Translation of the meanings Ayah 118 Surah Al-An‘ām - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 118

فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ ٱسۡمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡهِ إِن كُنتُم بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنِينَ

(118) ^[1473]Eat then from what Allah’s Name was mentioned on if you are truly Believing in His Signs.

[1473] In a way, this passage sheds more light on the previous two passages. The devils inspiring their allies ‘glittering speech’ such that they argue with the Believers regarding a matter for which God is the only worthy ‘judge’; this when He said His ‘detailed’ Word in the matter of eating sacrifices dedicated to Him, and all types of lawful food. Regarding this, the Messenger (ﷺ) and his followers by extension need know no ‘doubt’, or follow the groundless ‘fancies’ and whims of the Deniers. ʿAbdullāh Ibn ʿAbbās narrated that the reason for this aya’s revelation was that some people went to the Messenger (ﷺ) asking him whether they should eat from what they kill themselves and not what God Himself killed (i.e. carrion)! (Cf. al-Tirmidhī: 3069, al-Albānī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī) Ibn ʿĀshūr comments: “This aya entails answering the argument regarding forbidding eating carrion which was forwarded by the Associators. They said: “You ˹Muhammad˺ claim that what you, your Companions, the dog and the falcon kill is lawful and what Allah kills (i.e. carrion) is unlawful? Their argument is implicated in Allah’s saying: “…indeed they only follow ˹mere˺ fancies, indeed they are only guessing”. When He (عز وجل) called their laws ‘˹mere˺ fancies’ and warned against following them, He subsequently explained what is lawful, i.e., eating from what Allah’s Name was mentioned on at the time of its killing and forbidding what Allah’s Name was not mentioned on while killing it, including carrion”.