The divine is not for sale

ByShaykh Haytham Tamim

Surat al-An’am is a Makkan surah, and it is one of the exceptions to the general principle that most Makkan surahs tend not to be very long. 

Remember that this was a time of transformation for the community, from Jahiliyya (pre-Islamic ignorance) to Islam. It is difficult for a community to develop new discipline, and in this surah Allah is addressing one of the practices that used to be common during Jahiliyya, which was to arbitrarily pronounce things halal and haram, based on their own whims and without any real reasoning. 

Making things haram for no reason 

Certain animals used to be prohibited for men to eat, but allowed for women, and other animals were allowed for men but not women. There was no logical basis or evidence for any of these rulings. 

ثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَزۡوَٰجٖۖ مِّنَ ٱلضَّأۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ وَمِنَ ٱلۡمَعۡزِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِۗ 

قُلۡ ءَآلذَّكَرَيۡنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلۡأُنثَيَيۡنِ 

أَمَّا ٱشۡتَمَلَتۡ عَلَيۡهِ أَرۡحَامُ ٱلۡأُنثَيَيۡنِۖ 

نَبِّـُٔونِي بِعِلۡمٍ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ

˹Allah has created˺ four pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats—ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “Has He forbidden ˹to you˺ the two males or the two females or what is in the wombs of the two females? Tell me with knowledge, if what you say is true.” [6:143] 

In these ayahs, Allah is having a conversation with the Quraysh, asking them to present their evidence for how they decided what was halal or haram. In doing so, He is highlighting the fact that they didn’t have any. 

This is not the correct approach. Islam teaches that nothing can be declared prohibited without clear evidence.

The Quran and Sunnah provide the foundation for determining what is halal and haram, and any new rulings must be derived from these sources—not based on personal opinions or societal preferences.

Only Allah has the authority to legislate, and we cannot assume His role or impose prohibitions without divine guidance -the community can’t just decide based on their own desires. Allah is the one who decides. We can’t play God. 

Don’t fabricate rulings in the name of Allah 

وَمِنَ ٱلۡإِبِلِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ وَمِنَ ٱلۡبَقَرِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِۗ 

قُلۡ ءَآلذَّكَرَيۡنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلۡأُنثَيَيۡنِ أَمَّا ٱشۡتَمَلَتۡ 

عَلَيۡهِ أَرۡحَامُ ٱلۡأُنثَيَيۡنِۖ أَمۡ كُنتُمۡ شُهَدَآءَ

 إِذۡ وَصَّىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَاۚ فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ 

عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبٗا لِّيُضِلَّ ٱلنَّاسَ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍۚ

 إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And (He has created) two of camels and two of oxen. Say, “Is it the two males that He has prohibited or the two females or whatever the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you present when Allah has advised you of this?” So, who is more unjust than the one who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to misguide people without knowledge? Surely, Allah gives no guidance to an unjust people. [6:144] 

Allah then points out that these made up rulings have been made invoking Allah’s name. ‘Who is more unjust than the one who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to misguide people?’ 

In our time we have what we call ‘scholars of the palace’ or ‘scholars of the government’ – i.e. scholars who will issue any fatwa dictated to them by the government. This is also a type of fabricating lies under the name of Allah. At its heart, this issue comes down to the commercialisation of deen: don’t make your deen a product that people can buy or sell. 

The list of haram things is short 

Making things halal and haram is in Allah’s hands. And in fact, the list of prohibitions in Islam is quite short. For example, in Islamic finance we have a few products we can’t invest in, but hundreds of other options of places to put our money – all we have to do is avoid this handful of forbidden types. Similarly with food, the list of haram foods is not very long – the majority of foods are halal. 

The Quran and Sunnah have to be your basis for making any decisions 

In these ayahs, Allah is teaching us two things. First, not to accept any customs from the community if they are not based in the Quran and Sunnah. Even if you have been doing something a certain way for seventy years, that doesn’t make it right. Time is not a qualification for something being halal. 

Second, if there are any issues that need to be discussed in the community, they can be open for discussion as long as everyone participating is qualified, has the relevant knowledge, and is making reference to the Quran and Sunnah for their evidence. If you don’t have these things, you shouldn’t make pronouncements you aren’t qualified for. Don’t make deen a product that anyone can buy or sell: the divine is not for sale.  

Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 6th Ramadan 2025 Transcribed by H Khan

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