6:145 Explained

According to the Quran, there are only four dietary prohibitions. This is spelled out four times in the Quran: 2:173, 6:145, 5:3, and 16:115, with the most all-encompassing verse being 6:145.

[6:145] Say, “I do not find in the revelations given to me any food that is prohibited for any eater except: (1) carrion, (2) running blood, (3) the meat of pigs, for it is contaminated, and (4) the meat of animals blasphemously dedicated to other than GOD.” If one is forced (to eat these), without being deliberate or malicious, then your Lord is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

قُل لَّآ أَجِدُ فِى مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُۥٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُۥ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

This verse uses the strongest injunction against any other dietary prohibitions beyond what is immediately specified in the verse by utilizing a similar structure like what is used in the Shahdah.

The Shahadah, “لا إله إلا الله” (la ilaha illa Allah), translates to “There is no god except God” in English. Grammatically, this statement is structured around a form of negation followed by an exception. The structure “لا … إلا …” (la … illa …) in Arabic is specifically used to negate everything except what follows after “إلا” (illa), making it a statement of exclusivity or exception. The use of negation followed by an exception is a common and important structure in Arabic, allowing the speaker to exclude something from the general negation. In the context of the Shahadah, it affirms the monotheistic belief in Submission by negating the existence or worship of any deity other than Allah.

Similarly, the dietary prohibitions mentioned in 6:145 are structured in the same format as the Shahadah to eliminate the possibility of any other dietary prohibition without exception. Stating that these are the only dietary prohibitions from all the divine inspiration (wahi) given to the prophet eliminates the possibility of additional dietary prohibitions.

1	qul	قُل	Say,
2	lā	لَّآ	"not
3	ajidu	أَجِدُ	I find
4	fī	فِى	in
5	mā	مَآ	what
6	ūḥiya	أُوحِىَ	it was inspired / revealed
7	ilayya	إِلَىَّ	to me
8	muḥarraman	مُحَرَّمًا	a prohibition
9	ʿalā	عَلَىٰ	for
10	ṭāʿimin	طَاعِمٍ	a taster / an eater (of food)
11	yaṭʿamuhu	يَطْعَمُهُۥٓ	(who) he eats it / tastes it
12	illā	إِلَّآ	except
13	an	أَن	that
14	yakūna	يَكُونَ	it be
15	maytatan	مَيْتَةً	dead / carrion (*not slaughtered for human consumption)
16	aw	أَوْ	or
17	daman	دَمًا	blood
18	masfūḥan	مَّسْفُوحًا	poured forth (*running)
19	aw	أَوْ	or
20	laḥma	لَحْمَ	(the) meat (of)
21	khinzīrin	خِنزِيرٍ	swine / pig -
22	fa-innahu	فَإِنَّهُۥ	for indeed, it (is)
23	rij'sun	رِجْسٌ	polluted / contaminated -
24	aw	أَوْ	or (what)
25	fis'qan	فِسْقًا	blasphemously
26	uhilla	أُهِلَّ	it was dedicated at the time of slaughter
27	lighayri	لِغَيْرِ	to other than
28	l-lahi	ٱللَّهِ	God
29	bihi	بِهِۦ	thereby.

The exclusivity of such prohibition is further reinforced by another word used in the verse, which is the word "ūḥiya" ( أُوحِيَ ), which in the English translation is where we get the word “revelation.” Wahi is a form of revelation that constitutes not just scripture (kitab) but any divine inspiration given to the messenger. If this was in reference to just the Quran, then it would state Kitab or Quran, but since it references wahi we know that this is in reference to all forms of divine revelation.

This means that from all the inspiration that the messenger received, what is stated in 6:145 is the only dietary prohibition. Furthermore, the verse also states, “any food for any eater.” This means that out of any food that a person can eat or taste "ṭāʿimin" ( طَاعِمٍ ), the only dietary prohibitions are strictly these four items.

Some claim that the statement for 6:145 only held true up to the time when the revelation of this verse was given to the prophet, and since Sura 6 is a Meccan sura, it is possible that other revelations that came afterward could abrogate this verse. Ignoring that the verses of the Quran cannot be abrogated (4:82 & 6:114-116); this argument still fails.

Four verses state the dietary prohibition, and all of them do not exceed what is stated in 6:145. These verses are 2:173, 6:145, 5:3, and 16:115, and it is worth mentioning that Sura 5 is considered one of the last Suras revealed to the prophet, and the verse where it states the dietary prohibition explicitly states: "Today I have completed your religion." Therefore, this eliminates any argument that 6:145 was ever abrogated.

[5:3] Prohibited for you are animals that die of themselves, blood, the meat of pigs, and animals dedicated to other than God. (Animals that die of themselves include those) strangled, struck with an object, fallen from a height, gored, attacked by a wild animal—unless you save your animal before it dies (ذَكَّيْتُمْ)—and animals sacrificed on altars. Also prohibited is dividing the meat through a game of chance; this is an abomination. Today, the disbelievers have given up concerning (the eradication of) your religion; do not fear them and fear Me instead. Today, I have completed your religion, perfected My blessing upon you, and I have decreed Submission as the religion for you. If one is forced by famine (to eat prohibited food), without being deliberately sinful, then GOD is Forgiver, Merciful.

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُوا۟ بِٱلْأَزْلَـٰمِ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِى مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ