Al-An'am 6:142
The Cattle · Juz 8 · Page 146
وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ حَمُولَةٗ وَفَرۡشٗاۚ كُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمۡ عَدُوّٞ مُّبِينٞ ١٤٢
And of the grazing livestock are carriers [of burdens] and those [too] small. Eat of what Allāh has provided for you and do not follow the footsteps of Satan.1 Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
1 translator’s note
- As the disbelievers have done in making their own rulings about what is permissible and what is prohibited. ↩
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Tazkirul Quran
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Commentary on 6:141–142
God has created different types of food for man, some spreading out over the ground, like melons, and leafy vegetables; some growing on climbing plants like the grapes on the vine; and some growing high up in the trees, like dates and mangoes. Similarly, different kinds of animals, both big and small, have been created to fulfil the needs of man, for example, camels, horses, sheep and goats. Man, the birds and animals and all the green, growing things have come into existence quite independently of each other, but man sees that there is a strong harmony between himself and all the rest of God’s creations. If a man’s body needs nourishment, then outside, on the green trees, wonderful food packets are hanging. If his palate yearns for something delicious to eat, he has only to pluck fruits and then eat them. If his eyes have an aesthetic longing for scenic beauty, then the entire background of nature presents a panorama of scenic beauty and charm. If he needs to eat, ride or despatch goods, then such animals are available here as can serve his transport needs as well as provide him with valuable food. In this way, the entire existence of the universe has become a proclamation of the unity of God, because this uniformity observed in the various phenomena of the universe would not be possible unless its Creator and Lord were one. When a man sees that this great universal provision for him has been arranged without his necessarily deserving it, his heart is filled with gratitude for this freely given blessing. In consequence, this whole matter becomes nourishment for man’s God-fearing instinct, or piety (taqwa). It is the rule of nature that every privilege be accompanied by responsibility. This reminds man of reward and punishment, and induces him to live in this world with the active realisation that one day he has to appear before God to give an account of himself. If these feelings really take hold of a man, then, of necessity, two tendencies will develop in him. One is—whatever he receives—to appreciate that his Lord has a hand in it, and the other is to spend strictly according to his needs and not in excess of this or without occasion. But what Satan does is to divert a man’s mind from the right direction and enmesh it in diverse irrelevant matters.
Page 146
6:138
وَقَالُواْ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَنۡعَٰمٞ وَحَرۡثٌ حِجۡرٞ لَّا يَطۡعَمُهَآ إِلَّا مَن نَّشَآءُ بِزَعۡمِهِمۡ وَأَنۡعَٰمٌ حُرِّمَتۡ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنۡعَٰمٞ لَّا يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱسۡمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡهَا ٱفۡتِرَآءً عَلَيۡهِۚ سَيَجۡزِيهِم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ ١٣٨
And they say, "These animals1 and crops are forbidden; no one may eat from them except whom we will," by their claim. And there are those [camels] whose backs are forbidden [by them]2 and those upon which the name of Allāh is not mentioned3 - [all of this] an invention of untruth about Him.4 He will punish them for what they were inventing.
6:139
وَقَالُواْ مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ خَالِصَةٞ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِنَاۖ وَإِن يَكُن مَّيۡتَةٗ فَهُمۡ فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُۚ سَيَجۡزِيهِمۡ وَصۡفَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٞ ١٣٩
And they say, "What is in the bellies of these animals1 is exclusively for our males and forbidden to our females. But if it is [born] dead, then all of them have shares therein." He will punish them for their description.2 Indeed, He is Wise and Knowing.
6:140
قَدۡ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَتَلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَٰدَهُمۡ سَفَهَۢا بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٖ وَحَرَّمُواْ مَا رَزَقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱفۡتِرَآءً عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ قَدۡ ضَلُّواْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهۡتَدِينَ ١٤٠
They will have lost who killed their children in foolishness without knowledge and prohibited what Allāh had provided for them, inventing untruth about Allāh. They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided.
6:141
۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنشَأَ جَنَّٰتٖ مَّعۡرُوشَٰتٖ وَغَيۡرَ مَعۡرُوشَٰتٖ وَٱلنَّخۡلَ وَٱلزَّرۡعَ مُخۡتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُۥ وَٱلزَّيۡتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَٰبِهٗا وَغَيۡرَ مُتَشَٰبِهٖۚ كُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثۡمَرَ وَءَاتُواْ حَقَّهُۥ يَوۡمَ حَصَادِهِۦۖ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ١٤١
And He it is who causes gardens to grow, [both] trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of different [kinds of] food and olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakāh] on the day of its harvest. And be not excessive.1 Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.
1 translator’s note
- In eating, as well as in all things generally. ↩
6:142
وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ حَمُولَةٗ وَفَرۡشٗاۚ كُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمۡ عَدُوّٞ مُّبِينٞ ١٤٢
And of the grazing livestock are carriers [of burdens] and those [too] small. Eat of what Allāh has provided for you and do not follow the footsteps of Satan.1 Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
1 translator’s note
- As the disbelievers have done in making their own rulings about what is permissible and what is prohibited. ↩