What is the interpretation of this verse: “Forbidden to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which is dedicated to other than Allah, and that which has been strangled, and that which has been beaten to death, and that which has fallen, and that which has been gored…”
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The questioner : He says: I hope that the honorable Shaykh will interpret this verse from Surat al-Ma'idah, in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3]?
The Shaykh : Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:[Al-Ma'idah 5:3], and the One who forbids is Allah the Mighty and Majestic. The prohibition does not return to us, nor does the permission return to us, nor does the ruling of disbelief return to us, nor does the ruling of faith return to us. All of that belongs to Allah the Mighty and Majestic alone. He says: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3]. The verb is built in the passive form without naming its doer because the doer is known, just as in His saying: [An-Nisa 4:28]. It is known that the Creator is Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Here, dead animals are forbidden to you, and it is known that the One who forbids is Allah the Mighty and Majestic. A dead animal is anything that has not been slaughtered according to the Islamic method, whether it died of natural causes or was slaughtered in a manner other than the Islamic way; it is a dead animal.
Locusts are an exception to this, for their dead state is lawful. Likewise, fish of all kinds are lawful. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:96]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, as reported from him: Bulugh al-Maram 13.
And His saying “blood” refers to flowing blood, as specified in the second verse:[Al-An'am 6:145]. As for the blood that remains in the veins after slaughter, it is lawful, lawful and pure, even if its redness appears in the vessel, because it is not flowing blood.
And the flesh of swine is a known, foul animal, known for eating filth, i.e., excrement. It also contains a harmful tapeworm.
The fourth is: that which is dedicated to other than Allah, meaning that upon which a name other than the name of Allah is invoked, such as saying: “In the name of Jesus,” “In the name of Moses,” “In the name of Muhammad,” “In the name of Gabriel,” or the like. This is also forbidden, and its consumption is not lawful.
And that which has been strangled: that which was strangled either by tightening a rope around its neck until it died, or by closing a room on it and exposing it to smoke or the like.
And that which has been beaten to death: that which was struck with a stick or the like until it died.
And that which has fallen: that which fell from a mountain, a wall, or the like, and died.
And that which has been gored: that which gored another beast and died.
And that which has been eaten by a predator: meaning that which was eaten by a wolf or the like.
[Al-Ma'idah 5:3] His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3] is an exception to His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3]. So these things, if you catch them alive and slaughter them, they are lawful.
And that which is slaughtered on the altars means that which is slaughtered for idols, i.e., slaughtered for an idol, even if the name of Allah is invoked upon it; it is forbidden. This is the meaning of the noble verse.
Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars
حرمت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الجنزير وما أهل لغير الله به والمنخنقة والموقوذة والمتردية والنطيحة وما أكل السبع إلا ما ذكيتم وما ذبح على النصبThe Shaykh : Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:
Prohibited to you are dead animals
حرمت عليكم الميتةProhibited to you are dead animals
حرمت عليكم الميتةand mankind was created weak.
وخلق الإنسان ضعيفاًLocusts are an exception to this, for their dead state is lawful. Likewise, fish of all kinds are lawful. Allah the Exalted said:
Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers
أحل لكم صيد البحر وطعامه متاعاً لكم وللسيارةTwo types of dead animals and two types of bloods have been made lawful for us, the two types of dead animals are locusts and fish (seafood), while the two types of bloods are the liver and the spleen
أحلت لنا ميتتان ودمان فأما الميتتان فالجراد والحوت وأما الدمان فالكبد والطحالAnd His saying “blood” refers to flowing blood, as specified in the second verse:
Say, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure
قل لا أجد فيما أوحي إلي محرمٌ على طاعمٍ يطعمه إلا أن يكون ميتةً أو دماً مسفوحاً أو لحم خنزير فإنه رجسAnd the flesh of swine is a known, foul animal, known for eating filth, i.e., excrement. It also contains a harmful tapeworm.
The fourth is: that which is dedicated to other than Allah, meaning that upon which a name other than the name of Allah is invoked, such as saying: “In the name of Jesus,” “In the name of Moses,” “In the name of Muhammad,” “In the name of Gabriel,” or the like. This is also forbidden, and its consumption is not lawful.
And that which has been strangled: that which was strangled either by tightening a rope around its neck until it died, or by closing a room on it and exposing it to smoke or the like.
And that which has been beaten to death: that which was struck with a stick or the like until it died.
And that which has fallen: that which fell from a mountain, a wall, or the like, and died.
And that which has been gored: that which gored another beast and died.
And that which has been eaten by a predator: meaning that which was eaten by a wolf or the like.
Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
إلا ما ذكيتمProhibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
إلا ما ذكيتم[those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten
المنخنقة والموقوذة والمتردية والنطيحة وما أكل السبعAnd that which is slaughtered on the altars means that which is slaughtered for idols, i.e., slaughtered for an idol, even if the name of Allah is invoked upon it; it is forbidden. This is the meaning of the noble verse.