Transliteration:( Yaaa ayyuhan naasu kuloo mimmaa fil ardi halaalan taiyibanw wa laa tattabi'oo khutu waatish Shaitaan; innahoo lakum 'aduwwum mubeen )
"O mankind! Eat of whatever is in the earth [357], lawful and clean [358]. And do not follow the footsteps of the devil. Surely, he is to you an open enemy." (Kanzul Imaan Translation)
This verse was revealed concerning idol worshippers who regarded certain animals, like the she-camel and she-goat (Saibah), as unlawful because they were offered to idols. Allah commands them to eat what is lawful and clean, urging them to accept Islam and not regard these animals as unlawful.
From this, several important points arise:
Eating in Accordance with Divine Command: Starving oneself to death is a sin, and actions like hunger strikes or fasting until death are unlawful.
Lawfully Earned Livelihood: One should only consume lawfully earned food. Anything obtained unlawfully is forbidden.
True Piety: True piety does not lie in making lawful things unlawful for oneself. Saintliness is achieved by abstaining from unlawful and forbidden things.
Animals Slaughtered in the Name of Allah: Any animal slaughtered with Allah’s name, even if it is reared in the name of a saint, remains lawful.
Conversion and Shariah Laws: Infidels who convert to Islam are now entrusted with the laws of Shariah, which cannot be enforced upon them before conversion.
Anything that is not made unlawful by Allah or His Prophet ﷺ is lawful. There is no restriction on basic things, as long as they are deemed good and lawful by Allah.
Permissibility: Allah grants permissibility for all basic needs and things that are naturally good, without unnecessary restrictions or conditions.
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 167 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 165 which provides the complete commentary from verse 165 through 167.
(2:168) O people! Eat of the lawful and pure things in the earth and follow not in the footsteps of Satan.[166] For surely he is your open enemy;
166. The demand made here is that they should violate all those taboos in matters of food and drink which have their basis in superstitious beliefs or irrational usages.
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