5:103
Sura 5:3 describes a pagan practice of dividing the meat through a game of chance, yet God informs us that such meat is not prohibited (more on this topic in the next section below). Another common pagan practice among early Arabs was to set aside a portion of their crops and livestock to their idols.
[6:136] They even set aside a share of GOD’s provisions of crops and livestock, saying, “This share belongs to GOD,” according to their claims, “and this share belongs to our idols.” However, what was set aside for their idols never reached GOD, while the share they set aside for GOD invariably went to their idols. Miserable indeed is their judgment.
وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُوا هَٰذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَٰذَا لِشُرَكَائِنَا فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَائِهِمْ فَلَا يَصِلُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَىٰ شُرَكَائِهِمْ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
This practice was so rampant that they had specific names for certain kinds of livestock that they deemed prohibited for eating because they were considered to be dedicated to their idols. This is best depicted in the following verse:
[5:103] GOD did not prohibit livestock that begets certain combinations of males and females, nor livestock liberated by an oath, nor the one that begets two males in a row, nor the bull that fathers ten. It is the disbelievers who invented such lies about GOD. Most of them do not understand.
مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَائِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ وَلَٰكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
These different kinds of livestock in the Arabic of 5:103 are not spelled out like in the translation. The Arabic, on the other hand, uses the pagan names for this list of animals that the pagan Arabs determined were set aside for their idols and, therefore, prohibited from being slaughtered for food. These names are the following:
Bahirah (بَحِيرَةٍ): livestock that begets certain combinations of males and females
Saibah (سَائِبَةٍ): livestock liberated by an oath
Wasilah (وَصِيلَةٍ): cattle that begets two males in a row
Hami (حَامٍ): a bull that fathers ten
1
mā
مَا
Not
2
jaʿala
جَعَلَ
[He] made
3
l-lahu
ٱللَّهُ
God
4
min
مِنۢ
of
5
baḥīratin
بَحِيرَةٍ
a Bahirah (*livestock that begets certain combination of males and females),
6
walā
وَلَا
and not
7
sāibatin
سَآئِبَةٍ
a Saibah (*livestock liberated by an oath),
8
walā
وَلَا
and not
9
waṣīlatin
وَصِيلَةٍ
a Wasilah (*cattle that begets two males in a row),
10
walā
وَلَا
and not
11
ḥāmin
حَامٍ
Hami (*a bull that fathers ten).
12
walākinna
وَلَـٰكِنَّ
But
13
alladhīna
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
14
kafarū
كَفَرُوا۟
[they] disbelieved
15
yaftarūna
يَفْتَرُونَ
they fabricate
16
ʿalā
عَلَى
against
17
l-lahi
ٱللَّهِ
God
18
l-kadhiba
ٱلْكَذِبَ
the lie,
19
wa-aktharuhum
وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ
and most of them
20
lā
لَا
(do) not
21
yaʿqilūna
يَعْقِلُونَ
they understand.
Here is the verse translated by Dr. Rashad Khalifa in his 1981 translation of the Quran.
Sura 5:103 describes livestock that is dedicated to other than God, which the pagans prohibited others from slaughtering and killing, yet God tells us that if we abide by these pagan rituals due to their dedications, we would be innovating by giving pagans the power of making lawful food unlawful for us to eat.
We are informed that we should not attribute lies to God and that prohibiting food that is not prohibited is tantamount to idol worship.
[16:116] You shall not utter lies with your own tongues stating: “This is lawful, and this is unlawful,” to fabricate lies and attribute them to GOD. Surely, those who fabricate lies and attribute them to GOD will never succeed.
وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ
This is also echoed in the footnote for 2:172-173 by Dr. Rashad Khalifa
Footnote 2:172-173: Throughout the Quran, only four meats are prohibited (6:145, 16:115, Appendix 16). Dietary prohibitions beyond these four are tantamount to idol worship (6:121,148, 150; 7:32).
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