6:119

وَمَا لَكُمۡ أَلَّا تَأۡكُلُواْ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ ٱسۡمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡهِ وَقَدۡ فَصَّلَ لَكُم مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِلَّا مَا ٱضۡطُرِرۡتُمۡ إِلَيۡهِۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرٗا لَّيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهۡوَآئِهِم بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ

Wama lakum alla takuloo mimma thukira ismu Allahi AAalayhi waqad fassala lakum ma harrama AAalaykum illa ma idturirtum ilayhi wainna katheeran layudilloona biahwaihim bighayri AAilmin inna rabbaka huwa aAAlamu bialmuAAtadeena

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.

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd what
  2. لَكُمۡfor you
  3. أَلَّاthat not
  4. تَأۡكُلُواْyou eat
  5. مِمَّاof what
  6. ذُكِرَhas been mentioned
  7. ٱسۡمُ(the) name
  8. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  9. عَلَيۡهِon it
  10. وَقَدۡwhen indeed
  11. فَصَّلَHe (has) explained in detail
  12. لَكُمto you
  13. مَّاwhat
  14. حَرَّمَHe (has) forbidden
  15. عَلَيۡكُمۡto you
  16. إِلَّاexcept
  17. مَاwhat
  18. ٱضۡطُرِرۡتُمۡyou are compelled
  19. إِلَيۡهِۗto it
  20. وَإِنَّAnd indeed
  21. كَثِيرٗاmany
  22. لَّيُضِلُّونَsurely lead astray
  23. بِأَهۡوَآئِهِمby their (vain) desires
  24. بِغَيۡرِwithout
  25. عِلۡمٍۚknowledge
  26. إِنَّIndeed
  27. رَبَّكَyour Lord
  28. هُوَHe
  29. أَعۡلَمُ(is) most knowing
  30. بِٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَof the transgressors
Al-An'am · 6:119Makkah

He already told you what is forbidden. Why hold back the rest?

Clear limits, mercy in need, and desires posing as knowledge


What Allah laid out
the forbiddenexplained in detail
real necessitymercy when forced
but many
mislead by desirewithout knowledge
Where rules come from
my own preferencesdressed up as religion
what Allah detailedHe knows the transgressors

Some held back from food Allah had allowed while eating what He had forbidden, following pagan ideas. Allah says He has already explained in detail what is forbidden, with room for real necessity. Then the warning: many lead others astray by their own desires, without knowledge.

A relative insists something is haram because it feels wrong to them. Another declares something fine because they want it. Both are making rules from feelings. Allah already made His limits clear. Learn them instead of guessing.

What feels right or wrong to me is basically the same as what Allah wants.

Allah has explained His limits. My desires do not get to write new ones.

Try this

Think of one rule you follow or reject on feeling alone. Ask a qualified teacher about it this week.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 6:118)

So eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned, if you are believers in His Ayat (118)And why should you not eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned, while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity? And surely, many do lead astray by their own desires through lack of knowledge. Certainly your Lord knows best the transgressors (119)

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,

وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُم مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ

(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,

إِلَّا مَا اضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ

(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,

وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا لَّيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَائِهِم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُعْتَدِينَ

(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.