Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:118

"So eat of that upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned" is a command consequent to the prohibition against following the misguided ones, among whose misguidance was the permitting of the forbidden and the forbidding of the permissible. Al-Wahidi mentioned that the polytheists said: "O Muhammad, tell us about a sheep when it dies—who killed it?" He, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: "Allah the Exalted killed it." They said: "So you claim that what you and your companions kill is lawful, and what the falcon and the dog kill is lawful, but what Allah the Exalted kills is unlawful?" Thereupon, Allah the Exalted revealed this verse.

Ikrimah said: When Allah the Exalted revealed the prohibition of dead meat (carrion), the Magians of Persia—who were the allies of the polytheists of Quraysh in the pre-Islamic era and maintained correspondence with them—wrote to them: "Muhammad and his companions claim to follow the command of Allah, yet they claim that what they slaughter is lawful, while what Allah slaughters is unlawful." This cast doubt into the minds of some Muslims, so the Exalted revealed the verse.

Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi—who graded it 'hasan' (good)—along with a group of scholars, narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them both, that he said: The Jews came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: "Shall we eat what we kill, but not eat what Allah kills?" Thereupon, Allah the Exalted revealed the verse.

The meaning, according to more than one scholar, is: Eat of that upon which the name of Allah the Exalted has been mentioned at the time of slaughter, not that upon which the name of another has been mentioned—specifically, or alongside His name, may His name be exalted—nor that which died of natural causes. The restriction, as it is said, is derived from the instruction not to follow the misguided ones and from the conditional clause. Were it not for this, the speech would be addressing what is not needed while remaining silent about what is needed. Some have claimed that there is no restriction, and that the impermissibility of what dies of natural causes is derived from the explicit wording of the text, namely His saying: "And do not eat of that..." etc. This, however, contradicts the position held by the majority.

"(If you are believers in His verses)": among which are the verses revealed concerning this matter. For faith in them necessitates the declaring as lawful what Allah the Exalted has made lawful, and avoiding what He has forbidden. It is said the meaning is: "If you have become cognizant of the realities of matters, of which this command is a part, by virtue of your faith." It is also said that the intent is: "If you are characterized by faith and are certain of it," for affirmation varies between conjecture, imitation, and realization. The prepositional phrase is connected to what follows it, and it was placed first in consideration of the rhymed endings (fawasill). The response to the conditional clause is omitted because what precedes it serves as an indication of it.