We should commemorate God's name while slaughtering animals and eating their product. We are not asked to monitor or even investigate whether the person who slaughtered it commemorated God's name or not. However, if we know that the animal was slaughtered according to the rules of a religion falsely attributed to God, then we should not consume it since it would legitimize that blasphemy. This verse is a commonly misunderstood one, and it creates problems for muslims who live in foreign countries. If we evaluate this verse under the light of 6:145 and similar verses, its meaning gains clarity. This verse does not prohibit eating the animal food slaughtered by non-muslims or atheists. This verse asks muslims to protest the mushriks who did not eat the meat of the animals over which they mentioned God's name when they slaughtered; they let it go to waste for the sake of God. In order to make the animal clean for consumption, when they slaughter them, they deliberately and specifically did not mention God's name. This tradition was based on the fabricated rules of their religion and it was thus, for other than God. Verse 6:119 refers to this tradition. In brief, if we read 6:119-121,145 and 22:37 carefully, we will learn that the prohibition in this verse is about the animals sacrificed by mushriks (polytheists) who deliberately did not mention God's name, because of false religious teachings and traditions. The Quran requires offering of domesticated animals only during the Haj (pilgrim) as a penalty for violation of the conference rules (2:196; 5:2,95-97; 48:25), and it has practical purposes: to regulate the conference in peaceful manner and feed participants of the annual international conference where hunting is prohibited to protect the wild life and environment. The Old Testament requires offerings for many different reasons and contains complicated instructions, which were partially adopted by Sunni and Shiite mushriks through hadith, sunna, and sharia (Genesis 8:20; 12:7; 13:4,18; 15:9-11; 22:1- 18; Ex 12:3-27; Leviticus 23:5-8; Nu 9:2-14). Torrey's index lists the following verses under the title, "Offerings": To be made to God alone (Ex 22:20; Jg 13:16); Its origin (Genesis 4:3-4). DIFFERENT KINDS OF; Burnt (Leviticus 1:3-17; Ps 66:15); Sin (Leviticus 4:3-35; 6:25; 10:17); Trespass (Leviticus 5:16-19; 6:6; 7:1); Peace (Leviticus 3:1-17; 7:11); Heave (Ex 29:27; 7:14; Nu 15:19); Wave (Ex 29:26; Leviticus 7:30); Meat (Leviticus 2:1-16; Nu 15:4); Drink (Genesis 35:14; Ex 29:40; Nu 15:5); Thank (Leviticus 7:12; 22:29; Ps 50:14); Free-will (Leviticus 23:38; De 16:10; 23:23); Incense (Ex 30:8; Mal 1:11; Lu 1:9); First-fruits (Ex 22:29; De 18:4); Tithe (Leviticus 27:30; Nu 18:21; De 14:22); Gifts (Ex 35:22; Nu 7:2-88); Jealousy (Nu 5:15); Personal, for redemption (Ex 30:13,15); Declared to be most holy (Nu 18:9), REQUIRED TO BE Perfect (Leviticus 22:21); The best of their kind (Mal 1:14); Offered willingly (Leviticus 22:19); Offered in righteousness (Mal 3:3); Offered in love and charity (Mt 5:23-24); Brought in a clean vessel (Isa 66:20); Brought to the place appointed of God (De 12:6; Ps 27:6; Heb 9:9); Laid before the altar (Mt 5:23-24); Presented by the priest (Heb 5:1); Brought without delay (Ex 22:29-30) Unacceptable, without gratitude (Ps 50:8,14 (Could not make the offerer perfect (Heb 9:9); THINGS FORBIDDEN AS; The price of fornication (De 23:18); The price of a dog (De 23:18); Whatever was blemished (Leviticus 22:20); Whatever was imperfect (Leviticus 22:24); Whatever was unclean (Leviticus 27:11,27); Laid up in the temple (2Ch 31:12; Ne 10:37); Hezekiah prepared chambers for (2Ch 31:11); THE JEWS OFTEN Slow in presenting (Ne 13:10-12); Defrauded God of (Mal 3:8) Gave the worst they had as (Mal 1:8,13); Rejected in, because of sin (Isa 1:13; Mal 1:10); Abhorred, on account of the sins of the priests (1 Samuel 2:17); Presented to idols (Eze 20:28).

Those who followed their ancestors and religious leaders blindly opposed the messengers of God throughout history, by using the past and the number of the crowd as a justification for their lack of appreciation. Ignorant people rejected and opposed Muhammad who claimed to not bring any evidence, sign or miracle except the Quran (29:50-51); they expected evidences/miracles which were only similar to those given to the previous messengers (17:90-93). What they cared about was not the truth, but conformity with the past and preservation of the status quo. They would reject any evidence without evaluating it, with prejudice and in a reflexive manner to keep conformity with their proximate group. The same unappreciative mind now is rejecting the mathematical signs and miracles of the Quran. Verses 38:1-15, and 26:1-6 criticizes these conservative conformists.

Lit., "the satans whisper unto those who are near to them (ila awliya'ihim)". For my above rendering of shayatin as "evil impulses", see note 10 on 2:14 and note 31 on 14: 22.

I.e., "your own evil impulses are trying to draw you into argument as to what does and what does not constitute a sin in order to make you lose sight of God's clear ordinances in this respect; and if you follow their arbitrary, deceptive reasoning, you will elevate them, as it were, to the position of moral law-givers, and thus ascribe to them a right that belongs to God alone."

Lit., "whereby he walks among men". All the commentators agree in that the expression "he who was dead" is metaphorical, and that it refers to people who become spiritually alive through faith and are thereupon able to pursue their way through life unerringly.

Because the consciousness of their importance makes them more or less impervious to criticism, the "great ones" are, as a rule, rather less inclined than other people to question the moral aspects of their own behaviour; and the resulting self-righteousness only too often causes them to commit grave misdeeds.

I.e., direct revelation.

Lit., "and this thy Sustainer's way is straight" - i.e., unchanging in its application of the law of cause and effect to man's inner life as well.-The term rijs occurring in the preceding sentence, and rendered by me as "horror", signifies anything that is intrinsically loathsome, horrible or abominable; in this case, it would seem to denote that awesome feeling of utter futility which, sooner or later, overcomes everyone who does not believe that life has meaning and purpose.

According to most of the commentators, the invisible beings (al-jinn) referred to here are the "evil forces" (shayatin) among them, such as are spoken of in verse 112 of this surah. It is generally assumed that these very beings or forces are addressed here; but the primary meaning of the term ma'shar appearing in this context warrants, in my opinion, a different conclusion. It is true that this term is often used to denote a group or community or genus of sentient beings which have certain characteristics in common: a conventional -and undoubtedly justifiable-use based on the verb `asharahu, "he consorted [or "was on intimate terms"] with him" or "lived in close communion with him". But it is precisely this verbal origin of the term ma'shar which gives us a clue as to what is really meant here. Since, in its primary significance, a person's ma'shar denotes those who are on intimate terms or in close communion with him (cf. Lisan al-'Arab: "A man's ma'shar is his family"), we may well assume that it has a similar significance in the above Qur'anic phrase. Thus, to my mind, the allocution ya ma'shar al-jinn does not denote, "O you community of [evil] invisible beings" but, rather, "O you who are [or "have lived"] in close communion with [evil] invisible beings": in other words, it is addressed to the misguided human beings- who have been seduced by "glittering half-truths meant to delude the mind" (verse 112). This interpretation is reinforced by the words, "Have there not come unto you apostles from among yourselves", occurring in verse 130 below: for the Qur'an speaks always only of apostles who belonged to the human race, and never of apostles from among the jinn. (As regards the wide significance of this latter term, see Appendix III.)

Le., close to the evil invisible beings. It is to be remembered that the primary meaning of wali (of which awliya' is the plural) is "one who is close [to another]".

I.e., unless He graces them with His mercy (see verse 12 of this surah, and the corresponding note). Some of the great Muslim theologians conclude from the above and from the similar phrase occurring in 11:107 (as well' as from several well-authenticated sayings of the Prophet) that-contrary to the bliss of paradise, which will be of unlimited duration-the suffering of the sinners in the life to come will be limited by God's mercy. (See in this connection the hadith quoted in note 10 on 40:12.) ,

Lit., "to be close to one another", or "get hold of one another". The expression "in this manner" (kadhalika), which introduces the above sentence, is an obvious allusion to the manner in which the evil ones "whisper unto one another glittering half-truths meant to delude the mind" (verse 112 of this surah).

6:145, 6:173. Using Tasreef, this verse has been translated differently, but correctly. Fisq = Drifting away = Disobedience. Mentioning the name of God draws our attention to Him as the Provider and Sustainer. Mushrikoon = Idolaters = Pagans = Those who ascribe divinity besides God = Those who prefer human 'authorities' or clergy over revelation = Who 'worship' their own desires

When people have their belief systems jumbled up, they lose the power to distinguish between the right and wrong

The criminals of the same kind tend to hang around together

Jealousy and ego are human traits that provoke some people to question God's wisdom in selecting His messengers. Corrupted Muslim scholars haveuttered this same utterance regarding the revelation of the Quran's mathematicalcode through God's Messenger of the Covenant.

Centuries after the revelation of the Quran, we learned that the proportion of oxygen diminishes as we climb towards the sky, and we gaspfor air.