And we forbade every clawed animal for the Jews,[1] and We forbade the fat of cows and goats for them, except that which is upon their backs or around their entrails or combined with the bone. So We gave them the recompense of their transgression,[2] and indeed We are truthful.
Commentary
[1]
Here, the expression is not limited to the literal meaning as this does not
just include animals like dogs and wild beasts, but hooved and other animals
like the camel, ostrich, and duck too. Some Quranic commentators state that
this specifically refers to the ostrich, duck and camel. These animals were
unlawful for the Jews to consume.
[2]
Although the meat of oxen and goats was lawful for the Jews, the fat of
these animals was generally proscribed for them with the exception of fat from
the backs, around the organs, and on the bone. The Jews had been deprived of
these things due to their transgression, so these animals remained forbidden
for them; the fat of oxen and goats as well as camel, duck and ostrich remained
lawful in Islamic law.
