1735 - Issue: He said: (The forbidden [categories] of animals are what Allah the Almighty has designated in His Book. Whatever the Arabs termed 'pure' (tayyib) is lawful, and whatever they termed 'impure' (khabith) is forbidden; due to the saying of Allah the Almighty: 'And He makes lawful for them the pure things and forbids them the impure things' [Qur'an 7:157]).

He means by his statement: what Allah the Almighty designated in His Book, His saying, may He be glorified: 'Forbidden to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah' [Qur'an 5:3]. As for what is beyond this, whatever the Arabs deemed wholesome is lawful, due to the saying of Allah the Almighty: 'And He makes lawful for them the pure things.' He means what they deem wholesome, not just what is lawful, evidenced by His saying in another verse: 'They ask you what is lawful for them. Say, 'Lawful to you are [all] good foods' [Qur'an 5:4]. If He meant [merely] what is lawful, this would not have been a response to them. Whatever the Arabs deemed vile is forbidden, due to the saying of Allah the Almighty: 'And He forbids them the impure things.' Those whose judgment of wholesomeness and vileness is considered are the people of the Hijaz among the inhabitants of the cities, because they are the ones to whom the Book was revealed and who were addressed by it and the Sunnah; thus, the absolute terms in both [the Book and Sunnah] are referred back to their custom rather than others. The people of the desert are not considered because, due to necessity and famine, they eat whatever they find. For this reason, one of them was asked about what they eat and said: 'Everything that creeps and moves, except the 'umm hubayn' (a species of lizard).' The person replied: 'May the 'umm hubayn' enjoy safety!' Whatever is found in the cities of the Muslims that is unknown to the people of the Hijaz is referred back to the closest thing resembling it in the Hijaz. If it does not resemble any of them, it is permissible because it enters into the generality of His saying: 'Say, 'I do not find within that which was revealed to me anything forbidden...'' [Qur'an 6:145], and the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): 'And that which Allah remained silent about, is among that which He has pardoned.' Once this is established, among the impure things are the insects, such as worms, dung beetles,