absolutely lawful. No human being can have any say in this, and He has no partners to make a similar decision or to add to or amend His prohibition. Within the same context, we have here an explanation of what God has forbidden the Jews in particular, although He has made it lawful to the Muslims. This prohibition was by way of punishment to the Jews for their wrongdoing and their deviation from God’s law.
 
Say: ‘In all that has been revealed to me, I do not find anything forbidden to eat, if one wishes to eat thereof unless it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine — for all that is unclean — or a sinful offering over which any name other than God’s has been invoked. But if one is driven by necessity, neither intending disobedience nor exceeding his bare need, then know that your Lord is much forgiving, merciful. To those who followed the Jewish faith did We forbid all animals that have claws; and We forbade them the fat of both oxen and sheep, except that which is in their backs and entrails and what is mixed with their bones. Thus did We requite them for their wrongdoing. We are certainly true to Our word. If they accuse you of lying, then say: “Limitless is your Lord in His grace; but His punishment shall not be warded off from evildoing folk.” (Verses 145-147)
 
Al-Ţabarī, a leading early commentator on the Qur’ān, says: God, limitless is He in His glory, gives here clear instructions to His Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him). He is to say to those who had assigned a portion of God’s creation of crops and cattle to Him and another portion to the partners they associated with Him, who had made certain types of cattle and crops forbidden so that none may eat of them save those whom they permitted, who made some cattle forbidden to ride, or made what was in the wombs of their cattle forbidden to their women, lawful to their men, who made unlawful what God provided for them as sustenance, falsely attributing such prohibitions to God; he should ask them all: “Has a messenger sent by God come to you with such prohibitions? If so, then tell us about that. Or is it that you yourselves have been present, witnessing the issuing of God’s commandments of prohibition? Or could it be that you heard Him as He made the prohibition and you acted on that? If so, then you are liars inventing falsehood against God. Should you make any such claim, people will know that you are liars.
 
The Prophet is further instructed to make it clear to them that he does not find in what has been revealed to him of God’s Book anything forbidden to eat, including all that they claimed to be unlawful, except for four types: “carrion”, which refers to an animal dying by itself without being properly slaughtered, or “blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine”. All three types are pronounced to be “unclean” which means that they are impure. The fourth forbidden type is “a sinful offering” which refers to an animal slaughtered by an idolater and consecrated to one of the idols they associated with God. Such an offering is forbidden to make and to eat by anyone who believes in God.
 
Thus God, limitless is He in His glory, tells those unbelievers who argued with the Prophet and his Companions concerning the prohibition of carrion that God has made forbidden the very thing they were arguing about. As such, it is unlawful. On the other hand, that which the idolaters claimed to be forbidden remains lawful, since God has made it so. They were lying when they claimed that their prohibition relied on God’s authority.
 
Al-Ţabarī then explains the proviso made in the concluding part of the same verse, “But if one is driven by necessity, neither intending disobedience nor exceeding his bare need, then know that your Lord is much forgiving, merciful.” (Verse 145)
 
This means that if a person finds himself in a position which drives him to eat something of what God has forbidden: either carrion, or blood, or pork, or a sinful offering, he may eat that. The condition is that he must not intend any enjoyment by his eating or merely to satisfy an ordinary case of hunger, and he must not intend any transgression by eating what God has forbidden or eating more than what is absolutely necessary to save himself from starving to death. God tells us that He is much-forgiving, merciful. He forgives him what he has done, although He could punish him if He so willed. His mercy is manifested by the fact that He has allowed that person to eat something forbidden when he is driven to it by sheer necessity. Again, God could have made that forbidden even in these extreme cases.
 
There are considerable differences among scholars with regard to the degree of necessity which allows a Muslim to eat forbidden food and the limits of what he may eat of that food. Some scholars say that what is permitted is simply an amount which ensures that one does not perish, and only when the fear of death is real. Other scholars say that a person in such a situation may eat a full meal, while others allow him to carry with him a further quantity to eat again, if he fears that he may still be without food for a long time. We do not wish to discuss these views in detail. This brief reference to them is sufficient for our purposes.
 
Other things were forbidden to the Jews such as animals that have undivided hoofs. These included camels, ostrich, geese and ducks. The fat of oxen and sheep was also forbidden, except for that in certain parts of their bodies. The entirety of this prohibition was a punishment for their transgression beyond the limits set by God: “To those who followed the Jewish faith did We forbid all animals that have claws; and We forbade them the fat of both oxen and sheep, except that which is in their backs and entrails and what is mixed with their bones. Thus did We requite them for their wrongdoing. We are certainly true to Our word.” (Verse 146)
 
Here the reason for this prohibition is made absolutely clear. It is a special case for the Jews only. It is emphasized here that this is the truth, not what is claimed by the Jews that their grandfather Jacob, who was also called Israel, had forbidden himself all this and that they followed in his footsteps. All this was perfectly permissible to Jacob. It was forbidden to them after they transgressed. They were simply forbidden to have such types of food which were wholesome.
 
“If they accuse you of lying, then say: ‘Limitless is your Lord in His grace; but His punishment shall not be warded off from evildoing folk.’” (Verse 147) Your Lord is most gracious, and His grace is bestowed on us and on every believer, as well as on other people. Indeed His grace is extended to those who are God-fearing and to evildoers. He does not inflict His punishment straightaway on those who deserve it, but leaves them for a while as a gesture of His grace. Some of them may repent and mend their ways. However, when He decides to inflict His punishment on those who deliberately do evil, they cannot ward it off in any way. If He delays it, He only does so until He inflicts it at the time He chooses. This should be enough to ensure people pray for God’s grace because God’s power is limitless. His punishment is so severe. If they fear the prospect of His punishment, then they should seek to avoid it through His grace. God, who has created people and who knows how we think, touches on both our hopes and fears so that we may consider, reflect and respond.