Verse 6:141 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

137 وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ زَیَّنَ لِكَثِیرࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِینَ قَتۡلَ أَوۡلَـٰدِهِمۡ شُرَكَاۤؤُهُمۡ لِیُرۡدُوهُمۡ وَلِیَلۡبِسُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِمۡ دِینَهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُۖ فَذَرۡهُمۡ وَمَا یَفۡتَرُونَ ۝١٣٧ wakadhālika zayyana likathīrin mina l-mush'rikīna qatla awlādihim shurakāuhum liyur'dūhum waliyalbisū ʿalayhim dīnahum walaw shāa l-lahu mā faʿalūhu fadharhum wamā yaftarūn In the same way, their idols have induced many of the pagans to kill their own children, bringing them ruin and confusion in their faith: if God had willed otherwise they would not have done this, so [Prophet] leave them to their own devices 138 وَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦۤ أَنۡعَـٰمࣱ وَحَرۡثٌ حِجۡرࣱ لَّا یَطۡعَمُهَاۤ إِلَّا مَن نَّشَاۤءُ بِزَعۡمِهِمۡ وَأَنۡعَـٰمٌ حُرِّمَتۡ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنۡعَـٰمࣱ لَّا یَذۡكُرُونَ ٱسۡمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡهَا ٱفۡتِرَاۤءً عَلَیۡهِۚ سَیَجۡزِیهِم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ یَفۡتَرُونَ ۝١٣٨ waqālū hādhihi anʿāmun waḥarthun ḥij'run lā yaṭʿamuhā illā man nashāu bizaʿmihim wa-anʿāmun ḥurrimat ẓuhūruhā wa-anʿāmun lā yadhkurūna is'ma l-lahi ʿalayhā if'tirāan ʿalayhi sayajzīhim bimā kānū yaftarūn They also say, ‘These cattle and crops are reserved, and only those we allow may eat them’- so they claim! There are some animals they exempt from labour and some over which they do not pronounce God’s name [during slaughter], falsely attributing these [regulations] to Him: He will repay them for the falsehoods they invent 139 وَقَالُوا۟ مَا فِی بُطُونِ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ خَالِصَةࣱ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَىٰۤ أَزۡوَ ٰجِنَاۖ وَإِن یَكُن مَّیۡتَةࣰ فَهُمۡ فِیهِ شُرَكَاۤءُۚ سَیَجۡزِیهِمۡ وَصۡفَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَكِیمٌ عَلِیمࣱ ۝١٣٩ waqālū mā fī buṭūni hādhihi l-anʿāmi khāliṣatun lidhukūrinā wamuḥarramun ʿalā azwājinā wa-in yakun maytatan fahum fīhi shurakāu sayajzīhim waṣfahum innahu ḥakīmun ʿalīmu They also say, ‘The contents of these animals’ wombs will be reserved solely for our men and forbidden to our women, though if the offspring is stillborn they may have a share of it.’ He will punish them for what they attribute to Him: He is all wise, all aware 140 قَدۡ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِینَ قَتَلُوۤا۟ أَوۡلَـٰدَهُمۡ سَفَهَۢا بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمࣲ وَحَرَّمُوا۟ مَا رَزَقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱفۡتِرَاۤءً عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ قَدۡ ضَلُّوا۟ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهۡتَدِینَ ۝١٤٠ qad khasira alladhīna qatalū awlādahum safahan bighayri ʿil'min waḥarramū mā razaqahumu l-lahu if'tirāan ʿalā l-lahi qad ḍallū wamā kānū muh'tadīn Lost indeed are those who kill their own children out of folly, with no basis in knowledge, forbidding what God has provided for them, fabricating lies against Him: they have gone far astray and have heeded no guidance

141 ۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنشَأَ جَنَّـٰتࣲ مَّعۡرُوشَـٰتࣲ وَغَیۡرَ مَعۡرُوشَـٰتࣲ وَٱلنَّخۡلَ وَٱلزَّرۡعَ مُخۡتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُۥ وَٱلزَّیۡتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَـٰبِهࣰا وَغَیۡرَ مُتَشَـٰبِهࣲۚ كُلُوا۟ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦۤ إِذَاۤ أَثۡمَرَ وَءَاتُوا۟ حَقَّهُۥ یَوۡمَ حَصَادِهِۦۖ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوۤا۟ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِینَ ۝١٤١ wahuwa alladhī ansha-a jannātin maʿrūshātin waghayra maʿrūshātin wal-nakhla wal-zarʿa mukh'talifan ukuluhu wal-zaytūna wal-rumāna mutashābihan waghayra mutashābihin kulū min thamarihi idhā athmara waātū ḥaqqahu yawma ḥaṣādihi walā tus'rifū innahu lā yuḥibbu l-mus'rifīn It is He who produces both trellised and untrellised gardens, date palms, crops of diverse flavours, the olive, the pomegranate, alike yet different. So when they bear fruit, eat some of it, paying what is due on the day of harvest, but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people

142 وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ حَمُولَةࣰ وَفَرۡشࣰاۚ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَ ٰتِ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمۡ عَدُوࣱّ مُّبِینࣱ ۝١٤٢ wamina l-anʿāmi ḥamūlatan wafarshan kulū mimmā razaqakumu l-lahu walā tattabiʿū khuṭuwāti l-shayṭāni innahu lakum ʿaduwwun mubīnu [He gave you] livestock, as beasts of burden and as food. So eat what God has provided for you and do not follow in Satan’s footsteps: he is your sworn enemy 143 ثَمَـٰنِیَةَ أَزۡوَ ٰجࣲۖ مِّنَ ٱلضَّأۡنِ ٱثۡنَیۡنِ وَمِنَ ٱلۡمَعۡزِ ٱثۡنَیۡنِۗ قُلۡ ءَاۤلذَّكَرَیۡنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلۡأُنثَیَیۡنِ أَمَّا ٱشۡتَمَلَتۡ عَلَیۡهِ أَرۡحَامُ ٱلۡأُنثَیَیۡنِۖ نَبِّءُونِی بِعِلۡمٍ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِینَ ۝١٤٣ thamāniyata azwājin mina l-ḍani ith'nayni wamina l-maʿzi ith'nayni qul āldhakarayni ḥarrama ami l-unthayayni ammā ish'tamalat ʿalayhi arḥāmu l-unthayayni nabbiūnī biʿil'min in kuntum ṣādiqīn [God gave you] eight animals, in [four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats- ask them [Prophet], ‘Has He forbidden the two males, the two females, or the young in the wombs of the two females? Tell me based on knowledge if you are telling the truth.’ 144 وَمِنَ ٱلۡإِبِلِ ٱثۡنَیۡنِ وَمِنَ ٱلۡبَقَرِ ٱثۡنَیۡنِۗ قُلۡ ءَاۤلذَّكَرَیۡنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلۡأُنثَیَیۡنِ أَمَّا ٱشۡتَمَلَتۡ عَلَیۡهِ أَرۡحَامُ ٱلۡأُنثَیَیۡنِۖ أَمۡ كُنتُمۡ شُهَدَاۤءَ إِذۡ وَصَّىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَاۚ فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا لِّیُضِلَّ ٱلنَّاسَ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَهۡدِی ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝١٤٤ wamina l-ibili ith'nayni wamina l-baqari ith'nayni qul āldhakarayni ḥarrama ami l-unthayayni ammā ish'tamalat ʿalayhi arḥāmu l-unthayayni am kuntum shuhadāa idh waṣṣākumu l-lahu bihādhā faman aẓlamu mimmani if'tarā ʿalā l-lahi kadhiban liyuḍilla l-nāsa bighayri ʿil'min inna l-laha lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīn And a pair of camels and a pair of cattle- ask them [Prophet], ‘Has He forbidden the two males, the two females, or the young in the wombs of the two females? Were you present when God gave you these commands?’ So who is more wicked than he who fabricates lies against God with no basis in knowledge in order to lead people astray? God does not guide the evildoers 145 قُل لَّاۤ أَجِدُ فِی مَاۤ أُوحِیَ إِلَیَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمࣲ یَطۡعَمُهُۥۤ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَكُونَ مَیۡتَةً أَوۡ دَمࣰا مَّسۡفُوحًا أَوۡ لَحۡمَ خِنزِیرࣲ فَإِنَّهُۥ رِجۡسٌ أَوۡ فِسۡقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَیۡرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦۚ فَمَنِ ٱضۡطُرَّ غَیۡرَ بَاغࣲ وَلَا عَادࣲ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝١٤٥ qul lā ajidu fī mā ūḥiya ilayya muḥarraman ʿalā ṭāʿimin yaṭʿamuhu illā an yakūna maytatan aw daman masfūḥan aw laḥma khinzīrin fa-innahu rij'sun aw fis'qan uhilla lighayri l-lahi bihi famani uḍ'ṭurra ghayra bāghin walā ʿādin fa-inna rabbaka ghafūrun raḥīmu [Prophet], say, ‘In all that has been revealed to me, I find nothing forbidden for people to eat, except for carrion, flowing blood, pig’s meat- it is loathsome- or a sinful offering over which any name other than God’s has been invoked.’ But if someone is forced by hunger, rather than desire or excess, then God is most forgiving and most merciful