Surah Al-Anaam, Verse 137 and 138

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*Surah Al-Anaam, Verse 137:*

وَكَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٍ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قَتْلَ أَوْلَادِهِمْ شُرَكَاؤُهُمْ لِيُرْدُوهُمْ وَلِيَلْبِسُوا عَلَيْهِمْ دِينَهُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

And so to many of the Mushrikun (polytheists - see V. 2:105) their (Allah's so-called) "partners" have made fair-seeming the killing of their children, in order to lead them to their own destruction and cause confusion in their religion. And if Allah had willed they would not have done so. So leave them alone with their fabrications.

#COMMENTARY

The false gods and idols- among many nations, including the Arabs - were supposed to require human sacrifices. Ordinarily such sacrifices are revolting to man, but they are made "alluring" - a sacred rite - by Pagan custom, which falsely arrogates to itself the name of religion. Such customs, if allowed, would do nothing but destroy the people who practice them, and make their religion but a confused bundle of revolting superstitions.

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*Surah Al-Anaam, Verse 138:*

وَقَالُوا هَٰذِهِ أَنْعَامٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ لَّا يَطْعَمُهَا إِلَّا مَن نَّشَاءُ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَأَنْعَامٌ حُرِّمَتْ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنْعَامٌ لَّا يَذْكُرُونَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا افْتِرَاءً عَلَيْهِ سَيَجْزِيهِم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

And according to their pretending, they say that such and such cattle and crops are forbidden, and none should eat of them except those whom we allow. And (they say) there are cattle forbidden to be used for burden or any other work, and cattle on which (at slaughtering) the Name of Allah is not pronounced; lying against Him (Allah). He will recompense them for what they used to fabricate.

#COMMENTARY

A taboo of certain foods is sometimes a device of the priesthood to get special things for itself. It has to be enforced by pretending that the prohibition for others is by the Will of ALLĀH (Sub-haanahu wata'aala). It is a lie or invention against Almighty ALLĀH. Most superstitions are.

Cattle dedicated to heathen gods may be reserved from all useful work, in that case they are a dead loss to the community, and they may, besides, do a great deal of damage to fields and crops.

If meat is killed in the name of heathen gods, it would naturally not be killed by the solemn rite in ALLĀH's name, by which alone the killing can be justified for food.