What Is Unlawful to Eat

The second. The mushrikīn, the pagans and idolaters of that time, had their own ways of making things unlawful for themselves. This animal is forbidden me, I may no longer eat it — though it be a goat. They had such practices, forbidding certain things and reserving others to certain people, and had in effect laws of their own in the matter.

Allah (swt) therefore instructs us, in a whole set of verses running to verse 173:

What is forbidden to you, and unlawful for believers, is only this: carrion, the flesh of an animal that died or was not properly slaughtered; flowing blood; the flesh of swine, however it may be slaughtered; and whatever has been consecrated to other than the name of Allah (swt).

Allah then mentions that one in extremity, with nothing to eat and in danger of death, may lawfully eat even of these forbidden things — only so much as will sustain him, and not in such a way as to take pleasure in it and begin to relish it. It is to survive, and to save himself, and no more. Then Allah (swt) says: inna Allāha ghafūrun raḥīm. These endings recur throughout and always carry a purpose, for a particular reason; there is no time to enter upon the subtleties of why ghafūrun raḥīm stands here, though it is plain enough in this instance. Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful: this is the ḥukm, the ruling of mercy, given for you.