Commentary
And when the context was about the lawful and unlawful foods from crops and livestock, and after he clarified the matter of crops which he mentioned in the first statement, as it is the substance of animals - he said: ﴿And from﴾ that is: and he created from ﴿the livestock burdens﴾ that is: what carries loads ﴿and bedding﴾ that is: and what is spread for slaughter or for giving birth, and from its wool and hair, bedding is made. And when he completed the two categories, he commanded to eat from all of that in a way that includes others, opposing the disbelievers. So he said: ﴿Eat from what Allah has provided for you﴾ that is: because He is the greatest King, whose gift cannot be rejected ﴿and do not follow﴾ [and perhaps he emphasized the indication of pardoning a small matter if a person is reminded of it, he returns and does not consider it in his desire] ﴿the footsteps of Satan﴾ that is: his way in making lawful and unlawful, as he said in Al-Baqarah: ﴿Eat from what is in the earth, lawful and good, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 168]. And he expressed this because - although it is from the substance of sin - it indicates that his laws are a law of obliteration. Were it not for the increased attention of the sinners in following every step, while its effect would lead to its obliteration in itself, there would be no command from Allah to revive it nor a book to preserve it. And he only omitted here 'lawful and good' to clarify it previously in his saying ﴿So eat from what the name of Allah has been mentioned upon﴾ [Al-An'am: 118] ﴿and do not eat from what the name of Allah has not been mentioned upon﴾ [Al-An'am: 121] and later in his saying: ﴿Say, I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything forbidden﴾ [Al-An'am: 145]. Then he explained the prohibition of following him, saying: ﴿Indeed, he is for you a clear enemy﴾ that is: he does not command you to do good ﴿clear﴾ that is: evident in enmity because his matter with your father is well-known.
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