Page 215
qul ʾa-raʾaytum mā ʾanzala llāhu lakum min rizqin fa-jaʿaltum minhu ḥarāman wa-ḥalālan qul ʾāllāhu ʾadhina lakum ʾam ʿalā llāhi taftarūna
Say, ‘Have you regarded what Allah has sent down for you of [His] provision, whereupon you have made some of it unlawful and [some] lawful?’ Say, ‘Did Allah give you the sanction [to do so], or do you fabricate a lie against Allah?’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Yunus – Verse 59
59. “Say: ‘Have you considered what (things) Allah has sent down for you of sustenance, then you made some of it unlawful, and (some of it) lawful?’ Say: ‘Has Allah permitted you, or do you forge a lie against Allah?’”
There have been mentioned in Surah Al-Ma’idah, No. 5, verse 103 some examples of those unreasonable prohibitions which the polytheists invented. They used to lay aside part of their crops for their idols and idol-temples, thus making it forbidden for them. They also used to forbid whatever was in the wombs of animals for women while making them lawful for the use of men. The Qur’an completely rejects all these superstitions. The verse says:
“Say: ‘Have you considered what (things) Allah has sent down for you of sustenance, then you made some of it unlawful, and (some of it) lawful?’ Say: ‘Has Allah permitted you, or do you forge a lie against Allah?’”
The main general principle upon the edible things is that they are lawful to be eaten, except those whose being unlawful is proved by religion. We should also know that divine legislation is particular to Allah, the legislator, and no one is right to precede the lawgiver. Similar to the case no divine unlawful thing can be changed into a lawful one, the lawful things cannot be counted unlawful either. However, to legislate an innovative law is a crime, and to forge it against Allah is another crime.