Quran Garden

Session 421

Chapter 3

Verses 93 & 94

All food was lawful for the tribe of Israel except what Israel made unlawful for himself before the Torah was sent down.  Say, "Bring the Torah and recite it if you are telling the truth." (Chapter 3: Verse 93)

Here we ask, why did this verse come after the verse that said, "None of you will attain true piety unless you spend out of what you cherish"?  What is the connection between acceptable charity and foods that are permissible?  This verse seems out of place.  We have mentioned earlier that Allah is fully aware of our thoughts and emotions, and He takes everything into consideration.  When you hear a verse talking about food, you may react in one of two ways.  If you had just had a big meal, you would not pay much attention.  But, if you are poor or hungry, you would start thinking about the foods you like to eat. 

Thus, right before Allah awakened the desires of the hungry and the deprived with words about meat and milk, He encouraged the rich to give from the best they have.  Thus, God brought balance to the world.  He is our Creator Who does not forget the needs of His creation.  Our beloved Moses said:

"My Lord alone has knowledge of them, all in a record; my Lord does not err or forget." (20:52)

Everything that ever happened or is destined to happen is in God's knowledge as He decreed it; He deprived some of wealth, and He knows the wisdom behind it, while He gave prosperity to others, and He knows the wisdom behind it.  But Allah did not leave the poor to suffer; He encouraged the rich to provide for them from the best of their possessions because they know that Allah is the One who gives and withholds. 

Always remember that your ability to earn a living is a fleeting state.  You could fall ill or be disabled tomorrow.  If you keep this real possibility in mind, you will rush to help the needy so you can guarantee that someone capable will help you if you become weak.  That is the divine insurance plan.  Allah orders the capable to give, so if one of them becomes weak, others will help out. 

This brings us back to the verse.  God says, "All food was lawful for the tribe of Israel." The word "lawful" is translated from the Arabic origin حِلًّ (Hill).  When God said, "except what Israel made unlawful for himself," it meant that Prophet Jacob deprived himself of some foods not out of religious obligation, but for other reasons which he was free to follow.  The key phrase in this verse is "before the Torah was sent down," because it reminds us that these dietary restrictions were not forbidden by God, as the Jews claimed afterward.  Noah, Abraham, and all the followers of previous heavenly religions were free to eat and drink from camels.  Thus, when they challenged Prophet Muhammad, he, peace be upon him, said, "Bring the Torah and recite it if you are telling the truth." Allah exposed their lies.  He says in the next verse of Al Imran:

Now, those who fabricate lies against God, they are indeed the most unjust.

(Chapter 3: Verse 94)

This is a clear warning against attributing any lies or fabrications to God, the messengers, or the sacred books.  Anyone who does so has committed great injustice against him or herself.  God says:

So woe to those who write the scripture with their own hands, then say, "This is from God" in order to exchange it for a small price.  Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.  (2:79)