Sura 6, al-Anam (Cattle) Mecca 55

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Translation:

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ...

6: 146. For those who followed the Jewish Law, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof,

...وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَا...

and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep,

...إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَا أَوِ الْحَوَايَا أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ...

except what adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone:

...ذَلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ وِإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ ﴿١٤٦﴾

this in recompense for their wilful disobedience:

for We are True (in Our ordinances).

Transliteration Wa 'alal lazina ha_du_ harramna_ kulla zi zufur(in), wa minal baqari wal ganami harramna_ 'alaihim syuhu_mahuma_ illa_ ma_ hamalat zuhu_ruhuma_ awil hawa_ya_ au makhtalata bi'azm(in), za_lika jazaina_hum bi bagyihim, wa inna_ lasa_diqu_n(a).

6: 146

Asad’s translation:

And [only] unto those who followed the Jewish faith did We forbid all beasts that have claws [note 137]; and We forbade unto them…………….thus did We requite them for their evildoing – for, behold, We are true to Our word!” [note 139]

Pickthall’s translation

Unto those who are Jews We forbade every animal with claws. And of the oxen and the sheep forbade We unto them the fat thereof save that upon the backs or the entrails, or that which is mixed with the bone. That We awarded them for their rebellion. And lot We verily are Truthful.

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Ali’s comments:

C970. Zufur may mean claw or hoof;

it is in the singular number; but as no animal has a single claw, and there is no point in a division of claws, we must look to a hoof for the correct interpretation.

In the Jewish Law (Leviticus, 11:3-6), "Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts" was lawful as food, but the camel, the coney (rabbit), and the hare were not lawful, because the do not "divide the hoof".

"Undivided hoof" therefore is the correct interpretation.

These three animals, unlawful to the Jews, are lawful in Islam.

Cf. 4:160.

C971. In Leviticus (7:23) it is laid down that "ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep or of goat."

As regard the exceptions, it is to be noticed that priests were enjoined (Leviticus, 7:6) to eat of the fat in the trespass of offering, which was considered holy, viz., "the rump" (back and bone) "and the fat that covereth the inwards" (entrails), (Leviticus, 7:3).