Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 115

115. 1. This verse has already appeared three times before. (يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَي الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ) 2. Al-Baqarah:183). (حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيْرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوْذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيْحَةُ وَمَآ اَ كَلَ السَّبُعُ اِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ ۣ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَي النُّصُبِ وَاَنْ تَسْـتَقْسِمُوْا بالْاَزْلَامِ ۭذٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ۭ اَلْيَوْمَ يَىِٕسَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ دِيْنِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ ۭ اَلْيَوْمَ اَ كْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِيْنَكُمْ وَاَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِيْ وَرَضِيْتُ لَكُمُ الْاِسْلَامَ دِيْنًا ۭ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِيْ مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّاِثْمٍ ۙ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ) 5. Al-Ma'idah:3). (قُلْ لَّآ اَجِدُ فِيْ مَآ اُوْحِيَ اِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلٰي طَاعِمٍ يَّطْعَمُهٗٓ اِلَّآ اَنْ يَّكُوْنَ مَيْتَةً اَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوْحًا اَوْ لَحْمَ خِنْزِيْرٍ فَاِنَّهٗ رِجْسٌ اَوْ فِسْقًا اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖ ۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَاِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ) 6. Al-An'am:145). This is the fourth place. That is, keeping in view the beliefs and thoughts of the addressees, it has been stated. Otherwise, other animals and beasts, etc., are also forbidden, but from these verses it is clear that among the four prohibitions mentioned, Allah wants Muslims to avoid them with great emphasis. Its necessary explanation has already been given at previous places, however, in this (that which is invoked upon other than Allah), which is the fourth type, a trivial excuse is used to seek a backdoor for shirk. Therefore, further clarification is presented here. There are different forms of an animal being designated for other than Allah. One form is that it is slaughtered for the nearness and pleasure of other than Allah, and at the time of slaughter, the name of that idol or saint is taken, whom they supposedly intend to please. The second form is that the intention is still to seek nearness to other than Allah, but the slaughter is done in the name of Allah, as is common among grave-worshippers. They designate animals for saints, for example, this goat is for such-and-such Pir, this cow is for such-and-such Pir, this animal is for the eleventh, i.e., for Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani, etc. And they slaughter them reciting Bismillah. Therefore, they say that the first form is certainly forbidden, but this second form is not forbidden, rather it is permissible because it was not slaughtered in the name of other than Allah, and thus the way to shirk is opened. However, the jurists have also declared this second form forbidden, because it is also included in "wama uhilla lighayrillah bihi." Thus, in the footnote of Baydawi, it is stated: Every animal upon which the name of other than Allah is invoked is forbidden, even if at the time of slaughter the name of Allah is taken, because the scholars agree that if a Muslim slaughters an animal with the intention of seeking nearness to other than Allah, he will become an apostate, and his slaughtered animal will be that of an apostate. And in the famous Hanafi fiqh book Durr al-Mukhtar, it is stated that if an animal is slaughtered not for good manners or hospitality according to the Shariah, but for the pleasure and veneration on the arrival of a ruler or any great person, then it will be forbidden, because it is included in "wama uhilla lighayrillah," even if the name of Allah is taken upon it, and Allama Shami has supported this. However, some jurists do not consider this second form to be the meaning of "wama uhilla lighayrillah" and do not include it in it, but due to the shared reason, they consider it forbidden. Thus, there is no difference regarding its prohibition, only in the method of reasoning and argument. Besides, this second form is also included in "wama dhubiha 'ala al-nusub" (those slaughtered at altars or shrines), which is mentioned among the forbidden things in Surah Al-Ma'idah, and from the hadiths it is also known that animals slaughtered at shrines, courts, and altars are also forbidden, because the purpose of slaughtering there or distributing there is to seek nearness to other than Allah. In a hadith, it is mentioned that a person came and asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whether there was any idol among the idols of the time of ignorance that was worshipped there? The people replied, no. Then he asked, was any of their festivals celebrated there? The people also denied this, so the Prophet ﷺ ordered the questioner to fulfill his vow. From this, it is known that even after the removal of idols, it is not permissible to go to deserted shrines and slaughter animals there, let alone going to those shrines and courts which are centers of worship and vows for the masses. May Allah protect us from this.