Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 3

(Ayah 3) ➊ In the opening verse {حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ:}, the promise was made to mention those animals that are forbidden, with the phrase “except those which will be recited to you.” In this verse, they are mentioned.
➋ Among the dead animals {الْمَيْتَةُ:}, fish and locusts are lawful, because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Two dead animals and two types of blood have been made lawful for us. The dead animals are fish and locusts (because they do not have flowing blood), and the blood is liver and spleen.” [أحمد :97/2 ح : ۵۷۲۵۔ ابن ماجہ : ۳۳۱۴، و صححہ الألبانی فی الصحیحۃ : ۱۱۱۸ ] The details of forbidden blood and pork are in Surah Al-An’am (145).
➌ {وَ الْمُنْخَنِقَةُ :} An animal that dies by strangulation, whether it dies by itself due to a rope, etc., or someone strangles it to death.
➍ {وَ الْمَوْقُوْذَةُ:} That which is killed by a blow from a stick, stone, etc.
➎ {اِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ:} This relates to the five things mentioned earlier, that if any of these five things still have life in them and you slaughter them before they die, then they are lawful. The legal slaughter is that a lawful animal is slaughtered with a sharp instrument by cutting its throat in such a way that the throat passages are severed, while saying {’’ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَاللّٰهُ اَكْبَر‘‘}. Besides slaughter, nahr is also a legal method, which is to stab a standing camel in the pit of its throat with a knife, etc. Slaughter and nahr are both done at the throat or the pit of the throat, but if there is a necessity, for example, the animal cannot be controlled, or it is in a place where it is difficult to catch and slaughter, then after reciting {’’ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَاللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ ‘‘}, it can be slaughtered by letting the blood flow with a knife or spear from wherever possible. If, during slaughter, the head is severed not intentionally but accidentally, it is also lawful.
➏ {وَ مَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ:} The places designated by the polytheists for their false deities were called nusub, because usually some sign was installed there, such as an idol, tree, grave, or river, etc. Then, to gain nearness to them, animals were slaughtered at those places. Such places are called asthan, than, and astana, etc. Such animals are also forbidden, even if {’’بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَاللّٰهُ اَكْبَر‘‘} is recited over them. Although their mention has already come under «وَ مَاۤ اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖ », for further emphasis, they are mentioned separately. Thabit bin Dhahak (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), a man made a vow to slaughter a camel at the place of Buwana. He came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: “I have made a vow to slaughter a camel at the place of Buwana.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Was there any of the (nusub) places of the days of ignorance there?” The people said: “No!” He further asked: “Was there any of the festivals (fairs) of the polytheists there?” The people said: “No!” He said: “Fulfill your vow.” [ أبو داوٗد، الأیمان والنذور، باب ما یؤمر بہ من وفاء النذر : ۳۳۱۳ ]
➐ {وَ اَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوْا بِالْاَزْلَامِ :} {”اَزْلاَمٌ“} This is the plural of {’’زَلَمٌ ‘‘}, these were the arrows kept near the idol Hubal to determine fate. In the Ka’bah, the images of Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) were also shown holding them in their hands, and people would even carry these bags of arrows with them, as Suraqah did when pursuing the Prophet (peace be upon him) and drew lots with these arrows. On some of them was written {’’اِفْعَلْ‘‘} (do it), on some {’’ لَا تَفْعَلْ ‘‘} (do not do it), and some were blank. The person seeking to know his fate would draw an arrow, and act according to the instruction; if a blank arrow came out, he would draw again. All such acts, whether called fal-nama, istikhara, or asking an astrologer, are forbidden and shirk, because none knows the unseen except Allah. In the prescribed istikhara, there is no such thing. Another meaning of «وَ اَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوْا بِالْاَزْلَامِ » is to distribute the shares of slaughtered meat by means of gambling arrows, in which someone would get a share and someone would be deprived. This is the same thing that is called lottery nowadays, and it is also forbidden. (Qurtubi)
➑ {اَلْيَوْمَ يَىِٕسَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا …… :} That is, now your strength has become so established that your enemies’ backs have been broken and they have become completely hopeless of being able to lower your religion.
➒ {اَلْيَوْمَ اَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِيْنَكُمْ ……:} Tariq bin Shihab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a Jew said to Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): “You recite a verse in your Book that if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have made the day of its revelation a festival.” He asked: “Which verse?” He recited this verse: «اَلْيَوْمَ اَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِيْنَكُمْ وَ اَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِيْ وَ رَضِيْتُ لَكُمُ الْاِسْلَامَ دِيْنًا » [ المائدۃ : ۳ ] Hearing this, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We know the day and place when this (verse) was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); he was in Arafah (on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah), in the afternoon, and it was Friday.” [ بخاری، الإیمان، باب زیادۃ الإیمان و نقصانہ : ۴۵ ]
By completing the religion, it means that all its pillars, obligations, sunnahs, limits, and rulings have been explained, and by eradicating disbelief and polytheism, this blessing has been completed. Now, whatever was to be made lawful or unlawful in the religion has been done; if anyone makes changes or additions to it, or introduces something new, it cannot be part of the religion but is an innovation in religion, which is pure misguidance. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِيْ أَمْرِنَا هٰذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ ] “Whoever introduces something new into this matter of ours (the religion) that is not from it, it is rejected.” [ بخاری، الصلح، باب إذا اصطلحوا…… : ۲۶۹۷ ]
➓ {فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِيْ مَخْمَصَةٍ ……:} That is, if a person is compelled and helpless due to hunger and eats something forbidden, there is no sin upon him, provided that he does not desire the forbidden or begin to consider it lawful, and secondly, he eats only as much as is necessary, not exceeding the limit. It is clear that eating the forbidden is related to hunger and real necessity. It is not meant that one should use the excuse of necessity to improve his standard of living and start consuming usury.

3. 1 From here begins the mention of those prohibitions which were referenced at the beginning of the Surah. This part of the verse has already appeared in Surah Al-Baqarah. See verse number 173.

3. 2 If someone strangles the throat or if the throat gets strangled by being caught in something. In both cases, the dead animal is forbidden.

3. 3 If someone strikes with a stone, stick, or any other object, causing it to die without being slaughtered. In the age of ignorance, such animals were eaten. The Shariah has prohibited it. There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding animals hunted with a gun. Imam Shawkani, reasoning from a hadith, has declared the animal hunted with a gun to be lawful. (Fath al-Qadeer) That is, if someone recites Bismillah and fires a bullet, and the prey dies before being slaughtered, then according to this opinion, eating it is lawful.

3. 4 Whether it fell by itself or someone pushed it off a mountain, etc.

3. 5 نظيحۃ is in the meaning of منطوحۃ. That is, someone butted it and it died without being slaughtered.

3. 6 That is, if a predatory animal such as a lion, leopard, or wolf, etc., which hunts with its fangs, eats it and it dies. In the age of ignorance, even after dying, such animals were eaten.

3. 7 According to the majority of commentators, this exception applies to all the aforementioned animals, i.e., المنخنقة, الموقوذة, المتردية, النطيحة, and that which is eaten by wild beasts. If you find them in such a state that there are signs of life in them, and then you slaughter them in the prescribed manner, then eating them is lawful for you. The sign of life is that at the time of slaughter, the animal flutters and kicks. If there is no such agitation or movement when the knife is passed, then understand that it is dead. The prescribed method of slaughter is to recite Bismillah and cut its throat with a sharp-edged tool in such a way that the throat passages are severed. Besides slaughter, نحر is also prescribed. Its method is that the knife is struck at the base of the standing animal's neck (camels are subjected to نحر), by which the windpipe and special blood vessels are cut and all the blood flows out.

3. 8 The polytheists would set up a stone or something near their idols, making a special place, which was called نصب or a shrine. On this, they would slaughter animals dedicated to the names of idols, i.e., this was also a form of وما اھل بہ لغیر اللہ. From this, it is understood that at shrines, tombs, and mausoleums where people go to seek needs and slaughter animals or distribute cooked food for the pleasure of those buried there, eating such food is forbidden. This is included in وماذبح علی النصب.

3. 9 وان تستقسموا بالازلام has been interpreted in two ways: one, dividing by means of arrows; the other, determining fate by means of arrows. According to the first meaning, it is said that for the division of slaughtered animals in gambling, etc., there were arrows, by which some would get something, and some would be deprived. According to the second meaning, it is said that ازلام refers to arrows by which they would take omens before starting any work. They had made three types of arrows: one with افعل (do), the second with لا تفعل (do not do), and the third with nothing written on it. If the افعل arrow came out, they would do the work; if لا تفعل came out, they would not do it; and if the third arrow came out, they would draw again. This too is a form of divination and seeking help other than Allah, so it was also forbidden. استقسام means seeking a portion, i.e., they would seek their fate by means of arrows.

3. 10 This is the permission to eat the aforementioned forbidden things in a state of extreme hunger, provided that the intention is not to disobey Allah or to exceed the limits, but only to save one's life.

3. Forbidden to you [11] are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to any other than Allah [12]. Also forbidden is the animal that dies by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a fall, or by being gored [13], and that which has been partially eaten by a wild animal—unless you are able to slaughter it (while it is still alive) [14]. Also forbidden is that which is sacrificed on altars [15], and also that you seek to divide by arrows of chance [16]—all these are sinful acts. Today, those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion [17], so do not fear them, but fear Me alone. Today I have perfected your religion for you [18], completed My favor upon you [19], and have chosen Islam [20] as your religion. But if anyone is forced by hunger (to eat of these forbidden things), without intending to sin [21], then surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[11]
The Reason for Permissibility and Prohibition:

In the law of permissibility and prohibition, the Shariah has not only considered the medical benefits or harms of forbidden things on the human body. If that were the case, then first and foremost, substances like arsenic and other poisons would have been mentioned. Rather, it has mostly been considered how these forbidden things affect human morals and their relation to purity and cleanliness. Moreover, all those things have also been declared forbidden which are made unlawful by the impurity of intention and the filth of belief. Therefore, it is not necessary that the wisdom behind what Allah has forbidden must always be understood by humans.
[12] The forbidden things mentioned in this verse—the first four of them have already been mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 173. Please refer to its footnote.
[13] Since blood is forbidden, therefore, every form of death in which blood cannot flow out of the body is, a fortiori, forbidden. Four such cases are mentioned here. The first case is death by strangulation or throttling; this includes several forms, such as someone being killed by squeezing or twisting the neck, or by a noose, or if the neck gets stuck in the branches of a tree and the animal dies. The second case is death by a blow or injury, which could be caused by a stone or a stick, etc. The third case is death by falling, whether from a mountain or a tree, or by falling into a pit, well, or stream. The fourth case is when horned animals fight with their horns and one of them dies; all such dead animals are forbidden.
[14]
Rulings Regarding Hunting:

Adi bin Hatimؓ says that I asked the Prophetﷺ: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! If I send my trained dog for hunting, reciting Bismillah, and it holds the prey for me?" The Prophetﷺ said, "You may eat it." I said, "If the dog kills it but does not eat it?" The Prophetﷺ said, "You may eat it." And if there is another dog with your dog and the prey is dead, then do not eat it, because you do not know which dog killed it. Then I asked, "If the prey dies by being struck by something broad?" The Prophetﷺ said, "If it is torn and blood flows out, you may eat it, otherwise not." Also, according to another narration, the Prophetﷺ said, "If the trained dog, after reciting Bismillah, eats from the prey itself, then do not eat it, because the dog hunted it for itself, not for you."
[مسلم۔ کتاب الصید والذبائح۔ باب الصید بالکلاب المعلمۃ]
[15] A place about which it is commonly believed among the public that by offering a sacrifice there or by making a vow, a certain human affliction is removed or a certain benefit is obtained, and people consider it sacred, whether or not there is an idol present there. And if similar benefits are attributed to a tree or a stone, it will also fall under the same ruling. The following hadith explains this fully.

Definition of Shrines and the Ruling on Sacrificing at Them:

Sayyiduna Thabit bin Dhahhak states that in the time of the Prophetﷺ, a man made a vow to sacrifice a camel at a place called Buwana. He then came to the Prophetﷺ and said, "I have vowed to slaughter a camel at the place of Buwana." The Prophetﷺ asked, "Was there any idol from the idols of the pre-Islamic era that was worshipped there?" The people said, "No." Then the Prophetﷺ asked, "Was there any festival (fair, urs) of the polytheists held there?" The people said, "No." Then the Prophetﷺ said to the man, "Fulfill your vow. However, it is not permissible to fulfill a vow in disobedience to Allah, nor in something that is not owned by the son of Adam."
[ابو داؤد کتاب الایمان والنذور۔ باب۔ مایومر بہ من الوفاء عن النذر]
[16] To seek knowledge of the unseen or to determine one's good or bad fortune through divining arrows is mere superstition and falls under belief in Jibt (falsehood). These arrows were usually kept in an idol house or, according to the disbelievers, at some sacred place. Whenever an important task or journey was at hand, they would first seek guidance from these arrows, as is evident from the following hadiths.
1.
The Custom of Divination in Arabia:

Sayyida Aishaؓ, while narrating the incident of migration, says that Suraqa bin Malik bin Ju'sham wanted to pursue the Prophetﷺ. Suraqa himself says that I rode my horse to catch up with them as soon as possible. When I got close to them, my horse stumbled and I fell. I got up and put my hand into my quiver, took out an arrow, and drew a divination to see whether I should harm those people or not. But the result was not what I liked. Nevertheless, I mounted my horse and paid no heed to the divination.
[بخاری باب بنیان الکعبہ۔ باب ھجرۃ النبی واصحابہ الی المدینۃ]
2. Ibn Abbasؓ says that (on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah) when the Prophetﷺ saw pictures inside the Ka'bah, he did not enter until all the pictures were erased at his command. When the Prophetﷺ saw the pictures of Ibrahimؑ and Ismailؑ, and there were arrows in their hands, the Prophetﷺ said, "By Allah, they never drew divination with arrows."
[بخاری۔ کتاب الانبیاء باب قول اللہ تعالیٰ و اتخذ اللہ ابراہیم خلیلا]
[17] That is, now Islam has attained such ascendancy that, despite all their efforts, the disbelievers can no longer block its path, nor can they hope for the dominance of disbelief.
[18]
The Meaning of the Completion of Religion:

By religion is meant all the principles and detailed rulings and guidance of the Shariah, and also the method and example of acting upon these commands as presented by the Messenger of Allahﷺ before all Muslims. This means that after this, Muslims no longer need to import any principle from outside into Islam for any aspect of life, whether social, economic, or political. In this respect, there is no room in Islam for modern Western democracy, socialism, communism, or any other "ism." The same applies to innovations (bid'ah).
[19]
Islam is a Great Blessing:

The greatest blessing of Allah upon mankind, and especially upon Muslims, is that He has granted them such comprehensive guidance and commands, by which the life of this world becomes successful and pleasant, and salvation in the Hereafter is also attained, and there is no need to be dependent on others.
[20] That is, just as all things in the universe submit to Allah's command without question, so too should man, despite having free will, submit to Allah's command and harmonize with the universe, making this the code of life in every aspect. In this sense, from Sayyiduna Adamؑ to the Last Prophet, the religion of all the Prophets has been Islam, and this is what Allah has chosen for the Muslims. This verse was revealed on the Day of Arafah, 9th Dhul-Hijjah, 10 AH, and that day was a Friday, as is clear from the following hadiths.
1.
The Day of the Completion of Religion:

The Jews (Ka'b al-Ahbar) said to Sayyiduna Umarؓ: You recite such a verse that if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have made it a festival (day of celebration). Sayyiduna Umarؓ said, "I know when and where this verse was revealed and where the Prophet ﷺ was at that time. This verse was revealed on the Day of Arafah, and we were in Arafat at that time." Sufyan (a narrator) said, "I am unsure whether that day was Friday or another day."
[بخاري كتاب التفسير اور بخاري كي دوسري روايات مثلاً كتاب الايمان۔ باب زيادة الايمان و نقصانه اور كتاب الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة۔ نيز مسلم۔ كتاب التفسير ميں وضاحت هے كه يه جمعه كا دن تها۔]
2. Sayyiduna Jabirؓ states that the Prophetﷺ stayed (in Madinah) for nine years but did not perform Hajj. Then, in the tenth year, it was announced among the people that the Prophetﷺ was going for Hajj. So, many people came to Madinah to accompany the Prophetﷺ.
[مسلم۔ كتاب الحج۔ باب حجة النبي]
[21] The same subject has appeared in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 173. Here the words are ﴿غير متجانف لاثم﴾ and there ﴿غير باغ ولا عاد﴾, and the meaning of both is the same. For details, see the mentioned verse. The previous verse mentioned the forbidden things; this sentence in this verse relates to those same things.