What May and May Not be Eaten

S 5:3 Forbidden to you have been dead animals and blood and pork and what has been permitted to other than Allah and the strangled and the fatally struck and that which has had a fatal fall and the gored and what the wild animal has eaten except what you have slaughtered and what has been sacrificed on the nusub and that you seek division by divining arrows. That is fisq. Today those who have disbelieved have despaired of your religion so do not fear them but fear me. Today I have completed your religion for you and perfected my grace upon you and have approved Islam for you as a religion. So he who has been forced by starvation not inclining to sin, Allah is a forgiver, merciful.

Things found dead are not permitted, yet the founder of Islam ate meat from a whale (a mammal, not a fish) that had been found dead.

"We then went to the coast of the sea, and there rose before us on the coast of the sea something like a big mound. We came near that and we found that it was a beast, called al-'Anbar (spermaceti whale). Abu 'Ubaida said. It is dead. He then said: No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the path of Allah and you are hard pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you eat that....When we came back to Medina, we went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: That was a provision which Allah had brought forth for you. Is there any piece of meat (left) with you, so tnat you give to us that? He (Jabir) said: We sent to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) tome of that (a piece of meat) and he ate it."

https://sunnah.com/muslim/34/27

They evidently recognised that it was not to be ordinarily eaten and did so only because they were short of provisions. But was the founder of Islam in great need of a piece of the carcass, or did he simply fancy it?

S 5:5 Today have the good things been permitted for you and the food of those who were given the Book is permitted for you and your food is permitted for them. And the muhsanat of the believers and the muhsanat of those who were given the Book before you when you have given them their wages, fortified, not musafihun or takers of paramours. And he who disbelieves the faith, his work has failed and he in the hereafter is of the losers.

As many Christians eat pork, and as what they might eat is permitted to Muslims, then Muslims may eat pork.

S 4:160 Then for the wrongdoing of those who were Jewish we forbade for them good things that had been permitted for them and for their blocking many from the way of Allah.

S 6:146 And we forbade those who were Jewish every clawed creature and of the cows and the sheep we forbade them their fats except what their backs carried or the entrails or what is mixed with bone. That is their recompense for their outrage and we are truthful.

From an Answering Islam article:

These verses claim that various good things were forbidden to the Jews, and in particular certain parts of the dietary laws were given to them (in addition to the other commandments) because of their disobedience against Allah.

Nothing like that can be found in the Torah or in any other part of the Jewish scriptures. What does the Torah say about the reason for these laws? The reason is given in detail for example in Deuteronomy 4. ...Remarks on the various translations:

The above is basically the translation of Shakir, who agrees with Pickthall in translating this distinguishing property as "claws". Yusuf Ali mistranslates instead as "For those who followed the Jewish Law, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, ..." (maybe) to bring the statement in the Qur'an more in line with the Biblical command in Leviticus 11 where we find the allowance of animals with split hooves in verse 3. But the Arabic does not say "undivided hoof" but "claws".

The Qur'an is in error again. There is no general prohibition against animals with claws in the Torah either. For example, pidgeons or chicken are kosher and may be eaten, but they have claws. Some animals with claws are forbidden, but not all.

The word in Arabic is "Thufur" and means in respect to humans: Nail. Claw or talon for birds and animals. That is according to the Arabic-English dictionnary "Al-kamoos Al-Asri".

On the other hand, according to the same source, the word "hoof", cloven or split, is the translation for the Arabic word "Thilif".

The word "thufur" is the one used in Sura 6:146.

All of the translations by Shakir, Pickthall and Yusuf Ali add the word "animal" which is not there in the Arabic either.

In particular, we see that the Torah forbids certain birds, but other birds (like pidgeons, chicken, etc.) are lawful. And birds do have claws.

Side remark: Most kosher food is also halal. In this sense the dietary laws of the Jews are more strict than those of the Muslims. That is true. But the issue is not whether they are strict or not, but whether this is because of punishment for disobedience or not.

Yet there is at least one item where Islam is more strict. Alcohol is completely forbidden in Islam, while it is allowed in the Bible. The following link gives a good overview article on the issue of alcohol in the Bible. Qur'an Difficulty: More Commandments for Disobedience?

Muslims will often tell us that we should not eat pork, as it was forbidden.

S 3:50 Confirming what is in front of me of the Torah and to permit for you some of that which had been forbidden to you and I have come to you with a sign from your lord, so fear Allah and follow me.

Isa permits some of what had been forbidden. What exactly? From another Answering Islam article:

The Quran even claims that the Lord Jesus made lawful certain things which the Law had prohibited:

"(I have come to you), to attest to the Law which was before me and to make lawful to you part of what was (before) forbidden to you…" S. 3:50

The following exegesis of the above citation is taken from Mahmoud M. Ayoub's book, The Quran and Its Interpreters, Volume II, The House of Imran, State University of New York Press, Albany 1992. All bold and capital emphasis is ours:

"Tabari reports on the authority of Wahb bin Munabbih that ‘Jesus was a follower of the law of Moses. He observed the Sabbath and faced Jerusalem in prayer. He said to the Children of Israel, "I have not come to call you to disobey even one word of the Torah. I have come only to make lawful for you some of the things which were before unlawful and to relieve you of some of the hardships [which the Torah imposed on you]."’ Qatadah, according to Tabari, is said to have declared: ‘The [Law] with which Jesus came was much more lenient than that which Moses brought. The Law of Moses made unlawful for them to eat the flesh of camel, the fat covering the stomach of an animal, and some birds and fish’…

Ibn Kathir interprets the phrase ‘and will make lawful for you some of the things which were before unlawful’ as indicating that Jesus did indeed abrogate some of the precepts of the Torah. Nevertheless, he reports that some scholars have argued that Jesus did not abrogate anything, but only made lawful for the Children of Israel some of the things concerning which they had disagreed. Ibn Kathir, however, prefers the first view…

Razi then raises the following question: ‘It may be argued that latter statement contradicts the one before it. This is because it clearly indicates that he came to make lawful some of the things which were unlawful in the Torah. This would mean that his legislation was contrary to that of the Torah, which would contradict his saying, "I shall confirm the Torah which was before me."’ Razi, however, holds that ‘there is actually no contradiction between the two statements because confirming the Torah can only signify the belief that all that is in it is true and right. If, moreover, the second purpose [of Jesus' apostleship] is not mentioned in the Torah, his making lawful some of the things which are unlawful in it would not contradict his having confirmed the Torah. Furthermore, since the Torah contains prophesies concerning the coming of Jesus, then neither his coming nor HIS LAW would be contrary to the Torah.’

Razi then reports the different views concerning what Jesus made lawful for the Children of Israel. He mentions that Wahb b. Munabbih interpreted this statement as first referring to the rabbis ‘who had invented some false laws which they ascribed to Moses. But when Jesus came, he abolished these laws, and thus matters reverted to what they were during the time of Moses.’ Razi also attributed to Wahb the view that ‘God had made some things unlawful for the Jews as a punishment for the transgressions which they had committed, as God says, "because of the wrongdoing which the Jews committed, We made unlawful some of the good things which were before lawful for them" (Q. 4:160). This prohibition remained until Jesus came and lifted these restrictions from them.’ Razi gives by way of example what Jesus altered in the laws of the Torah, his substituting Sunday for the Sabbath as a day of rest…

Qummi briefly comments that the things which Jesus made lawful for the Children of Israel included work on the Sabbath, and eating such fats and birds which were before unlawful…" (pp. 149-150)

"… Qutb says: ‘The Torah was, like the Gospel, the scripture of Jesus, that is, the foundation of the religion which he came. The Gospel is intended to COMPLETE AND REVIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE TORAH and the spirit of faith which was obscured in the hearts of the Children of Israel. The Torah is the foundation of the religion of Christ and contains the law (shari'ah) on which the social order is based. The Gospel makes only slight modifications in the Torah, but it is a breath and renewal of the spirit of religion. It acts as a source of discipline for human conscience by bringing it into direct contact with God…’ … ‘By Saying, "I shall confirm the Torah that was sent before me" Jesus discloses the nature of true Christianity.’ Qutb argues that the Torah was essential to the message of Jesus, but his message introduced certain minor modifications to it. Jesus made lawful some of the things which God had made unlawful as punishment of the Children of Israel for their sins. ‘Then God wished to show mercy towards them through Christ.’" (pp. 152-153)

"… He [Razi] then presents another possible reason: ‘The Jews knew that Jesus was the messiah who was announced in the Torah, and that he was to ABROGATE their religion…’" (p. 160)

Here is what the English translation of the Tafsir of Ibn Abbas says regarding this text:

(And (I come) confirming) and I have come confirming Allah's divine Oneness in the Religion (that which was before me of the Torah) and all other Scriptures, (and to make lawful) to give you legal dispensation regarding (some of that which was forbidden unto you) such as the meat of camels, the fat of bovines and sheep, the Sabbath, and other things. (I come unto you with a sign) with a token (from your Lord, so keep your duty to Allah) so fear Allah in that which He has commanded you with and repent to Him (and obey me) and follow my command and Religion; (online source; bold and underline emphasis ours)

The Tafsir al-Jalalayn states that:

Likewise, I have come to you, confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of that which was forbidden to you, in it. Thus he made lawful for them fish and birds which had no spikes; it is also said that he made it all lawful for them, so that ba'd, 'some', means, kull, 'all'). I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, He has repeated it for emphasis and to expand upon it: so fear God, and obey me, in what I command you of affirming God's Oneness and being obedient to Him. (online source; bold and underline emphasis ours) On Abrogation and the Relationship between Islamic and Mosaic Law

Isa abrogated some of the Jews' religion? But wasn't that supposed to have been Islam? And who was Isa to abrogate Islam? Some scholars thought that Isa was making some foods lawful. If camel meat was allowed, what about pork?

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts).

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2476

Isa would abrogate a chunk of the Quran? How, unless he were Allah?

Further reading: https://philhoraia.wixsite.com/website/post/a-brief-look-at-food