5:3 al-Maida [the Repast], Revealed in Medina [112]

Asad’s Version:

FORBIDDEN to you is carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any name other than God's has been invoked, 7 and the animal that has been strangled, or beaten to death, or killed by a fall, or gored to death, or savaged by a beast of prey, save that which you [yourselves] may have slaughtered while it was still alive; and [forbidden to you is] all that has been slaughtered on idolatrous altars. 8

And [you are forbidden] to seek to learn through divination what the future may hold in store for you:' this is sinful conduct.

Today, those who are bent on denying the truth have lost all hope of [your ever forsaking] your religion: do not, then, hold them in awe, but stand in awe of Me!

5:3 al-Maida [the Repast], Revealed in Medina [112]

Today have I perfected your religious law for you, and have bestowed upon you the full measure of My blessings, and willed that self-surrender unto Me shall be your religion.' 10

As for him, however, who is driven [to what is forbidden] by dire necessity" and not by an inclination to sinning - behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ...

5:3. Forbidden to you (for food) are:

- dead meat,

- blood,

- the flesh of swine,

- and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah,

C691. Cf. 2:173 and notes 173 and 174. The prohibition of dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which other names than that of Allah have been invoked, has been there explained.

وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ...

- that which hath been killed by strangling,

or by a violent blow,

or by a headlong fall,

or by being gored to death;

... وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ ...

- that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form);

C692. If an animal dies;

by strangling, or

by a violent blow, or

a headlong fall, or

by being gored to death, or

by being attacked by a wild animal,

the presumption is that it becomes carrion, as the life-blood is congealed before being taken out of the body.

But the presumption can be rebutted. If the life-blood still flows and the solemn mode of slaughter (zabh) in the name of Allah is carried out, it becomes lawful as food.

... وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ ...

- that which is sacrificed on stone (altars);

C693. This was also an idolatrous rite, different from that in which a sacrifice was devoted to a particular idol or a false god.

... وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ...

- (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety.

C694. Gambling of all kinds is forbidden; 2:219.

A sort of lottery or raffle practised by Pagan Arabs has been described in n. 241.

Division of meat in this way is here forbidden, as it is a form of gambling.

... الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ ...

This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion:

C695. So long as Islam was not recognised, with its own community and its own laws, the Unbelievers had hoped to wean the Believers from the new Teaching.

(Now that hope was gone, with the complete organisation of Islam).

... فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ...

yet fear them not but fear Me.

... الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا ...

This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.

C696. The last verse revealed chronologically, making the approaching end of Mustafa's ministry in his earthly life.

... فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٣﴾

But if any forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[[Asad’s notes - 10 According to all available Traditions based on the testimony of the Prophet's contemporaries, the above passage - which sets, as it were, a seal on the message of the Qur'an - was revealed at 'Arafat in the afternoon of Friday, the 9th of Dhu'l-Hijjah, 10 H., eighty-one or eighty-two days before the death of the Prophet. No legal injunction whatsoever was revealed after this verse: and this explains the reference to God's having perfected the Faith and bestowed the full measure of His blessings upon the believers. Maris self-surrender (islam) to God is postulated as the basis, or the basic law, of all true religion (din): This self-surrender expresses: itself not only in belief in Him but also in obedience to His commands: and this is the reason why the announcement of the completion of the Qur'anic message is placed within the context of a verse containing the last legal ordinances ever revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. ]]