The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 479
PT. 8 AL-AN'ĀM CH. 6 وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللهِ And what reason have you. 120 that you should not eat of that عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُمْ مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ over which the name of Allah إِلَّا مَا اضْطَرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا ليُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَابِهِمُ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ إِنَّ that which He has forbidden ؟ has been pronounced, when "He has already explained to you unto you save that which you 2:174; 5:4-5; 6:146; 16:116. general in their application and are not addressed to the Holy Prophet personally. Thus the commandment, be thou not of those who doubt (6:115 above), is also addressed to really each and every reader. As regards the connection between the present commandment and the preceding ones, it may be noted that elsewhere the Quran says: O ye who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you, and render thanks to Allah (2:173). Again, O ye Messengers, eat of the things that are pure, and do good works (23:52). These verses clearly show that the eating of good and pure things has a direct bearing on the actions of man, who is thereby enabled to feel grateful to God and do good works. As the weak among the Faithful sometimes gave way to doubt when they heard the objections of disbelievers referred to in the previous verses, the Quran here bids them to partake of pure and holy food. The result will be that they themselves will become pure and their faith will become strengthened and thus they will become proof against the doubts which disbelievers seek to create in their minds by 919 raising objections. It may be objected that present-day Muslims pronounce the name of God on the animals they slaughter, and yet their minds are not free from doubt. The reason is that they pronounce the name of God only as a cold formality without sincerity or earnestness. It should also be remembered that the injunction to eat of that on which the name of God has been pronounced applies not only to the flesh of animals but to all kinds of food. The verse enjoins Muslims to pronounce the name of God on all food of which they partake, so that they may be constantly reminded of God and their lives may be sanctified. The verse also shows how those who follow reason only, independently of Divine revelation, commit blunders. One of the objections raised by disbelievers against Muslims was that, although they professed to be devoted to God, yet they did not partake of the flesh of the animal that was killed by God (meaning the animal that died of itself), while they cheerfully partook of the flesh of animals which they themselves killed, (i. e. slaughtered animals). This is the kind of objection which is sometimes