Surah 6 Al-An'aam — Ayah 119
وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُم مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا ٱضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا لَّيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَآئِهِم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ
And why should you not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned while He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden you, excepting that to which you are compelled. And indeed do many lead [others] astray through their [own] inclinations without knowledge. Indeed, your Lord - He is most knowing of the transgressors.
wamā lakum allā takulū mimmā dhukira us'mu l-lahi ʿalayhi waqad faṣṣala lakum mā ḥarrama ʿalaykum illā mā uḍ'ṭurir'tum ilayhi wa-inna kathīran layuḍillūna bi-ahwāihim bighayri ʿil'min inna rabbaka huwa aʿlamu bil-muʿ'tadīna
Word by word
- وَمَا wamā And what
- لَكُمْ lakum for you
- أَلَّا allā that not
- تَأْكُلُوا۟ takulū you eat
- مِمَّا mimmā of what
- ذُكِرَ dhukira has been mentioned
- ٱسْمُ us'mu (the) name
- ٱللَّهِ l-lahi (of) Allah
- عَلَيْهِ ʿalayhi on it
- وَقَدْ waqad when indeed
- فَصَّلَ faṣṣala He (has) explained in detail
- لَكُم lakum to you
- مَّا mā what
- حَرَّمَ ḥarrama He (has) forbidden
- عَلَيْكُمْ ʿalaykum to you
- إِلَّا illā except
- مَا mā what
- ٱضْطُرِرْتُمْ uḍ'ṭurir'tum you are compelled
- إِلَيْهِ ۗ ilayhi to it
- وَإِنَّ wa-inna And indeed
- كَثِيرًۭا kathīran many
- لَّيُضِلُّونَ layuḍillūna surely lead astray
- بِأَهْوَآئِهِم bi-ahwāihim by their (vain) desires
- بِغَيْرِ bighayri without
- عِلْمٍ ۗ ʿil'min knowledge
- إِنَّ inna Indeed
- رَبَّكَ rabbaka your Lord
- هُوَ huwa He
- أَعْلَمُ aʿlamu (is) most knowing
- بِٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ bil-muʿ'tadīna of the transgressors
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Allowing What was Slaughtered in the Name of Allah
This is a statement of permission from Allah, for His servants, allowing them to eat the slaughtered animals werein His Name was mentioned when slaughtering them. It is understood from it that He has not allowed that over which Allah's Name was not mentioned when slaughtering. This was the practice of the pagans of Quraysh who used to eat dead animals and eat what was slaughtered for the idols. Allah next encourages eating from the meat of sacrificed animals on which His Name was mentioned upon slaughtering,
(And why should you not eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned, while He has explained to you what is forbidden to you...) meaning, He has explained and made clear to you what He has prohibited for you in detail,
(except under compulsion of necessity.) In which case, you are allowed to eat whatever you can find. Allah next mentions the ignorance of the idolators in their misguided ideas, such as eating dead animals and what was sacrificed while other than Allah's Name was mentioned when slaughtering them. Allah said,
(And surely, many do lead astray by their own desires through lack of knowledge. Certainly your Lord knows best the transgressors.) He has complete knowledge of their transgression, lies and inventions.