as a grace and blessing from Allah. Certain things are excepted from this—namely, foul things—because they harm people in their worldly life or their life to come. Everything else therefore remains permissible by virtue of the verse.

The second verse

His saying, Exalted is He:

“Why should you not eat of that over which Allah’s name has been mentioned, when He has explained to you in detail what He has forbidden you, except that to which you are compelled by necessity?”

The verse provides evidence in two ways. First, He rebuked and reproached them for refraining from eating that over which Allah’s name had been mentioned, before declaring it lawful by its specific name. Had things not been unrestrictedly permissible, they would not have incurred blame or reproach, for neither would have been warranted if their ruling were unknown or if they were forbidden.

The second way is that He said:

“He has explained to you in detail what He has forbidden you.”

Explaining in detail means making clear. He thus states that He has made the forbidden things clear. Whatever He has not declared forbidden is therefore not forbidden, and whatever is not forbidden is lawful, since there is nothing other than lawful or forbidden.

The third verse

His saying, Exalted is He:

“And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth—all from Him.”

Since everything on earth has been subjected to us, we may benefit from it, as explained above.