Al-Baqarah
البقرة
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Translation
He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced by necessity, neither desiring it nor transgressing its limit, there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Tafsir (Commentary)
This verse establishes the fundamental dietary laws in Islam with remarkable conciseness: four categories of prohibited food. Equally significant is the exception clause — necessity overrides prohibition. This principle (al-darurat tubih al-mahdhurat) became one of the five maxims of Islamic jurisprudence, demonstrating that Islamic law prioritizes the preservation of life over ritual compliance. The closing with God's attributes of forgiveness and mercy reinforces that these laws are not punitive but protective.
Context of Revelation
Revealed in Medina, establishing dietary guidelines for the new Muslim community. Similar dietary lists appear in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 in the Bible, reflecting shared Abrahamic dietary consciousness.