Re: Eating halal food
One thing I noticed that Yousuf Ali was clearly a meat eater he has added word meat in translation of Quran. That makes his translation biased though because was leaning to a certain position a group of Islamic Scholars take.
Now here is the translation of Sura Al Anaam verse 119 it is also clearly saying that we cannot eat any kind of food on which name of Allah has not been pronounced it means that whenever we sit to eat we have to say the name of Allah , nowhere it is mentioning or pointing to slaughtering an animal in the name of Allah. There is no mention of animal , slaughter or laham which is meat. It is pointing to the fact that we are not allowed to eat anything without saying the name of Allah. Yes in addition to stating the fact that we are not allowed to eat anything on which name of Allah has not been said it is is also pointing to those things which have been specifically made haram , like pigs meat, blood , dead animals etc etc.
*006.119 * *
YUSUFALI: Why should ye not eat of (meats) on which Allah's name hath been pronounced, when He hath explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you - except under compulsion of necessity? But many do mislead (men) by their appetites unchecked by knowledge. Thy Lord knoweth best those who transgress.
PICKTHAL: How should ye not eat of that over which the name of Allah hath been mentioned, when He hath explained unto you that which is forbidden unto you unless ye are compelled thereto. But lo! many are led astray by their own lusts through ignorance. Lo! thy Lord, He is Best Aware of the transgressors.
SHAKIR: And what reason have you that you should not eat of that on which Allah's name has been mentioned, and He has already made plain to you what He has forbidden to you-- excepting what you are compelled to; and most surely many would lead (people) astray by their low desires out of ignorance; surely your Lord-- He best knows those who exceed the limits.
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Now let us look at verse 145 of Sura Al Anaam. It gives specific list of those things which are haram.
This list does not include the food of people of faith, if it was there to cancel the Verse 5 of Sura maida it will mention that , it is not mentioned here. Why not because That persmission is still there.
It forbids eating from the animal which was sacrificed in the name of any other diety other than Allah. This order and prohibition is strictly for sacrifical animals not for those animals which are slaughtered for sale in the market place . If they were also slaughtered in the name of any non Allah diety we cannot eat them . But if they were slaughtered without saying the name of non Allah diety then we can eat that by saying the name of Allah as per Sura Al Anaam verse 119 and 121.
006.145
YUSUFALI: Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah's". But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- thy Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
PICKTHAL: Say: I find not in that which is revealed unto me aught prohibited to an eater that he eat thereof, except it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or swineflesh - for that verily is foul - or the abomination which was immolated to the name of other than Allah. But whoso is compelled (thereto), neither craving nor transgressing, (for him) lo! thy Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
SHAKIR: Say: I do not find in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden for an eater to eat of except that it be what has died of itself, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine-- for that surely is unclean-- or that which is a transgression, other than (the name of) Allah having been invoked on it; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.