Surah 5. Al-Maida, Ayah 4
| يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُمْ مِنَ الْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ فَكُلُوا مِمَّا أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ |
| Asad | : | They will ask thee as to what is lawful to them Say: "Lawful to you are all the good things of life."12 And as for those hunting animals13 which you train by imparting to them something of the knowledge that God has imparted to yourselves - eat of what they seize for you, but mention God's name over it, and remain conscious of God: verily, God is swift in reckoning. |
| Malik | : | They ask you what food is lawful for them, say: All good clean things are lawful for you, as well as what you have taught your hunting birds and beasts to catch, trained by you with the knowledge given to you by Allah. Eat what they catch and hold for you, however, pronounce the name of Allah over it. Have fear of Allah. Allah is swift in settling the accounts. |
| Pickthall | : | They ask thee (O Muhammad) what is made lawful for them. Say: ( all ) good things are made lawful for you. And those beasts and birds of prey which ye have trained as hounds are trained, ye teach them that which Allah taught you; so eat of that which they catch for you and mention Allah's name upon it, and observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is swift to take account. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | They ask thee what is lawful to them (as food): say: Lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure: and what ye have taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) in the manner directed to you by Allah; eat what they catch for you but pronounce the name of Allah over it: and fear Allah; for Allah is swift in taking account. 697 698 |
| Transliteration | : | h.urrimat calay -kum al- maytah wa- ad- dam wa- lah.m al- khinzer wa- maa uhilla li- ghayr 'allaah bi- -hi wa- al- munkhaniqah wa- al- mawqodhah wa- al- mutaraddiyah wa- an- nat.eh.ah wa- maa 'akala as- sabuc 'illaa maa dhakkaytum wa- maa dhubih.a calaa an- nus.ub wa- 'an tastaqsimo bi- al- azlaam dhaalikum fisq al- yawm ya'isa 'alladhena kafaro min den -kum fa- laa takhshaw -hum wa- ikhshaw -ni al- yawm akmaltu la- -kum den -kum wa- atmamtu calay -kum nicmah -e wa- rad.etu la- -kum al- islaam den(an) fa- man id.t.urra fe makhmas.ah ghayr mutajaanif li- 'ithm fa- 'inna 'allaah ghafor rah.em |
Note - 12The implication is, firstly, that what has been forbidden
does not belong to the category of "the good things of
life" (at-tayyibat), and, secondly, that all that has not
been expressly forbidden is allowed. It is to be noted
that the Qur'an forbids only those things or actions
which are injurious to man physically, morally or
socially.
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Note - 13Lit., "such of the trained beasts of chase" (min
al-jawarih mukallibin). The term mukallib signifies
"trained like a [hunting] dog", and is applied to every
animal used for hunting - a hound, a falcon, a cheetah,
etc.
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Note - 697The previous verse was negative; it defined what was not
lawful for food, viz., things gross, or disgusting, or
dedicated to superstition. This verse is positive: it
defines what is lawful, viz., all things that are good
and pure.
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Note - 698In the matter of the killing for meat, the general rule
is that the name of Allah, the true God should be
pronounced as a rite in order to call our attention to
the fact that we do not take life thoughtlessly but
solemnly for food, with the permission of Allah, to whom
we render the life back. The question of hunting is then
raised. How can this solemn rite be performed when we
send forth trained hawks, trained hounds, or trained
cheetahs or other animals trained for the chase? They
must necessarily kill at some distance from their
masters. Their game is legalised on these conditions: (1)
that they are trained to kill, not merely for their own
appetite, or out of mere wantonness, but for their
master's food; the training implies that something of the
solemnity which Allah has taught us in this matter goes
into their action; and (2) we are to pronounce the name
of Allah over the quarry; this is interpreted to mean
that the Takbir should be pronounced when the hawk or
dog, etc., is released to the quarry.
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The implication is, firstly, that what has been forbidden does not belong to the category of "the good things of life" (at-tayyibat), and, secondly, that all that has not been expressly forbidden is allowed. It is to be noted that the Qur'an forbids only those things or actions which are injurious to man physically, morally or socially. |
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The previous verse was negative; it defined what was not lawful for food, viz., things gross, or disgusting, or dedicated to superstition. This verse is positive: it defines what is lawful, viz., all things that are good and pure. |
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In the matter of the killing for meat, the general rule is that the name of Allah, the true God should be pronounced as a rite in order to call our attention to the fact that we do not take life thoughtlessly but solemnly for food, with the permission of Allah, to whom we render the life back. The question of hunting is then raised. How can this solemn rite be performed when we send forth trained hawks, trained hounds, or trained cheetahs or other animals trained for the chase? They must necessarily kill at some distance from their masters. Their game is legalised on these conditions: (1) that they are trained to kill, not merely for their own appetite, or out of mere wantonness, but for their master's food; the training implies that something of the solemnity which Allah has taught us in this matter goes into their action; and (2) we are to pronounce the name of Allah over the quarry; this is interpreted to mean that the Takbir should be pronounced when the hawk or dog, etc., is released to the quarry. |
