The Feast (Al-Maa 'edah)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ O ye who believe! fulfil the compacts. Allowed unto you is the beast of the flock except that which is rehearsed unto you, not allowing the chase while ye are in a state of sanctity. Verily Allah ordaineth whatsoever He will. 1 Believers, do not violate the rites of Allah, or the sacred month, or the offerings, or (those hung with) necklaces, nor those whose aim is to the Sacred House seeking from their Lord bounty and pleasure. Once your pilgrimage has ended, you are free to hunt. Do not allow your hatred for a nation who would bar you from the Holy Mosque to lead you to transgress. And cooperate in righteousness and warding off (evil), and do not cooperate in sinfulness and transgression. Have fear of Allah, for Allah is Stern in retribution. 2 Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, the animal slaughtered in any name other than Allah's, the animal which has either been strangled, killed by blows, has died of a fall, by goring or that devoured by a beast of prey - unless it be that which you yourselves might have slaughtered while it was still alive - and that which was slaughtered at the altars. - You are also forbidden to seek knowledge of your fate by divining arrows. All these are sinful acts. This day the unbelievers have fully despaired of your religion. Do not fear them; but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion, and have bestowed upon you My bounty in full measure, and have been pleased to assign for you Islam as your religion. (Follow, then, the lawful and unlawful bounds enjoined upon you.) As for he who is driven by hunger, without being wilfully inclined to sin, surely Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate. 3 They ask you what has been made lawful to them. Say: 'All clean things have been made lawful to you, and such hunting animals as you teach, training them to hunt, teaching them the knowledge Allah has given you - you may eat what they catch for you - but invoke the name of Allah on it. Have fear of Allah (in violating His Law). Allah is swift in His reckoning.' 4 This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for you) when ye give them their marriage portions and live with them in honour, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denieth the faith, his work is vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter. 5