Islam Guidance

verse4

(4) يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ الْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ

مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللّهُ فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاذْكُرُواْ اسْمَ اللّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

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 (p.b.u.h.) by the names of Zayd-ul-Khayr and 'Uday-ibn-Hatan once went to him (p.b.u.h.) 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 were 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: 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.
Commentary:
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:
" (O' Muhammad!) they ask you what has been made lawful for them. Say: ' Good things have been made lawful for you; ..."
This means that what Islam has ordained as unlawful are among malignant and impure things. Thus, never the Divine law prohibits a pure animal that have naturally been created for the usage and utility of human beings.
Then, the verse refers to the huntings when it says:
"...and such hunting creatures as you teach, training them as hounds, and teaching them of what Allah has taught you, ..."
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:
"...then eat what they seize for you..."
Thus, if the hunting-dogs have accustoned 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 for itself.
The second condition is:
"...and mention Allah's Name over it. ..."
Then, in conclusion, in order that all these godly commandments be observed, it says:
"... And be in awe of Allah; verily Allah is swift in reckoning."

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