His saying, exalted is He: “And I have completed My favor upon you.” That is, I have fulfilled My promise in My words: “and that I may complete My favor upon you” (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:150). Part of the completion of His favor was that they entered Mecca in safety and as its victors, and performed Hajj in security, with no polytheist joining them.

“And I have approved Islam as your religion.” I heard ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi say: I heard Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Hatim say: I heard Abu Bakr al-Naysaburi say: I heard Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Musayyab al-Marwazi say: I heard Abu Hatim Muhammad ibn Idris al-Hanzali say: I heard ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Maslamah say: Marwan al-Misri related to us; I heard Ibrahim ibn Abi Bakr ibn al-Munkadir, may Allah be pleased with him, say: I heard my uncle Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir say: I heard Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “Gabriel, peace be upon him, said that Allah, exalted is He, says: ‘This is a religion that I have chosen for Myself, and nothing will set it aright except generosity and good character. So honor it through these two so long as you hold fast to it.’” (1)

His saying, exalted is He: “But whoever is compelled by severe hunger”—that is, one worn down by hunger. Severe hunger is the emptiness of the stomach of food. It is said, “A man is empty-bellied,” when his stomach is drawn in and empty. “Without inclining toward sin”—that is, without being inclined to sin, which is to eat beyond satiety. Qatadah said: “Without seeking to commit disobedience in the purpose for which he set out.” “Then indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” There is an implied clause here: that is, if he eats it, then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Marwazi informed us; Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Siraj al-Tahhan informed us; Abu Ahmad Muhammad ibn Quraysh ibn Sulayman informed us; Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Makki informed us; Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam informed us; Muhammad ibn Kathir informed us, from al-Awza‘i, from Hassan ibn ‘Atiyyah, from Abu Waqid al-Laythi, who said: A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, we may be in a land where severe hunger befalls us. When does carrion become lawful for us?” He said, “So long as you do not have a morning meal or