f

åí‡Ûa@ÒŠbÈß
Understanding of the Religion #12
Islamic questions on a wide variety of topics which have been answered in detail with full
explanation by the great Marja` Taqlid, ™yatull°h al-`U®m° al-Ø°jj ash-Shaykh Lußfull°h as-Æ°f¢ al-
Gulp°yg°n¢ (may All°h protect him)
Translated into English by Saleem Bhimji (www.al-mubin.org)

Question: Keeping in mind that from verses three and five of S£rah al-M°idah, the necessity to pronounce the name of
All°h (or Bismill°h) can not be deduced, thus, why is it ¶ar°m (prohibited) to eat the meat of an animal that at the time of
slaughtering, Bismill°h has not been mentioned (upon it)?

Answer: It must always be kept in mind that the sources used to understand and extract the laws of Isl°m are both the
Noble Qur˜°n and the Sunnah of the Prophet and A’immah (peace be upon all of them).

The Prophet of Islam (blessings of All°h be upon him and his family) and the A’immah, through their speech and actions,
taught a great deal of the Islamic rulings to the people – in addition, they elucidated on the verses of the Noble Qur˜°n
which needed a commentary and explanation. The Muslims too must use the Holy Qur˜°n and by also referring to the
actions and speech of these noble personalities, must fulfill their responsibility just as the people who lived during the
beginning period of Isl°m did.

Therefore, it is possible that by only referring to the Noble Qur˜°n for the source of legislation of the topic under
discussion, you have not been able to acquire full knowledge where as you must refer to the speech and actions of the
leaders of the religion. It is their speech and behavior, which are a proof and an argument for us – and you have stopped
at this one source to use as your support.

Of course, the discussions and research into the sources (to extract) the laws of Isl°m is the duty of the Fuqah° and the
Science of Fiqh which is one of the most important Isl°mic sciences which has reached to its gradual perfection and is a
solid, firm science.

In relation to the blessed verse of the Qur˜°n which you have written:

…
“Prohibited for you is the animal that has died on its own…” (Surah al-M°idah, Verse 3)

and (the ruling that) those animals that have been slaughtered according to the laws of Isl°m are ¶al°l and permitted to
eat we must state that: Of the laws and conditions for the slaughtering of the animal that must be fulfilled and the animal
who has been slaughtered according to these laws that have been given and explained to us by the Noble Prophet
(blessings of All°h be upon him and his family) and the Pure A’immah (prayers be upon all of them), one of these
conditions is that at the time of slaughtering, the name of All°h must be taken.
1
However, the second verse that you mentioned that reads:

…-"# , !"#$% &"'( ) *+ !

“On this day, it is been made permissible for you the good things and the food of
those who were given the book (before you)…” (S£rah al-M°idah, Verse 5)

According to the a¶°d¢th from the Pure A’immah (prayers be upon all of them), the meaning of the word food ( ) in
this verse are the grains (and dry food) and does not include meat. This interpretation is also in accordance with the
lexical meaning of this word and this explanation is much more correct than to say that what is meant by the word food
( ) is meat.

In addition to this, in the Qur˜°n al-Maj¢d, there is another verse that speaks of the prohibition of eating meat that has been
slaughtered without the name of All°h being mentioned. In S£rah al-An`°m, verse 121, it is stated:

#345 6789 6 6: , 2, . "' ./ 01

“And do not eat of that on which All°h’s name has not been mentioned, and that is most surely a transgression.”