Sura 2, al-Baqara, Medina 87

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ ...

2:173. He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine,

... وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ...

and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah,

... فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ فَلا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ...

but if one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then is he guiltless.

... إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٧٣﴾

For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Transliteration Innal lazina yaktumu_na ma_ anzalalla_hu minal kita_bi wa yasytaru_na bihi samanan qalila_(n), ula_'ika ma_ ya'kulu_na fi butu_nihim illan na_ra wa la_ yukallimuhumulla_hu yaumal qiya_mati wa la_ yuzakkihim, wa lahum 'aza_bun alim(un).

Pickthall’s Version:

2: 173

Pickthall He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swineflesh, and that which hath been immolated to (the name of) any other than Allah. But he who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Asad’s version

2:173 He has forbidden to you only carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any name other than God's has been invoked; 139 " but if one is driven by necessity - neither coveting it nor exceeding his immediate need - no sin shall be upon him: for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

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Ali’s comments:

C173. Dead meat: maitat: carrion; animal that dies of itself; the original Arabic has a slightly wider meaning given to it in Fiqah (Religious Law); anything that dies of itself and is not expressly killed for food with the Takbir duly pronounced on it.

But there are exceptions, e.g., fish and locusts are lawful, though they have not been made specially Halal with the Takbir. But even fish or locusts as carrion would be obviously ruled out.

C174. For prohibited foods, Cf. also 5:4-5; 6:121, 138-146; etc.

The teachers of Fiqah (Religious Law) work out the details with great elaboration. My purpose is to present general principles, not technical details.

Carrion or dead meat and blood as articles of food would obviously cause disgust to any refined person. So would swine's flesh where the swine live on offal. Where swine are fed artificially on clean food, the objections remain:

1. that they are filthy animals in other respects, and the flesh of filthy animals taken as food affects the eaten;

2. that swine's flesh has more fat than muscle-building material; and

3. that it is more liable to disease than other kinds of meat; e.g., trichinosis, characterized by hair-like worms in the muscular tissue.

As to food dedicated to idols or false gods, it is obviously unseemly for the Children of Unity to partake of it.

Asad’s comments:

139 I.e., all that has been dedicated or offered in sacrifice to an idol or a saint or a person considered to be "divine". For a more comprehensive enumeration of the forbidden kinds of flesh, see 5:3.