Overview (Verses 172 - 173)

Things Forbidden to Eat
 
The sūrah then gives believers specific rules on the various types of animal meat that they may eat, denouncing the Jews, who argue over this matter although it has been adequately discussed in their own Scriptures.
 
Believers, eat of the wholesome things We have provided for you, and give thanks to God, if it is truly Him that you worship. He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which a name other than God’s has been invoked. But he who is driven by necessity, not intending to transgress nor exceeding his need, incurs no sin. God is much-Forgiving, Merciful. Those who suppress any part of the Scriptures God has revealed, and barter it away for a paltry price, eat nothing but fire in their bellies. God will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. A grievous suffering awaits them. It is they who barter guidance for error and forgiveness for suffering. How great is their endurance of the Fire! That is because God has revealed the Book with the truth. Those who are at variance with the Book are most deeply in the wrong. (Verses 172-176)
 
God addresses believers by their most important quality of having accepted the faith, clearly underlining their special relationship with Him and making it clear that they should accept only His instructions and guidelines with respect to what is or is not lawful and permissible. They are reminded that He alone provides for them and shows them what is permissible and what is not. Nothing good or wholesome has been forbidden, only what is harmful and corrupt. The purpose behind these few restrictions is not to deprive people or curb their enjoyment of the good things God has made available, and for which they should show gratitude. God directs them to thank Him if they truly worship Him alone. Thus, they are taught that thanksgiving is an act of worship. “Believers, eat of the wholesome things We have provided for you, and give thanks to God, if it is truly Him that you worship.” (Verse 172)
 
Then comes a list of what has been forbidden for the Muslims to eat. It starts with an Arabic word which indicates that the restriction is limited to the given items: “He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which a name other than Gods has been invoked.” (Verse 173)
 
Both carrion — dead putrefying flesh — and blood are unhygienic and offensive to human taste. Centuries after this Qur’ānic statement was revealed, modern medical research has shown that both attract harmful germs and carry deadly substances. There could he many more reasons why they were forbidden by Islam, which modern medical science has yet to discover.
 
The next item is the flesh of swine, about the banning of which some have recently raised doubts. The pig is an unattractive animal with foul habits, and God has forbidden its flesh a very long time ago. Only recently, human knowledge has shown it to be singularly prone to infection with parasitic worms that are a serious health hazard to humans. Some may yet argue that advances in health care and modern cooking methods have reduced or even eliminated this risk. But this has only come to light several centuries after Islam, and there is no guarantee that pig’s meat does not carry other risks of which we are yet to become aware. Islamic law has been well ahead of human science by many centuries. It deserves our unqualified trust. It must be considered the final arbiter in what is wholesome and what is not. It is the legislation revealed by the One who is wise and who knows all.
 
The meat of animals slaughtered in dedication to something or someone other than God is forbidden for Muslims to eat for that very reason. There is nothing physically wrong with the meat, but it is spiritually tainted by the fact that it was sacrificed in reverence of a creature of God. This impairs one’s loyalty to, and faith in, God. This makes it akin to material impurity and dirtiness. Of all prohibited things this type is most relevant to faith.
 
It becomes clear, yet again, how strongly and closely the principle of God’s oneness is linked to the source of religious guidance and lawmaking in Islam, God Almighty.
 
In establishing the above restrictions, however, Islam takes account of the circumstances under which they would apply. Necessities could arise which would entail a measured lifting or relaxation of those restrictions. These are dictated strictly by the need at the time, and on condition that consumption of forbidden meat is not, in any way, permitted for reasons of self-indulgence or in defiance of God’s instructions.
 
“But he who is driven by necessity, not intending to transgress nor exceeding his need, incurs no sin. God is much-Forgiving, Merciful.” (Verse 173) This is a general Islamic principle in all matters of this kind, and can be extended to situations of a similar nature. Any life-threatening situation creates a necessity which would allow a person to eat or drink forbidden things if alternatives cannot be found, within the conditions mentioned above.
 
Scholars differ in their definition of what constitutes necessity. Are the situations in which necessity exists only those specifically cited by God, or could other, similar circumstances be included? Nor is there any consensus of opinion among scholars on what constitutes relieving the necessity: is it confined to the smallest of measures, or is it a full meal or drink? However, we are happy to confine our discussion here to pointing out the general principles that are of relevance in these matters, without discussing these differences in detail.

Overview (Verses 172 - 173)

Things Forbidden to Eat
 
The sūrah then gives believers specific rules on the various types of animal meat that they may eat, denouncing the Jews, who argue over this matter although it has been adequately discussed in their own Scriptures.
 
Believers, eat of the wholesome things We have provided for you, and give thanks to God, if it is truly Him that you worship. He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which a name other than God’s has been invoked. But he who is driven by necessity, not intending to transgress nor exceeding his need, incurs no sin. God is much-Forgiving, Merciful. Those who suppress any part of the Scriptures God has revealed, and barter it away for a paltry price, eat nothing but fire in their bellies. God will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. A grievous suffering awaits them. It is they who barter guidance for error and forgiveness for suffering. How great is their endurance of the Fire! That is because God has revealed the Book with the truth. Those who are at variance with the Book are most deeply in the wrong. (Verses 172-176)
 
God addresses believers by their most important quality of having accepted the faith, clearly underlining their special relationship with Him and making it clear that they should accept only His instructions and guidelines with respect to what is or is not lawful and permissible. They are reminded that He alone provides for them and shows them what is permissible and what is not. Nothing good or wholesome has been forbidden, only what is harmful and corrupt. The purpose behind these few restrictions is not to deprive people or curb their enjoyment of the good things God has made available, and for which they should show gratitude. God directs them to thank Him if they truly worship Him alone. Thus, they are taught that thanksgiving is an act of worship. “Believers, eat of the wholesome things We have provided for you, and give thanks to God, if it is truly Him that you worship.” (Verse 172)
 
Then comes a list of what has been forbidden for the Muslims to eat. It starts with an Arabic word which indicates that the restriction is limited to the given items: “He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which a name other than Gods has been invoked.” (Verse 173)
 
Both carrion — dead putrefying flesh — and blood are unhygienic and offensive to human taste. Centuries after this Qur’ānic statement was revealed, modern medical research has shown that both attract harmful germs and carry deadly substances. There could he many more reasons why they were forbidden by Islam, which modern medical science has yet to discover.
 
The next item is the flesh of swine, about the banning of which some have recently raised doubts. The pig is an unattractive animal with foul habits, and God has forbidden its flesh a very long time ago. Only recently, human knowledge has shown it to be singularly prone to infection with parasitic worms that are a serious health hazard to humans. Some may yet argue that advances in health care and modern cooking methods have reduced or even eliminated this risk. But this has only come to light several centuries after Islam, and there is no guarantee that pig’s meat does not carry other risks of which we are yet to become aware. Islamic law has been well ahead of human science by many centuries. It deserves our unqualified trust. It must be considered the final arbiter in what is wholesome and what is not. It is the legislation revealed by the One who is wise and who knows all.
 
The meat of animals slaughtered in dedication to something or someone other than God is forbidden for Muslims to eat for that very reason. There is nothing physically wrong with the meat, but it is spiritually tainted by the fact that it was sacrificed in reverence of a creature of God. This impairs one’s loyalty to, and faith in, God. This makes it akin to material impurity and dirtiness. Of all prohibited things this type is most relevant to faith.
 
It becomes clear, yet again, how strongly and closely the principle of God’s oneness is linked to the source of religious guidance and lawmaking in Islam, God Almighty.
 
In establishing the above restrictions, however, Islam takes account of the circumstances under which they would apply. Necessities could arise which would entail a measured lifting or relaxation of those restrictions. These are dictated strictly by the need at the time, and on condition that consumption of forbidden meat is not, in any way, permitted for reasons of self-indulgence or in defiance of God’s instructions.
 
“But he who is driven by necessity, not intending to transgress nor exceeding his need, incurs no sin. God is much-Forgiving, Merciful.” (Verse 173) This is a general Islamic principle in all matters of this kind, and can be extended to situations of a similar nature. Any life-threatening situation creates a necessity which would allow a person to eat or drink forbidden things if alternatives cannot be found, within the conditions mentioned above.
 
Scholars differ in their definition of what constitutes necessity. Are the situations in which necessity exists only those specifically cited by God, or could other, similar circumstances be included? Nor is there any consensus of opinion among scholars on what constitutes relieving the necessity: is it confined to the smallest of measures, or is it a full meal or drink? However, we are happy to confine our discussion here to pointing out the general principles that are of relevance in these matters, without discussing these differences in detail.