The Order to eat the Lawful Things, and the Prohibition of following the Footsteps of Shaytan


After Allah stated that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him and that He Alone created the creation, He stated that He is the Sustainer for all His creation, and He mentioned a favor that He granted them; He has allowed them to eat any of the pure lawful things on the earth that do not cause harm to the body or the mind. He also forbade them from following the footsteps of Shaytan, meaning his ways and methods with which he misguides his followers, like prohibiting the Bahirah (a she-camel whose milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it), or Sa'ibah (a she-camel let loose for free pasture for the idols and nothing was allowed to be carried on it), or a Wasilah (a she-camel set free for idols because it has given birth to a she-camel at its first delivery and then again gives birth to a she-camel at its second delivery), and all of the other things that Shaytan made attractive to them during the time of Jahiliyyah. Muslim recorded `Iyad bin Himar saying that Allah's Messenger said that Allah the Exalted says,

íóÞõæáõ Çááåõ ÊóÚóÇáóì:Åöäøó ßõáøó ãóÇáò ãóäóÍúÊõåõ ÚöÈóÇÏöí Ýóåõæó áóåõãú ÍóáóÇáñ¡ æóÝöíåö æóÅöäøöí ÎóáóÞúÊõ ÚöÈóÇÏöí ÍõäóÝóÇÁó¡ ÝóÌóÇÁóÊúåõãõ ÇáÔøóíóÇØöíäõ ÝóÇÌúÊóÇáóÊúåõãú Úóäú Ïöíäöåöãú¡ æóÍóÑøóãóÊú Úóáóíúåöãú ãóÇ ÃóÍúáóáúÊõ áóåõã»

(`Every type of wealth I have endowed My servants is allowed for them...' (until), `I have created My servants Hunafa' (pure or upright), but the devils came to them and led them astray from their (true) religion and prohibited them from what I allowed for them. ')

Allah said:

﴿Åöäøóåõ áóßõãú ÚóÏõæøñ ãøõÈöíäñ﴾

(...he is to you an open enemy.)

warning against Satan. Allah said in another instance:

﴿Åöäøó ÇáÔøóíúØóÜäó áóßõãú ÚóÏõæøñ ÝóÇÊøóÎöÐõæåõ ÚóÏõæøÇð ÅöäøóãóÇ íóÏúÚõæ ÍöÒúÈóåõ áöíóßõæäõæÇú ãöäú ÃóÕúÍóÜÈö ÇáÓøóÚöíÑö ﴾

(Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.) (35:6), and:

﴿ÃóÝóÊóÊøóÎöÐõæäóåõ æóÐõÑøöíøóÊóåõ ÃóæúáöíóÂÁó ãöä Ïõæäöì æóåõãú áóßõãú ÚóÏõæøñ ÈöÆúÓó áöáÙøóÜáöãöíäó ÈóÏóáÇð﴾

(Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimin (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc).) (18:50)

Qatadah and As-Suddi commented on what Allah said:

﴿æóáÇó ÊóÊøóÈöÚõæÇú ÎõØõæóÊö ÇáÔøóíúØóÜäö﴾

(...and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan (Satan)):

Every act of disobedience to Allah is among the footsteps of Satan.

`Abd bin Humayd reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "Any vow or oath that one makes while angry, is among the footsteps of Shaytan and its expiation is that of the vow. '' Allah's statement:

﴿ÅöäøóãóÇ íóÃúãõÑõßõã ÈöÇáÓøõæÁö æóÇáúÝóÍúÔóÂÁö æóÃóä ÊóÞõæáõæÇú Úóáóì Çááøóåö ãóÇ áÇó ÊóÚúáóãõæäó ﴾

(He (Satan) commands you only what is evil and Fahsha (sinful), and that you should say about Allah what you know not.)

The verse means: `Your enemy, Satan, commands you to commit evil acts and what is worse than that, such as adultery and so forth. He commands you to commit what is even worse, that is, saying about Allah without knowledge.' So this includes every innovator and disbeliever.

﴿æóÅöÐóÇ Þöíáó áóåõãõ ÇÊøóÈöÚõæÇú ãó ÃóäÒóáó Çááøóåõ ÞóÇáõæÇú Èóáú äóÊøóÈöÚõ ãó ÃóáúÝóíúäóÇ Úóáóíúåö ÁóÇÈóÂÁóäó Ãóæóáóæú ßóÇäó ÁóÇÈóÇÄõåõãú áÇó íóÚúÞöáõæäó ÔóíúÆðÇ æóáÇó íóåúÊóÏõæäó - æóãóËóáõ ÇáøóÐöíäó ßóÝóÑõæÇú ßóãóËóáö ÇáøóÐöì íóäúÚöÞõ ÈöãóÇ áÇó íóÓúãóÚõ ÅöáÇøó ÏõÚóÂÁð æóäöÏóÂÁð Õõãøñ Èõßúãñ Úõãúìñ Ýóåõãú áÇó íóÚúÞöáõæäó ﴾

(170 When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down.'' They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.'' (Would they do that!) even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided) (171. And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hear nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.)


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