What are the foods forbidden for Muslims to eat and the reason?

Sources

• ✓ 5:3 · Al-Maaida

  5:3 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  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 بِٱلْأَزْلَٰمِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ۗ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ۚ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمَ دِينًۭا ۚ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِى مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍۢ لِّإِثْمٍۢ ۙ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

  Forbidden unto you (for food) are carrion and blood and swineflesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by (the goring of) horns, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by the death-stroke), and that which hath been immolated unto idols. And (forbidden is it) that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination. This day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear Me! This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam. Whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

• ✓ 6:145 · Al-An'aam

  6:145 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  قُل لَّآ أَجِدُ فِى مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍۢ يَطْعَمُهُۥٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًۭا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍۢ فَإِنَّهُۥ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ ۚ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍۢ وَلَا عَادٍۢ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

  Say: I find not in that which is revealed unto me aught prohibited to an eater that he eat thereof, except it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or swineflesh - for that verily is foul - or the abomination which was immolated to the name of other than Allah. But whoso is compelled (thereto), neither craving nor transgressing, (for him) lo! thy Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.

• ✓ 2:173 · Al-Baqara

  2:173 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍۢ وَلَا عَادٍۢ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ

  He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swineflesh, and that which hath been immolated to (the name of) any other than Allah. But he who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 6:145

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 6:145

  Allah Almighty commands His servant and Messenger Muhammad, may God's blessings and peace be upon him, to say to those who falsely forbid what God has provided to them: "I find nothing forbidden in what is inspired to me to eat by any eater except it be carrion or spilled blood or the flesh of swine or what is consecrated to other than Allah." This means that Muhammad is instructed to tell them that he does not find forbidden anything from what God has revealed except these specific prohibitions. Some say it means he finds nothing forbidden except precisely these items, while others specify that the prohibition applies only to certain animals, limiting the forbidden things to these categories. Based on this, the additional prohibitions mentioned later in Surah Al-Ma’idah and other transmitted traditions serve to clarify and extend the understanding of this verse’s meaning. Some scholars label this as abrogation (naskh), but most later scholars do not consider it formal abrogation because it is based on lifting the original permissibility, not nullifying a ruling completely, and Allah knows best. Regarding the phrase "or spilled blood," Ibn Abbas explains that it refers to flowing blood, such as the blood shed in slaughtering (the flowing blood when the animal is slaughtered). Ikrimah adds that without this verse, people would have searched inside the veins, as the Jews used to do, which is prohibited. Hammad, citing Imran ibn Hudayr, asked Abu Mijlaz about blood and about the reddish stains seen in pots after cooking meat, and was told that only flowing blood is prohibited; residual blood mingled with meat is not forbidden. Qatadah clarifies that the prohibition is on flowing blood, whereas meat with some mixed blood is permissible. Ibn Jarir narrated from Aisha that she did not see harm in eating the meat of predatory animals, though the red stains and blood on the pots were harmful, and she recited this verse. Al-Humaidi related from Sufyan on the authority of Amr ibn Dinar recounting that when questioned about the prohibition of domestic donkey meat during the time of Khaybar, Jabir ibn Abdullah responded that such restrictions were not from the Prophet but from a man named Al-Hakam ibn Amr and that Ibn Abbas objected and read this verse which negates such forbiddances. This narration is recorded by Al-Bukhari via Ali ibn Al-Madini and by Abu Dawud from Ibn Jurayj through Amr ibn Dinar and is also recorded by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak as authentic. Abu Bakr ibn Mardawayh and Al-Hakim also narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Duhaim, who relayed from Ahmad ibn Hazm, from Abu Nu'aym Al-Fadl ibn Dukayn, from Muhammad ibn Sharik, from Amr ibn Dinar, from Abu Al-Sha'tha, from Ibn Abbas who said that the people of ignorance used to eat some things and avoid others out of disgust, but then Allah sent His Prophet and revealed His Book, declaring lawful what He made lawful and forbidden what He prohibited, and what He remained silent on is to be left alone. He then recited this verse. This wording is from Ibn Mardawayh and is transmitted in a separate chain by Abu Dawud and has been evaluated as authentic by Al-Hakim. Imam Ahmad narrated from ‘Affan from Abu ‘Awānah from Simāk ibn Harb from Ikrimah from Ibn ‘Abbas that a sheep belonging to Sawdah bint Zam’ah died, and she told the Prophet about it, who asked why they had not preserved its hide. When she said they wouldn't use the hide of a dead sheep, he reminded her that Allah said what He said in this verse and that tanning the hide is permitted and beneficial. Thus, she tanned the hide, made a flask from it, and used it until it wore out. This narration is recorded by Al-Bukhari and An-Nasa’i from Al-Sha’bi via Ikrimah from Ibn ‘Abbas, from Sawdah bint Zam’ah or a similar narration. Sa’id ibn Mansur reported that when Ibn ‘Umar was asked about eating hedgehogs, he read this verse and a scholar present said that Abu Hurayrah reported the Prophet called it "impure among the impure." Ibn ‘Umar said if the Prophet said so, it must be as he said. Abu Dawud also narrates this from Abu Thawr from Sa’id ibn Mansur. As for the statement, "And whoever is forced by necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit," this means that if someone is compelled to eat something forbidden in this verse, while not seeking to sin nor exceeding necessity, then their Lord is Forgiving and Merciful towards them. This interpretation was also explained earlier in Surah Al-Baqarah with sufficient detail. The intended context of this verse is a refutation directed at the polytheists who fabricated prohibitions upon themselves regarding foods by misguided opinions—such as the al-Baheera, al-Sa’iba, al-Wasila, al-Ham, and similar practices. Allah commands His Messenger to inform them that in what has been revealed to him, he finds no such prohibitions except for carrion, spilled blood, pork flesh, and anything dedicated to other than Allah. Everything else is permissible; what is unmentioned is considered forgiven or allowed by default. Therefore, such fabricated prohibitions have no basis, and prohibitions added later—such as the bans on domestic donkey meat, predatory animals, or birds of prey with talons—are supported by well-established scholarly consensus, according to the recognized juristic schools.

• ✓ Sahih al-Bukhari 34:182

  Sunni SAHIH

  Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 34, Hadith 182 · Narrated by Jabir ibn Abd Allah

  The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), while in Makkah during the Year of Conquest, said, "Allah and His Messenger have prohibited the sale of wine, carrion, swine, and idols." It was asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what about the fats of carrion? They are used to coat ships, grease leather, and make people tan." He said, "That is forbidden." Then the Messenger said, "May Allah curse the Jews. When Allah forbade their fats, they collected and sold it, and ate its price." Abu Asim said, "Abd al-Hamid told us, and Yazid wrote to Ata, 'I heard Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate from the Prophet (peace be upon him)."