English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 6: Al-Anam — The Cattle (Revealed at Makkah: 20 sections, 165 verses)
Section 18 (Verses 6:145–6:150): Prohibited Foods
Translation:
قُلۡ لَّاۤ اَجِدُ فِیۡ مَاۤ اُوۡحِیَ اِلَیَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلٰی طَاعِمٍ یَّطۡعَمُہٗۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یَّکُوۡنَ مَیۡتَۃً اَوۡ دَمًا مَّسۡفُوۡحًا اَوۡ لَحۡمَ خِنۡزِیۡرٍ فَاِنَّہٗ رِجۡسٌ اَوۡ فِسۡقًا اُہِلَّ لِغَیۡرِ اللّٰہِ بِہٖ ۚ فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَیۡرَ بَاغٍ وَّ لَا عَادٍ فَاِنَّ رَبَّکَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۱۴۵﴾
6:145 Say: I do not find in what is revealed to me anything forbidden for an eater to eat of, except if it is what dies of itself, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine — for that surely is unclean — or what is a transgression, other than the name of Allah having been invoked on it.1 But whoever is driven by necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
وَ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ ہَادُوۡا حَرَّمۡنَا کُلَّ ذِیۡ ظُفُرٍ ۚ وَ مِنَ الۡبَقَرِ وَ الۡغَنَمِ حَرَّمۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ شُحُوۡمَہُمَاۤ اِلَّا مَا حَمَلَتۡ ظُہُوۡرُہُمَاۤ اَوِ الۡحَوَایَاۤ اَوۡ مَا اخۡتَلَطَ بِعَظۡمٍ ؕ ذٰلِکَ جَزَیۡنٰہُمۡ بِبَغۡیِہِمۡ ۫ۖ وَ اِنَّا لَصٰدِقُوۡنَ ﴿۱۴۶﴾
6:146 And to those who are Jews We forbade every animal having claws, and We forbade them the fat of oxen and sheep, except such as was on their backs or the entrails or what was mixed with bones. This was a punishment We gave them on account of their rebellion, and We are surely Truthful.
فَاِنۡ کَذَّبُوۡکَ فَقُلۡ رَّبُّکُمۡ ذُوۡ رَحۡمَۃٍ وَّاسِعَۃٍ ۚ وَ لَا یُرَدُّ بَاۡسُہٗ عَنِ الۡقَوۡمِ الۡمُجۡرِمِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴۷﴾
6:147 But if they reject you, then say: Your Lord is the Lord of all-encompassing mercy; and His punishment cannot be averted from the guilty people.2
سَیَقُوۡلُ الَّذِیۡنَ اَشۡرَکُوۡا لَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰہُ مَاۤ اَشۡرَکۡنَا وَ لَاۤ اٰبَآؤُنَا وَ لَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ کَذَّبَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ حَتّٰی ذَاقُوۡا بَاۡسَنَا ؕ قُلۡ ہَلۡ عِنۡدَکُمۡ مِّنۡ عِلۡمٍ فَتُخۡرِجُوۡہُ لَنَا ؕ اِنۡ تَتَّبِعُوۡنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَ اِنۡ اَنۡتُمۡ اِلَّا تَخۡرُصُوۡنَ ﴿۱۴۸﴾
6:148 Those who set up partners (with Allah) say: If Allah pleased we would not have set up partners (with Him) nor our fathers, nor would we have made anything unlawful. Thus did those before them reject (the truth) until they tasted Our punishment. Say: Have you any knowledge so you would bring it forth to us? You only follow a conjecture and you only tell lies.
قُلۡ فَلِلّٰہِ الۡحُجَّۃُ الۡبَالِغَۃُ ۚ فَلَوۡ شَآءَ لَہَدٰىکُمۡ اَجۡمَعِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴۹﴾
6:149 Say: Then Allah’s is the conclusive argument; so if He had pleased, He would have guided you all.3
قُلۡ ہَلُمَّ شُہَدَآءَکُمُ الَّذِیۡنَ یَشۡہَدُوۡنَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ حَرَّمَ ہٰذَا ۚ فَاِنۡ شَہِدُوۡا فَلَا تَشۡہَدۡ مَعَہُمۡ ۚ وَ لَا تَتَّبِعۡ اَہۡوَآءَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا وَ الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ وَ ہُمۡ بِرَبِّہِمۡ یَعۡدِلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۵۰﴾٪
6:150 Say: Bring your witnesses who bear witness that Allah forbade this. If they bear witness, then do not bear witness with them. And do not follow the low desires of those who reject Our messages and those who do not believe in the Hereafter, and they make (others) equal with their Lord.
Commentary:
- The reason for the prohibition of what dies of itself and blood and swine’s flesh is that these things are physically unclean, while the reason for the prohibition of animals on which other than Allah’s name is invoked is that all things are to be avoided which are in any way associated with idolatry. ↩︎
- The all-encompassing mercy of Allah is mentioned even in speaking of those who rejected the Holy Prophet. It was because of the mercy of Allah that the disbelievers were not destroyed immediately; but as punishing the “guilty” is in itself a mercy towards the weak and the oppressed, they are warned that they will not escape punishment if they persist in their evil ways. ↩︎
- The previous verse records the statement of the disbelievers: “If Allah pleased we would not have set up partners with Him”. The reply is that Allah reveals His will through His chosen messengers, so bring forth any Divine revelation that you possess sanctioning idolatry. The argument is here carried on further. Allah does not mislead people, but, in fact, He sends His prophets to guide them into the right path. His pleasure is therefore that everyone should walk in the right path and serve only one Master. That is the conclusive argument against the false assertion of the idolaters. The guidance of Allah is, moreover, brought through prophets, and people are never compelled to accept the right way; much less could they be compelled to follow the wrong course. Man was created with a will free within certain limits to act as he pleases. ↩︎