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yasʾalūnaka mādhā ʾuḥilla lahum qul ʾuḥilla lakumu ṭ-ṭayyibātu wa-mā ʿallamtum mina l-jawāriḥi mukallibīna tuʿallimūnahunna mimmā ʿallamakumu llāhu fa-kulū mimmā ʾamsakna ʿalaykum wa-dhkurū sma llāhi ʿalayhi wa-ttaqū llāha ʾinna llāha sarīʿu l-ḥisābi
They ask you as to what is lawful to them. Say, ‘All the good things are lawful to you.’ As for what you have taught hunting dogs [to catch], teaching them out of what Allah has taught you, eat of what they catch for you and mention Allah’s Name over it, and be wary of Allah. Indeed Allah is swift at reckoning.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 4
4. "(O' Muhammad!) they ask you what has been made lawful for them. Say: 'Good things have been made lawful for you; and such hunting creatures as you teach, training them as hounds, and teaching them of what Allah has taught you, then eat what they seize for you and mention Allah's Name over it. And be in awe of Allah; verily Allah is swift in reckoning."
Occasion of Revelation
There are several occasions of revelation mentioned upon this verse, the most appropriate of which is as follows: Two companions of the holy Prophet (S) by the names of Zayd-ul-Khayr and 'Uday-ibn-Hatam, once went to him (S) and said that they were among a group who used to hunt with falcons and hunting-dogs. Those hunting-dogs would take the animals whose meat was lawful (for eating). Some of the animals would be fetched alive and killed by them, but some others would be killed by the hunting-dogs, before they had opportunities to kill them according to the Islamic law.
They asked that while they knew that the meat of carrion was unlawful for them to eat, what their duty was to do. Then, the verse was revealed and answered them.
A Lawful Hunting
Following the commandments stated in the previous couple of verses upon the lawful and unlawful sorts of meat, another part of that subject is referred to in this verse, and, as an answer to their question, the Divine revelation says:
This means that what Islam has ordained as unlawful are among malignant and impure things. Thus, never the Divine law prohibits a pure animal which has naturally been created for the usage and utility of human beings. Then, the verse refers to the hunting when it says:
Therefore, the animals that hunting-dogs bring for you should be killed according to the law of Islam when they are alive. But, if the hunts die before the dogs can reach them, they are lawful (halal), although they are not slaughtered. At the end of the verse, it points to two other circumstances of the conditions of such hunt being lawful, saying:
Thus, if the hunting-dogs have accustomed themselves to eat a portion of their own hunt and leave another portion, such hunt is not lawful. In fact, such a dog has neither been trained, nor what it leaves can be as an aspect of the Qur'anic word /'alaykum/ (for you), for the dog has hunted the animal for itself. The second condition is:
Then, in conclusion, in order that all these godly commandments be observed, it says: