Ibn Zayd also said: Open sin is stripping off one’s clothes and going naked during circumambulation (1), while its hidden form is fornication. Hibban narrated from al-Kalbi: Open sin is men circumambulating the House naked by day, while its hidden form is women circumambulating it naked by night. “Indeed, those who commit sin will be recompensed” in the Hereafter “for what they used to perpetrate” (what they used to commit in this world) (2).

Concerning His saying, Exalted is He: “And do not eat of that over which Allah’s name has not been mentioned,” Ibn Abbas said: The verse concerns the prohibition of carrion and analogous matters, such as animals that die by strangulation and the like.

Ata’ said: The verse concerns the prohibition of animals which they used to slaughter in the name of idols.

The scholars differed concerning an animal slaughtered by a Muslim when he does not mention Allah’s name over it. One group held that it is forbidden, whether he omitted the naming of Allah deliberately or forgetfully. This was the view of Ibn Sirin and al-Sha‘bi, who cited the apparent meaning of this verse as evidence.

Another group held that it is lawful. This is narrated from Ibn Abbas and was the view of Malik, al-Shafi‘i, and Ahmad—may Allah be pleased with them all.

Another group held that if he deliberately omits the naming of Allah, it is not lawful; but if he omits it forgetfully, it is lawful. Al-Khiraqi, one of Ahmad’s followers, related that this was Ahmad’s school of thought. It was also the view of al-Thawri and the proponents of legal reasoning.

Those who deemed it lawful said: What is meant by the verse is carrion, or that which has been slaughtered in the name of other than Allah. The evidence is that He says, “Indeed, it is grave disobedience,” and grave disobedience consists in mentioning the name of other than Allah, as He says at the end of the surah: “Say, ‘I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything forbidden for one who would eat it ... or sinful food dedicated to other than Allah.’”

Those who deemed it lawful also cited what Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us: Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il informed us; Yusuf ibn Musa informed us; Abu Khalid al-Ahmar informed us, saying: I heard Hisham ibn Urwah narrating from his father, from Aishah, who said: They said, “O Messenger of Allah, there are people here who have only recently left polytheism, and they bring us meat. We do not know whether they mentioned Allah’s name over it or not.” He said: “Mention Allah’s name yourselves and eat.” (3)

Had mentioning Allah’s name been a condition for its lawfulness, then doubt as to whether it had been mentioned would have prevented its consumption, just as doubt about whether the animal had been slaughtered at all would prevent it (4).