Surah Anam ayat 146 Tafsir Quran 6:146

﴿وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ ۖ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَا إِلَّا مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَا أَوِ الْحَوَايَا أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ ۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ﴾
[ الأنعام: 146]

6:146 And to those who are Jews We prohibited every animal of uncloven hoof; and of the cattle and the sheep We prohibited to them their fat, except what adheres to their backs or the entrails or what is joined with bone. [By] that We repaid them for their injustice. And indeed, We are truthful.

And to those of Jewry that is the Jews We forbade every beast with hoof that is every animal which does not have divided toes such as camels and ostriches; and of oxen and sheep We forbade them the fat of them the thin fat lining the stomach and the fat of the kidneys save what their backs carry that is what fat is attached to it or what is carried by their entrails their intestines hawāyā is the plural of hāwiyā’ or hāwiya or what is mingled with bone thereof which is the fat of the rump these were lawful for them; that prohibition We requited them with for their insolence on account of their wrongdoing as already mentioned in sūrat al-Nisā’ Q. 4160; verily We are truthful in recounting Our tidings and Our appointed times.

And to those imbued with Jewish doctrines and principles We forbade every animal with undivided hoof -camels, rabbits, hares- and of the oxen and the sheep We forbade them only their fat except the fat covering their backs and their entrails and the fat attached to the bones. This prohibition was imposed on them in requital of their vice and corruption. This is the truth We justly declare

Foods that were Prohibited for the Jews Because of their Transgression 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 الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ ( and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep... ) The Jews used to forbid these types of foods saying that Isra'il, or Ya`qub, used to forbid them for himself so they too forbid them.
This was mentioned by As-Suddi.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that, إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ ( except what adheres to their backs ) refers to the fat that clings to their backs.
Allah said next, أَوِ الْحَوَايَآ ( or their Hawaya ) that is, the entrails, according to Abu Ja`far bin Jarir.
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, أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ( ....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 جَزَيْنَـهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ ( 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, فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ 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 لَصَـدِقُونَ ( 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 ﷺ said,
«لَعَنَ اللهُ الْيَهُودَ حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ 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 ﷺ saying;
«إِنَّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ حَرَّمَ بَيْعَ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْتَةِ وَالْخِنْزِيرِ وَالْأَصْنَام»
( Allah and His Messenger have forbidden selling alcoholic drinks (intoxicants ), dead animals, swine and idols.) He was asked, `What about the fat of dead animals They are used to dye skins, paint ships and are used as light by the people.' He said,
«لَا هُوَ حَرَام»
( No, it is still unlawful. ) He then said,
«قَاتَلَ اللهُ الْيَهُودَ إِنَّ اللهَ لَمَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ 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.

(6:146) And to those who had Judaized We have forbidden all beasts with claws, and the fat of oxen and sheep except the fat which is either on their backs or their entrails, or that which sticks to the bones. Thus did We requite them for their rebellion. *122 Surely We state the Truth.

And to those who are Jews We meaning

*122).
This is discussed at three places in the Qur'an.
Surah AI 'Imran 3:93 states: 'All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel made unlawful to themselves before the revelation of the Torah.
Tell them: " Bring the Torah and recite any passage of it if you are truthful ".' Surah al-Nisa' 4:160 mentions that because of the misdeeds of the Children of Israel: 'We forbade them many clean things which had earlier been made lawful to them.' And now the present verse says that because of the transgression of the Jews, God forbade unto them 'all beasts with claws; and the fat of oxen and the sheep except the fat which is either on their backs or their entrails or that which sticks to the bones'.
If these three verses are taken together, it becomes clear that the differences between Islamic law and Jewish law with regard to what is lawful and what is unlawful in animal foods stem from two considerations.
First, that several centuries before the revelation of the Torah, Isra'il ( Jacob, peace be on him ) had given up the use of certain things, which his descendants also abstained from consuming.
The result was that Jewish jurists considered them to be absolutely unlawful and recorded their prohibition in the Torah.
They included the camel, the hare and the rock-badger, the prohibition of which is mentioned in the fragments of the Torah embodied in the Bible.
( See Leviticus ll: 4; Deuteronomy 14: 7 ) But the Our'an challenges the Jews to come forward with the Torah itself and show where any of those things had been declared unlawful.
Their inability to do so shows that those interdictions must have been later interpolations into the Torah.

Second, when the Jews rebelled against the Law revealed by God and set themselves up as their own law-givers, they made several things unlawful for themselves, and as a punishment God allowed them to remain a prey to that misunderstanding.
These include birds with claws such as the ostrich, seagull and water-hen, and also the fat of oxen and sheep.
In the Bible prohibitions of these kinds have been interpolated among the injunctions of the Torah.
( See Leviticus 3:17; 7:22-3; ll:16-18; Deuteronomy 14:14-16. ) But Surah al-Nisa' 4:160 shows that those things had not been made unlawful by the Torah itself.
They had rather been prohibited after the time of Jesus, and history bears witness to the fact that the present Jewish law was given a definitive formulation by the Jewish jurist, Yehudah, towards the end of the second century of the Christian calendar.

It might be asked in view of what has been mentioned above, why the expression 'We forbade for them' is employed in Surah al-Nisa' 4:160 The answer is that declaration through a Prophet or a heavenly Book is not God's only way of prohibiting.
Another way is to allow fraudulent law-makers and sham jurists to gain predominating influence upon God's rebels.
These in turn deprive them of many good, clean things of life by making them believe that they are prohibited.
The first kind of prohibition is an act of His mercy, whereas the second kind is in the nature of a curse and punishment from God.

 

Foods that were Prohibited for the Jews Because of their Transgression 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 الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ ( and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep... ) The Jews used to forbid these types of foods saying that Isra'il, or Ya`qub, used to forbid them for himself so they too forbid them.
This was mentioned by As-Suddi.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that, إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ ( except what adheres to their backs ) refers to the fat that clings to their backs.
Allah said next, أَوِ الْحَوَايَآ ( or their Hawaya ) that is, the entrails, according to Abu Ja`far bin Jarir.
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, أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ( ....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 جَزَيْنَـهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ ( 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, فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ 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 لَصَـدِقُونَ ( 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 ﷺ said, «لَعَنَ اللهُ الْيَهُودَ حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ 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 ﷺ saying; «إِنَّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ حَرَّمَ بَيْعَ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْتَةِ وَالْخِنْزِيرِ وَالْأَصْنَام» ( Allah and His Messenger have forbidden selling alcoholic drinks (intoxicants ), dead animals, swine and idols.) He was asked, `What about the fat of dead animals They are used to dye skins, paint ships and are used as light by the people.' He said, «لَا هُوَ حَرَام» ( No, it is still unlawful. ) He then said, «قَاتَلَ اللهُ الْيَهُودَ إِنَّ اللهَ لَمَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ 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.

( Unto those who are Jews We forbade every animal with claws ) every bird with claws and every predatory animal with teeth, as well as every beast that has claws such as camels, ducks, geese, egrets and rabbits. All these were forbidden for them. ( And of the oxen and the sheep forbade We unto them the fat thereof ) i.e. the fat spread between the bowels and intestines and the fat spread over the kidneys ( save that upon the backs or the entrails, or that which is mixed with the bone ) such as the tail; all these were lawful for them. ( That ) which We made unlawful for them ( We awarded them ) We punished them ( for their rebellion ) because of their transgression We made all these forbidden for them. ( And lo! We verily are Truthful ) in what We have said.

And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone. Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion [committing crimes like murdering the Prophets, eating of Riba (usury), etc.]. And verily, We are Truthful.

Page 147 English transliteration