سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 3
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُوا۟ بِٱلْأَزْلَـٰمِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ۗ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ۚ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًا ۚ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِى مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ ۙ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿3﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals - cattle - beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns - and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal - unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) - and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub (stone-altars). (Forbidden) also is to use arrows seeking luck or decision; (all) that is Fisqun (disobedience of Allâh and sin). This day, those who disbelieved have given up all hope of your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion. But as for him who is forced by severe hunger, with no inclination to sin (such can eat these above mentioned meats), then surely, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
حُرِّمَتْ
ḥurrimat
Are made unlawful
عَلَيْكُمُ
ʿalaykumu
on you
ٱلْمَيْتَةُ
l-maytatu
the dead animals
وَٱلدَّمُ
wal-damu
and the blood
وَلَحْمُ
walaḥmu
and flesh
ٱلْخِنزِيرِ
l-khinzīri
(of) the swine
وَمَآ
wamā
and what
أُهِلَّ
uhilla
has been dedicated
لِغَيْرِ
lighayri
to other than
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
بِهِۦ
bihi
[on it]
وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ
wal-mun'khaniqatu
and that which is strangled (to death)
وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ
wal-mawqūdhatu
and that which is hit fatally
وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ
wal-mutaradiyatu
and that which has a fatal fall
وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ
wal-naṭīḥatu
and that which is gored by horns
وَمَآ
wamā
and that which
أَكَلَ
akala
ate (it)
ٱلسَّبُعُ
l-sabuʿu
the wild animal
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَا
mā
what
ذَكَّيْتُمْ
dhakkaytum
you slaughtered
وَمَا
wamā
and what
ذُبِحَ
dhubiḥa
is sacrificed
عَلَى
ʿalā
on
ٱلنُّصُبِ
l-nuṣubi
the stone altars
وَأَن
wa-an
and that
تَسْتَقْسِمُوا۟
tastaqsimū
you seek division
بِٱلْأَزْلَـٰمِ ۚ
bil-azlāmi
by divining arrows
ذَٰلِكُمْ
dhālikum
that
فِسْقٌ ۗ
fis'qun
(is) grave disobedience
ٱلْيَوْمَ
l-yawma
This day
يَئِسَ
ya-isa
(have) despaired
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
مِن
min
of
دِينِكُمْ
dīnikum
your religion
فَلَا
falā
so (do) not
تَخْشَوْهُمْ
takhshawhum
fear them
وَٱخْشَوْنِ ۚ
wa-ikh'shawni
but fear Me
ٱلْيَوْمَ
l-yawma
This day
أَكْمَلْتُ
akmaltu
I have perfected
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
دِينَكُمْ
dīnakum
your religion
وَأَتْمَمْتُ
wa-atmamtu
and I have completed
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
نِعْمَتِى
niʿ'matī
My Favor
وَرَضِيتُ
waraḍītu
and I have approved
لَكُمُ
lakumu
for you
ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ
l-is'lāma
[the] Islam
دِينًۭا ۚ
dīnan
(as) a religion
فَمَنِ
famani
But whoever
ٱضْطُرَّ
uḍ'ṭurra
(is) forced
فِى
fī
by
مَخْمَصَةٍ
makhmaṣatin
hunger
غَيْرَ
ghayra
(and) not
مُتَجَانِفٍۢ
mutajānifin
inclining
لِّإِثْمٍۢ ۙ
li-ith'min
to sin
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
غَفُورٌۭ
ghafūrun
(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمٌۭ
raḥīmun
Most Merciful
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
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. 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.
