Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 121

(Ayah 121) ➊ { وَ لَا تَاْكُلُوْا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ:} Earlier, Allah stated that the slaughtered animal over which Allah's name is mentioned is lawful. Now, in this verse, it is stated that eating the slaughtered animal over which Allah's name has not been mentioned is forbidden. This includes carrion and those animals which have been slaughtered in the name of other than Allah, as is clear from the wording of the verse. And since the wording of the verse is general, it includes everything over which Allah's name has not been mentioned, whatever the food may be. However, the jurists, by consensus, have taken it to refer to slaughtered animals. (Razi) Note! If Allah's name is deliberately omitted over a slaughtered animal, then according to most jurists, it is forbidden. But if a Muslim forgets to mention {’’ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ ‘‘} at the time of slaughter, then eating it is permissible, because Allah Almighty has forgiven this Ummah for mistakes and forgetfulness.

➋ {وَ اِنَّهٗ لَفِسْقٌ:} That is, to slaughter an animal in the name of other than Allah is fisq (sin), or to eat such a slaughtered animal is fisq. Both meanings can be intended. See Surah Al-An'am (145).

➌ {وَ اِنَّ الشَّيٰطِيْنَ لَيُوْحُوْنَ ……:} See the footnote (2) of verse (113) of this Surah.

➍ {وَ اِنْ اَطَعْتُمُوْهُمْ۠ اِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُوْنَ:} Whoever declares lawful what Allah has forbidden and forbidden what Allah has made lawful is also a polytheist, because he has made someone other than Allah the authority, that is, he has accepted the right of making lawful and unlawful for someone else, whereas this right belongs only to Allah. (Razi) Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that shirk is not only to worship someone other than Allah, but shirk in command is also to obey someone else. (Mawdhih)

121. 1. That is, deliberately leaving out Allah's name on an animal makes eating it fisq (sinful) and unlawful. Hazrat Ibn Abbas has explained it in this way, saying that one who forgets is not called a fasiq, and Imam Bukhari also leans towards this view. However, Imam Shafi'i's position is that the slaughter of a Muslim is lawful in both cases, whether he mentions Allah's name or omits it, and he relates وَ اِنَّہُ لَفِسْقُ to animals slaughtered in the name of other than Allah.

121. 2. Through his companions, Satan spread the idea that these Muslims declare as unlawful the animal slaughtered by Allah (i.e., carrion) and lawful what is slaughtered by their own hands, while claiming to be believers in Allah. Allah said: Do not follow the whispers of Satan and his friends. The animal that is dead, i.e., died without being slaughtered (except for sea fish, which is lawful), since Allah's name was not mentioned on it, its consumption is not lawful.

121. And do not eat of that upon which Allah’s name has not been mentioned [126], for indeed, it is sinful. Surely, the devils whisper to their friends to dispute with you, and if you obey them, you would surely be among the polytheists [128].

[126] That which, at the time of slaughter, is dedicated to anyone other than Allah is, according to the explicit statements of multiple verses of the Quran, forbidden. And that from which Allah’s name is deliberately omitted at the time of slaughter is, according to this verse, forbidden. However, if one forgets to mention Allah’s name at the time of slaughter, there is no harm in eating it, because the Prophet ﷺ has said that the slaughtered animal of a Muslim is lawful. Also, the proof of this is the narration of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “People come to us selling meat. They are new to Islam. We do not know whether they mentioned Allah’s name at the time of slaughter or not?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “You yourselves recite ‘Bismillah’ and eat it.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الذبائح والصيد والتسميه۔ باب ذبيحه الاعراب و نحوهم] Also see the footnote of verse 138 of this Surah.

[127] Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that some people came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “Should we eat what we ourselves kill (slaughter), but not eat what Allah kills (i.e., what dies naturally)?” At that time, this verse was revealed. [ترمذي، ابواب التفسير]

[128]
The Authority of Permitting and Prohibiting Belongs Only to Allah:

That is, shirk is not only to worship someone other than Allah, or to call upon them for the fulfillment of needs and removal of difficulties, or to offer sacrifices or vows in their name, but also to consider as lawful what someone other than Allah declares lawful, and to consider as unlawful what they declare unlawful, is also shirk. This is because all authority to declare lawful and unlawful belongs only to Allah. Thus, when this verse ﴿اِتَّخَذُوْٓا اَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ اَرْبَابًا مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ وَالْمَسِيْحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ ۚ وَمَآ اُمِرُوْٓا اِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوْٓا اِلٰهًا وَّاحِدًا ۚ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ ۭسُبْحٰنَهٗ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُوْنَ﴾ was revealed, Adi bin Hatim (who was previously a Christian) said: “O Messenger of Allah! We did not consider our scholars and spiritual guides as our Lord.” The Prophet ﷺ asked Adi (may Allah be pleased with him): “Did you accept as lawful what they declared lawful, and as unlawful what they declared unlawful?” Adi replied: “Yes, that was the case.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “That is taking them as your Lord.” [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير] In this verse, Muslims are being warned not to fall into such misleading and polytheistic traps of the Jews, and if they follow the Jews in this matter, they too will become polytheists.