His saying - exalted and glorified is He -: "And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned. And indeed, it is a transgression. And indeed, the devils inspire their allies to dispute with you. And if you obey them, indeed, you will be among the polytheists."

The purpose of this verse is the prohibition of carrion; as it is a response to the saying of the polytheists: "Do you abandon what Allah has killed?" The prohibition also includes what has been slaughtered for the idols. Nevertheless, its wording encompasses what the name of Allah was not mentioned upon (p-451) from the sacrifices of Islam. With this generality, Muhammad ibn Sirin, Abdullah ibn Ayash ibn Abi Rabiah, Abdullah ibn Umar, Nafi, Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Khatmi, al-Sha'bi, and others are concerned. What the name of Allah was not mentioned upon - whether forgetfully or intentionally - is not to be eaten. A large group of scholars said: What has been slaughtered and the name of Allah was not mentioned upon it forgetfully is permissible to eat; and what was not mentioned upon it intentionally is not permissible to eat. This is the opinion of the majority. Al-Zahrawi reported from Malik ibn Anas that he said: The slaughtered animal upon which the name was intentionally or forgetfully omitted is permissible to eat. And from Rabi'ah as well; Abdullah ibn al-Wahhab said: The mentioning of the name is a Sunnah; so if the slaughterer forgets it, the slaughtered animal is permissible to eat, according to the saying of Malik and his companions. If he intentionally omits it, Malik said: It is not permissible to eat. Some of his companions interpreted his saying: "It is not permissible to eat" as a prohibition; while some interpreted it as dislike. Ashhab said: The slaughter of one who intentionally omits the name is permissible to eat, unless he is belittling it. Al-Tabari said something similar.

And the sacrifices of the People of the Book, according to the majority of scholars, are in the ruling of that upon which the name of Allah, the Exalted, has been mentioned; as they have a religion and a law. Some said: The sacrifices of the People of the Book have been abrogated by this verse; this was said by Ikrimah and al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan.

The pronoun in "And indeed, it is a transgression"; from: "And indeed, it is a transgression"; refers back to the eating that is implied in the action of His saying: "And do not eat"; and it is possible that it refers back to "the omission of the mention"; which is implied in His saying: "has not been mentioned"; and "transgression": is to go out of obedience; this is its definition in the law.

And His saying, the Most High, "And indeed, the devils..."; the verse; 'Ikrimah said: He means by the devils in this verse the rebellious ones of mankind; from the Magians of Persia; and that is because they were allied with Quraysh against the enmity of the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -; so they addressed them, warning them of the argument which we mentioned regarding the matter of slaughtering; from their saying: "You eat what you have killed, and you do not eat what Allah has killed?"; so that is from their addressing them, which is the revelation that he meant; and the allies are the signs; and the argument is that proof; and Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him and his father - and Abdullah ibn Kathir said: Rather, the devils are the jinn; and the wording is as it is; and the disbelievers among the jinn are allies to the disbelievers of Quraysh; and their revelation to them was by whispering; until they inspired them with that argument; or upon the tongues of the soothsayers; and Abu Zumayl said: I was with Ibn Abbas; then a man came to him and said: Indeed, Abu Ishaq - meaning Al-Mukhtar - claimed that he was revealed to tonight; so Ibn Abbas said: "He spoke the truth"; so I was startled; and Ibn Abbas said: "And indeed, the devils certainly inspire their allies."

Then Allah, the Most High, prohibited obedience to them; with a wording that includes a warning; and presented the most difficult example in likening the believer to a polytheist; and Al-Tabari narrated from Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him and his father - a saying: Indeed, those who argued with that proof are a people from the Jews.

The judge Abu Said - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And this is weak because the Jews do not eat carrion; but that is directed from them in the direction of contradiction; as if they are arguing against the Arabs.