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.