Sura-5 [Al Maida Medina 112]

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.

يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ...

5:4. They ask thee what is lawful to them (as food):

C697. The previous verse was negative; it defined what was not lawful for food, viz., things gross, or disgusting, or dedicated to superstition.

This verse is positive: it defines what is lawful, viz., all things that are good and pure.

... قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ...

say:

- Lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure:

... وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ الْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللّهُ ...

- and what ye have taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) in the manner directed to you by Allah;

... فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاذْكُرُواْ اسْمَ اللّهِ عَلَيْهِ ...

eat what they catch for you, but pronounce the name of Allah over it:

C698. In the matter of the killing for meat, the general rule is that the name of Allah, the true God should be pronounced as a rite in order to call our attention to the fact that we do not take life thoughtlessly but solemnly for food, with the permission of Allah, to whom we render the life back.

The question of hunting is then raised.

How can this solemn rite be performed when we send forth trained hawks, trained hounds, or trained cheetahs or other animals trained for the chase?

They must necessarily kill at some distance from their masters. Their game is legalized on these conditions:

1. that they are trained to kill, not merely for their own appetite, or out of mere wantonness, but for their master's food;

the training implies that something of the solemnity which Allah has taught us in this matter goes into their action; and

2. we are to pronounce the name of Allah over the quarry; this is interpreted to mean that the Takbir should be pronounced when the hawk or dog, etc., is released to the quarry. (R).

... وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٤﴾

and fear Allah; for Allah is swift in taking account.

Asad’s Version:

5: 3

Asad Forbidden to you is carrion, and blood, and the fresh of swine, and that over which any name other than God’s has been invoked, and the animal that has been strangled, or beaten to death, or killed by a fall, or gored to death, or savaged be 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 alrars.

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

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.

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

Yusuf Ali .................This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any forced by hunger with no inclination to transgression Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Pickthall Forbidden unto you (for food) are carrion and blood and swine flesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by (the goring of) horns, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by the death stroke), and that which hath been immolated unto idols. And (forbidden is it) that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination. This day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear Me! This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion AL- ISLAM. Whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Transliteration Hurrimat 'alaikumul maitatu wad damu wa lahmul khinziri wa ma_ uhilla li gairilla_hi bihi wal munkhaniqatu wal mauqu_zatu wal mutaraddiyatu wan natihatu wa ma_ akalas sabu'u illa_ ma_ zakkaitum, wa ma_ zubiha 'alan nusubi wa an tastaqsimu_ bil azla_m(i), za_likum fisq(un), al yauma ya'isal lazina kafaru_ min dinikum fala_ takhsyauhum wakhsyaun(i), al yauma akmaltu lakum dinakum wa atmamtu 'alaikum ni'mati wa raditu lakumul isla_ma dina_(n), fa manidturra fi makhmasatin gaira mutaja_nifil li'ism(in), fa innalla_ha gafu_rur rahim(un).