(172–173) “O you who believe, eat of the wholesome things We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah, if it is Him alone that you worship. * He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that over which a name other than Allah has been invoked. But whoever is compelled by necessity, neither desiring it nor exceeding the limit, incurs no sin. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
This is a command specifically addressed to the believers, following the general command. This is because they are the ones who truly benefit from commands and prohibitions by virtue of their faith. He therefore commanded them to eat of the wholesome provisions and to thank Allah for His blessings by using them in obedience to Him and drawing strength from them to do what leads to Him. Thus, He commanded them as He commanded the messengers in His words: “O messengers, eat of the wholesome things and do righteous deeds.”
Gratitude in this verse means righteous deeds. Here He did not say “lawful,” because Allah has permitted the believer the wholesome provisions, free of any attendant blame, and because his faith restrains him from consuming what he is not entitled to.
His words, “if it is Him alone that you worship,” mean: then give thanks to Him. This indicates that whoever does not thank Allah has not worshipped Him alone, just as whoever thanks Him has indeed worshipped Him and fulfilled His command. It also indicates that eating wholesome food is a cause of righteous deeds and their acceptance, and that gratitude is commanded immediately after blessings are bestowed. Gratitude preserves blessings already present and brings blessings that are absent, just as ingratitude keeps absent blessings away and removes those already present.
After mentioning that wholesome things are lawful, Allah Most High mentioned the prohibition of foul things, saying: “He has forbidden you only carrion” ⦗82⦘—namely, an animal that dies without the prescribed slaughter. Carrion is foul and harmful because of its inherent vileness and because it most commonly results from disease, making it even more harmful.(1) The Lawgiver excluded from this general ruling dead locusts and sea fish, for they are lawful and wholesome.
“And blood”—meaning blood that has been poured forth, as specified in another verse.
“And that over which a name other than Allah has been invoked”—meaning what was slaughtered for other than Allah, such as that slaughtered for statues, stone idols, graves, and the like. This list does not exhaust all prohibited things; rather, it was given to clarify the categories of foul things indicated by the implication of the word “wholesome.” The general scope of prohibited things is therefore derived from the preceding verse and its words, “lawful and wholesome,” as explained above.
He has forbidden us these foul things and others like them out of kindness toward us and to keep us free from harm. Even so, “whoever is compelled by necessity”—that is, forced to resort to something prohibited because of hunger and destitution, or because of coercion—“neither desiring it,” meaning not seeking what is prohibited despite being able to obtain lawful food or despite not being hungry, “nor exceeding the limit,” meaning not going beyond the proper limit in consuming what necessity has made permissible to him. Thus, whoever is compelled, cannot obtain lawful food, and eats only as much as necessity requires without exceeding it, “incurs no sin” [that is, no blame]. Once blame—sin(2)—has been removed, the matter reverts to what it was before. A person in this situation is commanded to eat; indeed, he is forbidden from casting himself into destruction and killing himself.
It is therefore obligatory for him to eat. If he refrains from eating until he dies, he sins and has killed himself.
This concession and leniency are part of Allah Most High’s mercy toward His servants. He therefore concluded it with these two noble Names, which are perfectly suited to the context, saying: “Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Since this permissibility is contingent upon these two conditions, and a person in such circumstances may not be able to determine with complete precision whether he has fulfilled them, Allah Most High informs us that He is All-Forgiving and will forgive any mistake a person makes in this situation—especially when necessity has overwhelmed him and hardship has dulled his senses.
This verse provides evidence for the well-known maxim: “Necessities permit what is prohibited.” Thus, anything prohibited that a person is compelled to resort to has been permitted for him by the Sovereign, the Most Merciful. [To Him belong all praise and thanks, first and last, outwardly and inwardly].