The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 498
PT. 8 CH. 6 AL-AN'ĀM limit, then surely thy Lord is Most Forgiving, Merciful. '885. 147. And to those who are Jews We forbade all animals having claws; and of the oxen and the sheep and goats did We وَعَلَى الَّذِيْنَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَا إِلَّا مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَا forbid them their fats, save that أَوِ الْحَوَايَا أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ذلِكَ which their backs bear or the جَزَيْنَهُمْ بِبَغْيِهِمْ وَإِنَّا لَصُدِقُونَ intestines, or that which is mixed with a bone. That is the reward We gave them for their rebellion. And most surely We are truthful. 886 885. Commentary: a16:119. The verse points out that the laws made by pagan Arabs with regard to permissible and forbidden foods were arbitrary, without any wisdom underlying them; while the food-laws made by Islam were based on reason and deep wisdom. Fundamentally speaking, Islam forbids four things- three on the basis of their being i. e. unclean and impure, and one on the basis of its being i. e. profane and irreligious. The three first- mentioned things are (1) carrion, (2) the blood which pours out when an animal is slaughtered or wounded and (3) the flesh of swine. All these are, as the verse says, i. e. unclean and impure, i. e. they are harmful to the physical and moral health of man. The word it must be noted, is to be read with each of the three first- mentioned forbidden things. رجس on which the name of one other than Allah is pronounced. The reason for the prohibition of this kind of food lies in the fact that such food is, as the verse calls it, i. e. profane, viz. a source of disobedience or rebellion against God. The eating of such food and will crush his feelings of love and will injure the spiritual health of man jealousy for God. See also 2:174. 886. Commentary: The reader is referred to the Bible (Lev. 3:17) where it is said, "Ye eat neither fat nor blood. " Again, in Lev. 7:23 it is said "Ye shall eat no manner of fat of ox or of sheep or of goat. " In the Talmud, exception is made of the fat that sticks to the ribs. Similarly, the Jews regard as lawful any fat that cannot be separated from the intestines and the flesh (Enc. Bib. , cols. 1544-45). This corroborates the Quran which says, and of the oxen The fourth thing forbidden is that and the sheep and goats did We 938