The Fourth Dietary Prohibition

Much debate has been had regarding the exact specificity of the fourth dietary prohibition. The crux of the argument rests if this dietary prohibition encompasses any food that is merely dedicated to other than God, or is it limited to animals that were specifically sacrificed to other than God.

4 Dietary Prohibition Verses

Below are the translations for the four verses that discuss the dietary prohibitions.

[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

[2:172] O you who believe, eat from the good things we provided for you, and be thankful to GOD, if you do worship Him alone. [2:173] He only prohibits for you the eating of animals that die of themselves (without human interference), blood, the meat of pigs, and animals dedicated to other than GOD. If one is forced (to eat these), without being malicious or deliberate, he incurs no sin. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ

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

[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—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

[16:115] He only prohibits for you dead animals, blood, the meat of pigs, and food which is dedicated to other than GOD. If one is forced (to eat these), without being deliberate or malicious, then GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

The table below shows how the four dietary prohibitions are described in the four verses.

	1st Prohibition	2nd Prohibition	3rd Prohibition	4th Prohibition
2:173	animals that die of themselves (without human interference)	blood	the meat of pigs	animals dedicated to other than GOD
2:173	ٱلْمَيْتَةَ	وَٱلدَّمَ	وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ	وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ
6:145	carrion	running blood	the meat of pigs, for it is contaminated	the meat of animals blasphemously dedicated to other than GOD
6:145	مَيْتَةً	أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا	أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُۥ رِجْسٌ	أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِ
5:3	animals that die of themselves	blood	the meat of pigs	animals dedicated to other than GOD
5:3	ٱلْمَيْتَةُ	وَٱلدَّمُ	وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ	وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِ
16:115	dead animals	blood	the meat of pigs	food which is dedicated to other than GOD
16:115	ٱلْمَيْتَةَ	وَٱلدَّمَ	وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ	وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِ

From a side-by-side comparison of these verses, we see that the most specific verse on the dietary prohibitions that encompasses the entirety of all the dietary prohibitions occurs only in 6:145. This is the only verse that states the full extent of the dietary prohibitions and the only verse that unequivocally states that the only dietary prohibitions for anyone who eats food are what is specifically listed in this verse.

If we look at any other verse in isolation, one would still have to reference 6:145 to fully understand the dietary prohibitions. For instance, if we were to look at only 2:173 or 5:3, then we would think that roadkill would be lawful to eat because roadkill implies that it was killed via human interference and any blood rather than only running blood. If we were to look only at 16:115, it would imply all dead animals are prohibited as well as any blood, and not just running blood. Only 6:145 provides the full list of dietary prohibitions. This is why it is referenced in every footnote for these four verses and in Appendix 16.