Surah An-Nahl (16): 115

Know that this verse, until its end, is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, where it has been fully explained. Therefore, there is no benefit in repeating it here.

I say that the Almighty has restricted the forbidden things to these four items in this Surah because the phrase {Indeed, only} (Innama) implies restriction (Husr).

He also restricted them to these four in Surah Al-An'am in His statement: {Say, "I do not find within what was revealed to me forbidden to one who would eat it} (Al-An'am: 145). Both of these Surahs (An-Nahl and Al-An'am) are Meccan.

He also restricted them in Surah Al-Baqarah because this verse with this wording was revealed in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Furthermore, He restricted them in Surah Al-Ma'idah, as He stated at the beginning of that Surah: {Permitted to you is the livestock, except that which is recited to you} (Al-Ma'idah: 1), thus permitting everything except what is recited to them.

They (the scholars) agreed that what is meant by {to you} (alaykum) is what Allah stated in that Surah: {Forbidden to you are the dead animal, blood, the flesh of swine, that which has been dedicated to other than Allah...} (Al-Ma'idah: 3). This mentions those four items mentioned in these three Surahs.

Then He said: {and that which has been strangled, or beaten to death, or killed by a fall, or gored to death, or that which has been partially eaten by a predator, except that which you manage to slaughter while it is still alive} (Al-Ma'idah: 3). These items are included under the category of the dead animal (al-maytah).

Then He said: {and that which has been slaughtered on stone altars (nusub)}, which is one of the categories included under {that which has been dedicated to other than Allah}.

Thus, it is established that these four Surahs indicate the restriction of prohibitions to these four things: two Meccan Surahs (Al-An'am and An-Nahl) and two Medinan Surahs (Al-Baqarah and Al-Ma'idah), as Surah Al-Baqarah is Medinan, and Surah Al-Ma'idah is among the last things revealed in Medina.

Therefore, whoever denies the restriction of prohibition to these four, except for what is specified by consensus and conclusive evidence, is in a position where he should be feared for (i.e., his error is serious). This is because this Surah (An-Nahl) indicates that the restriction of prohibitions to these four was an established legislation from the beginning of the Meccan period to its end, and from the beginning of the Medinan period to its end. Allah repeated this clarification in these four Surahs to cut off excuses and remove ambiguity. And Allah knows best.