Surah Baqarah ayat 173 Tafsir Quran 2:173

﴿إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
[ البقرة: 173]

2:173 He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

He has only forbidden you carrion that is the consumption of it since this is the subject of the general address here and similarly the consumption of what follows all of which is what has not been slaughtered in accordance with prescriptions of the Law; to this the Sunna adds as also constituting carrion what has been severed from a living creature. A special status is however accorded fish and locusts; blood poured forth as in sūrat al-An‘ām see Q. 6145 the flesh of swine the meat is singled out for mention because that part is what people mostly seek every other part being implied thereby; what has been hallowed to other than God that is to say what has been slaughtered in other than His Name al-ihlāl is the raising of one’s voice which they used to do when sacrificing for their gods. Yet whoever is constrained forced by dire need to eat of the above-mentioned not desiring to rebel against Muslims nor transgressing committing aggression against them by waylaying them no sin shall be on him for eating it. God is Forgiving to His friends Merciful to those who are obedient to Him for He has granted them wide berth in this matter. The aggressor and the transgressor are excluded from this dispensation and to these two categories one should also add every person that sets out on a journey in disobedience such as the fugitive or the excise collector for whom it would be unlawful to eat any of the mentioned unless they repent of their disobedience; this is the opinion of al-Shāfi‘ī.

He only forbids you to eat the flesh of a dead beast, and blood, the flesh of swine and the flesh of a beast slaughtered under the invocation of a name other than Allah’s. But under compelling circumstances, not through wilful disobedience and transgression, shall Allah relax the status of a sin incurred; Allah is indeed Ghafurun (Forgiving),and Rahimun

The Command to eat Pure Things and the Explanation of the Prohibited Things Allah commands His believing servants to eat from the pure things that He has created for them and to thank Him for it, if they are truly His servants.
Eating from pure sources is a cause for the acceptance of supplications and acts of worship, just as eating from impure sources prevents the acceptance of supplications and acts of worship, as mentioned in a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad, that Abu Hurayrah said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللهَ طَيِّبٌ، لَا يَقْبَلُ إِلَّا طَيِّـبًا، وَإنَّ اللهَ أَمَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، فَقَالَ: يأَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَـتِ وَاعْمَلُواْ صَـلِحاً إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ ، وَقَالَ: يـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـكُمْ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ يُطِيلُ السَّفَرَ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ: يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ، وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَملْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَغُذِّيَ بالْحَرَامِ فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذلِكَ؟» ( O people! Allah is Tayyib (Pure and Good ) and only accepts that which is Tayyib.
Allah has indeed commanded the believers with what He has commanded the Messengers, for He said: ( O (you ) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat and do righteous deeds.
Verily, I am well-acquainted with what you do) ( 23:51 ), and: ( O you who believe! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with ) He then mentioned a man, ( who is engaged in a long journey, whose hair is untidy and who is covered in dust, he raises his hands to the sky, and says, `O Lord! O Lord!' Yet, his food is from the unlawful, his drink is from the unlawful, his clothes are from the unlawful, and he was nourished by the unlawful, so how can it (his supplication ) be accepted") It was also recorded by Muslim and At-Tirmidhi After Allah mentioned how He has blessed His creatures by providing them with provisions, and after commanding them to eat from the pure things that He has provided them, He then stated that He has not prohibited anything for them, except dead animals.
Dead animals are those that die before being slaughtered; whether they die by strangling, a violent blow, a headlong fall, the goring of horns or by being partly eaten by a wild animal.
Dead animals of the sea are excluded from this ruling, as is explained later, Allah willing, as Allah said: أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُ ( Lawful to you is (the pursuit of ) watergame and its use for food) ( 5:96 ), and because of the Hadith about the whale recorded in the Sahih.
The Musnad, Al-Muwatta' and the Sunan recorded the Prophet saying about the sea:
«هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ والْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُه»
( Its water is pure and its dead are permissible. ) Ash-Shafi`i, Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Ad-Daraqutni reported that Ibn `Umar said that the Prophet said:
«أُحِلَّ لَنَا مَيْتتَانِ وَدَمَانِ،السَّمَكُ وَالْجَرَادُ وَالْكَبِدُ وَالطِّحَال»
( We have been allowed two dead things and two bloody things: fish and locusts; and liver and spleen ). We will mention this subject again in Surat Al-Ma'idah ( chapter 5 in the Qur'an ), In sha' Allah ( if Allah wills ). Issue: According to Ash-Shafi`i and other scholars, milk and eggs that are inside dead unslaughtered animals are not pure, because they are part of the dead animal.
In one narration from him, Malik said that they are pure themselves, but become impure because of their location.
Similarly, there is a difference of opinion over the cheeses ( made with the milk ) of dead animals.
The popular view of the scholars is that it is impure, although they mentioned the fact that the Companions ate from the cheeses made by the Magians ( fire worshippers ).
Hence, Al-Qurtubi commented: "Since only a small part of the dead animal is mixed with it, then it is permissible, because a minute amount of impurity does not matter if it is mixed with a large amount of liquid." Ibn Majah reported that Salman said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about butter, cheese and fur.
He said:
«الْحَلَالُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ، وَالْحَرَامُ مَا حَرَّمَ اللهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ، وَمَا سَكَتَ عَنْهُ فَهُوَ مِمَّا عَفَا عَنْه»
( The allowed is what Allah has allowed in His Book and the prohibited is what Allah has prohibited in His Book.
What He has not mentioned is a part of what He has pardoned. ) Allah has prohibited eating the meat of swine, whether slaughtered or not, and this includes its fat, either because it is implied, or because the term Lahm includes that, or by analogy.
Similarly prohibited are offerings to other than Allah, that is what was slaughtered in a name other than His, be it for monuments, idols, divination, or the other practices of the time of Jahiliyyah.
Al-Qurtubi mentioned that `A'ishah was asked about what non-Muslims slaughter for their feasts and then offer some of it as gifts for Muslims.
She said, "Do not eat from what has been slaughtered for that day, ( or feast ) but eat from their vegetables." The Prohibited is Allowed in Cases of Emergency Then Allah permitted eating these things when needed for survival or when there are no permissible types of food available.
Allah said: فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ ( But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits ), meaning, without transgression or overstepping the limits, فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ( ...then there is no sin on him. ) meaning, if one eats such items, for, إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ( Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ) Mujahid said, "If one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing the set limits.
For example, if he didn't, then he would have to resort to highway robbery, rising against the rulers, or some other kinds of disobedience to Allah, then the permission applies to him.
If one does so transgressing the limits, or continually, or out of disobedience to Allah, then the permission does not apply to him even if he is in dire need." The same was reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr.
Sa`id and Muqatil bin Hayyan are reported to have said that without willful disobedience means, "Without believing that it is permissible." It was reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah: غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ ( .
..without willful disobedience nor transgressing ) saying, "Without willful disobedience means eating the dead animal and not continuing to do so.
Qatadah said: غَيْرَ بَاغٍ ( without willful disobedience ) "Without transgressing by eating from the dead animals, that is when the lawful is available." Issue: When one in dire straits finds both ـ dead animals, and foods belong to other people which he could get without risking the loss of his hands or causing harm, then it is not allowed for him to eat the dead animals.
Ibn Majah reported that `Abbad bin Shurahbil Al-Ghubari said, "One year we suffered from famine.
I came to Al-Madinah and entered a garden.
I took some grain that I cleaned, and ate, then I left some of it in my garment.
The owner of the garden came, roughed me up and took possession of my garment.
I then went to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and told him what had happened.
He said to the man:
«مَا أَطْعَمْتَهُ إِذْ كَانَ جَائِعًا أَوْ سَاغِبًا وَلَا عَلَّمْتَهُ إِذْ كَانَ جَاهِلًا»
فَأَمَرَهُ فَرَدَّ إِلَيْهِ ثَوْبَهُ، فَأمَرَ لَهُ بِوَسْقٍ مِنْ طَعَامٍ أَوْ نِصْفِ وَسْقٍ. ( You have not fed him when he was hungry - or he said starving - nor have you taught him if he was ignorant. ) The Prophet commanded him to return `Abbad's garment to him, and to offer him a Wasq ( around 180 kilograms ) - or a half Wasq - of food This has a sufficiently strong chain of narrators and there are many other witnessing narrations to support it, such as the Hadith that `Amr bin Shu`ayb narrated from his father that his grandfather said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about the hanging clusters of dates.
He said:
«مَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْهُ مِنْ ذِي حَاجَةٍ بِفِيهِ غَيْرَ مُتَّخِذٍ خُبْنَةً،فَلَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْه»
( There is no harm for whoever takes some of it in his mouth for a necessity without putting it in his garment. ) Muqatil bin Hayyan commented on: فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ( ...then there is no sin on him.
Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ) "For what is eaten out of necessity." Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Allah is pardoning for what has been eaten of the unlawful, and Merciful' in that He allowed the prohibited during times of necessity." Masruq said, "Whoever is in dire need, but does not eat or drink until he dies, he will enter the Fire." This indicates that eating dead animals for those who are in need of it for survival is not only permissible but required.

(2:173) Allah has only forbidden you to eat what dies of itself, and blood and swine flesh and what has been consecrated to any other name than of Allah. *171 But one will incur no sin if, forced by absolute necessity, he eats of any of these forbidden things, provided he has no intention of transgressing the law and does not take more than what is absolutely indispensable: for Allah is very Forgiving and very Merciful. *172

He has only forbidden to you dead meaning

*171).
This applies to the flesh of an animal slaughtered in the name of anything and anyone other than God as well as to the food prepared as an offering to someone other than God.
God alone is the master of everything - of the animal whose flesh we consume as well as of every other kind of food - and it is He Who has mercifully provided us with them.
Hence, if it is appropriate to pronounce any name as an expression of gratitude, of consecration, it can only be the name of God.
To use anyone else's name means that we believe that there is some other being either instead of or in addition to God which deserves to be acknowledged as our Lord and Benefactor.

*172).
This verse grants permission to use prohibited things with three stipulations.
First, one must be in a state of extreme compulsion, for example, being gravely ill or being so hungry and thirsty that one's very life is in danger, and a prohibited thing is all that is available to save one's life.
Second, the person concerned should have no inclination to violate the Law of God.
Third, in consuming the prohibited thing one should not exceed the limits of bare necessity.
If a few bites or a few drops are enough to save one's life, one ought not to go beyond the absolute minimum.

 

The Command to eat Pure Things and the Explanation of the Prohibited Things Allah commands His believing servants to eat from the pure things that He has created for them and to thank Him for it, if they are truly His servants.
Eating from pure sources is a cause for the acceptance of supplications and acts of worship, just as eating from impure sources prevents the acceptance of supplications and acts of worship, as mentioned in a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad, that Abu Hurayrah said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللهَ طَيِّبٌ، لَا يَقْبَلُ إِلَّا طَيِّـبًا، وَإنَّ اللهَ أَمَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، فَقَالَ: يأَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَـتِ وَاعْمَلُواْ صَـلِحاً إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ ، وَقَالَ: يـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـكُمْ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ يُطِيلُ السَّفَرَ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ: يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ، وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَملْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَغُذِّيَ بالْحَرَامِ فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذلِكَ؟» ( O people! Allah is Tayyib (Pure and Good ) and only accepts that which is Tayyib.
Allah has indeed commanded the believers with what He has commanded the Messengers, for He said: ( O (you ) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat and do righteous deeds.
Verily, I am well-acquainted with what you do) ( 23:51 ), and: ( O you who believe! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with ) He then mentioned a man, ( who is engaged in a long journey, whose hair is untidy and who is covered in dust, he raises his hands to the sky, and says, `O Lord! O Lord!' Yet, his food is from the unlawful, his drink is from the unlawful, his clothes are from the unlawful, and he was nourished by the unlawful, so how can it (his supplication ) be accepted") It was also recorded by Muslim and At-Tirmidhi After Allah mentioned how He has blessed His creatures by providing them with provisions, and after commanding them to eat from the pure things that He has provided them, He then stated that He has not prohibited anything for them, except dead animals.
Dead animals are those that die before being slaughtered; whether they die by strangling, a violent blow, a headlong fall, the goring of horns or by being partly eaten by a wild animal.
Dead animals of the sea are excluded from this ruling, as is explained later, Allah willing, as Allah said: أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُ ( Lawful to you is (the pursuit of ) watergame and its use for food) ( 5:96 ), and because of the Hadith about the whale recorded in the Sahih.
The Musnad, Al-Muwatta' and the Sunan recorded the Prophet saying about the sea: «هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ والْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُه» ( Its water is pure and its dead are permissible. ) Ash-Shafi`i, Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Ad-Daraqutni reported that Ibn `Umar said that the Prophet said: «أُحِلَّ لَنَا مَيْتتَانِ وَدَمَانِ،السَّمَكُ وَالْجَرَادُ وَالْكَبِدُ وَالطِّحَال» ( We have been allowed two dead things and two bloody things: fish and locusts; and liver and spleen ). We will mention this subject again in Surat Al-Ma'idah ( chapter 5 in the Qur'an ), In sha' Allah ( if Allah wills ). Issue: According to Ash-Shafi`i and other scholars, milk and eggs that are inside dead unslaughtered animals are not pure, because they are part of the dead animal.
In one narration from him, Malik said that they are pure themselves, but become impure because of their location.
Similarly, there is a difference of opinion over the cheeses ( made with the milk ) of dead animals.
The popular view of the scholars is that it is impure, although they mentioned the fact that the Companions ate from the cheeses made by the Magians ( fire worshippers ).
Hence, Al-Qurtubi commented: "Since only a small part of the dead animal is mixed with it, then it is permissible, because a minute amount of impurity does not matter if it is mixed with a large amount of liquid." Ibn Majah reported that Salman said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about butter, cheese and fur.
He said: «الْحَلَالُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ، وَالْحَرَامُ مَا حَرَّمَ اللهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ، وَمَا سَكَتَ عَنْهُ فَهُوَ مِمَّا عَفَا عَنْه» ( The allowed is what Allah has allowed in His Book and the prohibited is what Allah has prohibited in His Book.
What He has not mentioned is a part of what He has pardoned. ) Allah has prohibited eating the meat of swine, whether slaughtered or not, and this includes its fat, either because it is implied, or because the term Lahm includes that, or by analogy.
Similarly prohibited are offerings to other than Allah, that is what was slaughtered in a name other than His, be it for monuments, idols, divination, or the other practices of the time of Jahiliyyah.
Al-Qurtubi mentioned that `A'ishah was asked about what non-Muslims slaughter for their feasts and then offer some of it as gifts for Muslims.
She said, "Do not eat from what has been slaughtered for that day, ( or feast ) but eat from their vegetables." The Prohibited is Allowed in Cases of Emergency Then Allah permitted eating these things when needed for survival or when there are no permissible types of food available.
Allah said: فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ ( But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits ), meaning, without transgression or overstepping the limits, فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ( ...then there is no sin on him. ) meaning, if one eats such items, for, إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ( Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ) Mujahid said, "If one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing the set limits.
For example, if he didn't, then he would have to resort to highway robbery, rising against the rulers, or some other kinds of disobedience to Allah, then the permission applies to him.
If one does so transgressing the limits, or continually, or out of disobedience to Allah, then the permission does not apply to him even if he is in dire need." The same was reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr.
Sa`id and Muqatil bin Hayyan are reported to have said that without willful disobedience means, "Without believing that it is permissible." It was reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah: غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ ( .
..without willful disobedience nor transgressing ) saying, "Without willful disobedience means eating the dead animal and not continuing to do so.
Qatadah said: غَيْرَ بَاغٍ ( without willful disobedience ) "Without transgressing by eating from the dead animals, that is when the lawful is available." Issue: When one in dire straits finds both ـ dead animals, and foods belong to other people which he could get without risking the loss of his hands or causing harm, then it is not allowed for him to eat the dead animals.
Ibn Majah reported that `Abbad bin Shurahbil Al-Ghubari said, "One year we suffered from famine.
I came to Al-Madinah and entered a garden.
I took some grain that I cleaned, and ate, then I left some of it in my garment.
The owner of the garden came, roughed me up and took possession of my garment.
I then went to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and told him what had happened.
He said to the man: «مَا أَطْعَمْتَهُ إِذْ كَانَ جَائِعًا أَوْ سَاغِبًا وَلَا عَلَّمْتَهُ إِذْ كَانَ جَاهِلًا» فَأَمَرَهُ فَرَدَّ إِلَيْهِ ثَوْبَهُ، فَأمَرَ لَهُ بِوَسْقٍ مِنْ طَعَامٍ أَوْ نِصْفِ وَسْقٍ. ( You have not fed him when he was hungry - or he said starving - nor have you taught him if he was ignorant. ) The Prophet commanded him to return `Abbad's garment to him, and to offer him a Wasq ( around 180 kilograms ) - or a half Wasq - of food This has a sufficiently strong chain of narrators and there are many other witnessing narrations to support it, such as the Hadith that `Amr bin Shu`ayb narrated from his father that his grandfather said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about the hanging clusters of dates.
He said: «مَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْهُ مِنْ ذِي حَاجَةٍ بِفِيهِ غَيْرَ مُتَّخِذٍ خُبْنَةً،فَلَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْه» ( There is no harm for whoever takes some of it in his mouth for a necessity without putting it in his garment. ) Muqatil bin Hayyan commented on: فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ( ...then there is no sin on him.
Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ) "For what is eaten out of necessity." Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Allah is pardoning for what has been eaten of the unlawful, and Merciful' in that He allowed the prohibited during times of necessity." Masruq said, "Whoever is in dire need, but does not eat or drink until he dies, he will enter the Fire." This indicates that eating dead animals for those who are in need of it for survival is not only permissible but required.

Then Allah exposited what He made unlawful for them, saying: ( He hath forbidden you only carrion ) which He has commanded to immolate, ( and blood ) and shed blood, ( and swineflesh, and that which hath been immolated to any other than Allah ) that which is offered as sacrifice purposefully in any other thing than the Name of Allah, i.e. to idols. ( But he who is driven by necessity ) compelled to eat carrion ( neither craving ) neither rebelling nor declaring it lawful ( nor transgressing ) nor committing highway robbery nor purposefully eating it without being driven by necessity, ( it is no sin for him ) then such a person, who is compelled to eat it without having his fill and without taking anything with him, has not transgressed. ( Lo! Allah is Forgiving ) that he ate more than he needs to preserve himself, ( Merciful ) when He gave him legal dispensation to eat carrion.

He has forbidden you only the Maytatah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a scrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

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