Tafsir of Al Imran 3:93-94

"All food was..."

"All food" It means all edible things, or all types of food. Ḥill (lawful) is an infinitive, as one says: "The thing became ḥill (lawful)," just as you say, "The beast became dhull (tame)," or "The man became ‘izz (mighty)." In the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "I used to perfume him for his ḥill (state of being out of ihram) and his ḥaram (state of ihram)." For this reason, the masculine, feminine, singular, and plural forms are used equally in describing it. Allah the Exalted said: "They are not lawful (ḥill) for them, nor are they lawful (ḥill) for them" (Al-Mumtahanah: 10).

"Which Israel had forbidden for himself" Israel is Jacob (peace be upon him). He forbade for himself the meat and milk of camels. It is said that he suffered from sciatica, so he vowed that if he were cured, he would forbid for himself the food he loved most, which was that. Thus, he forbade it. It is also said that physicians advised him to avoid it, so he did so with permission from Allah; thus, it is like a prohibition from Allah from the outset.

The meaning is that all foods were always lawful for the Children of Israel before the Torah was revealed. None of what was later forbidden to them due to their wrongdoing and transgression was forbidden before that, except for the one food that their father, Israel, forbade for himself, and they followed him in that prohibition.

This is a refutation of the Jews and a declaration of their falsehood, as they sought to clear themselves of what Allah rebuked them for in His saying: "For the wrongdoing of those who were Jews, We forbade them good things that had been lawful for them" (An-Nisa: 160) up to His saying: "a painful punishment" (An-Nisa: 161). And in His saying: "And to those who are Jews, We forbade every animal with undivided hoof; and of the ox and the sheep, We forbade them their fat" (Al-An'am: 146) up to His saying: "That is how We repaid them for their transgression" (Al-An'am: 146).

They denied what angered them, and they were repulsed and indignant at what the Quran stated regarding the prohibition of good things for them due to their transgression and wrongdoing. They said, "We are not the first to have things forbidden to us; it is merely an ancient prohibition. It was forbidden to Noah, to Abraham, and to the Children of Israel after him, and so on, until the prohibition reached us, so it was forbidden to us just as it was forbidden to those before us."

Their purpose was to deny Allah’s testimony against them regarding their transgression, wrongdoing, hindering people from the path of Allah, consuming usury, and taking people's wealth unjustly—along with the other evils enumerated, for which, every time they committed a major sin, a type of good food was forbidden to them as a punishment.

"Say: 'Bring the Torah and recite it'" He commanded that he argue with them using their own Book and rebuke them with what it explicitly states: that the prohibition of what was forbidden to them was a new prohibition caused by their wrongdoing and transgression, not an ancient one as they claim. It is reported that they did not dare to bring out the Torah; they were confounded and turned away in disgrace. In this is clear proof of the truthfulness of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the permissibility of abrogation (naskh), which they deny.

"So whoever invents a lie against Allah" By claiming that it was forbidden to the Children of Israel before the revelation of the Torah, after the decisive proof has been established against them.

"Then it is those who are the wrongdoers" The arrogant ones who do not deal fairly with themselves and do not turn toward the clear proofs.