Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 142

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Among cattle (He has created) those fit for loading and those fit for laying on the floor. Eat of what Allah has provided you, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Surely, he is an open enemy to you.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Some cattle are fit for labour, others are too small.[[ Strong cattle like camels and oxen can be used for labour, whereas smaller ones like goats and sheep are not suitable for labour but are good for their meat, milk, hide, etc.]] Eat of what Allah has provided for you and do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Certainly, he is your sworn enemy.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Among livestock are some that carry loads and others not. Eat of what Allah has provided for you, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan, for He is your sworn enemy.

A. J. Arberry

And of the cattle, for burthen and for slaughter, eat of what God has provided you; and follow not the steps of Satan; he is a manifest foe to you.

Abdul Haleem

[He gave you] livestock, as beasts of burden and as food. So eat what God has provided for you and do not follow in Satan’s footsteps: he is your sworn enemy.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And of the cattle He hath created beasts of burden and small ones. Eat of that which Allah hath provided for you; and follow not the foot-steps of the Satan; verily he is unto you a manifest foe.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Of the cattle are some for burden and some for meat; eat what Allah hath provided for you, and follow not the footsteps of Satan; for he is to you and avowed enemy.

Abul Ala Maududi

And of the cattle (He has reared) some for burden, and some whose flesh you eat and whose skins and hair you use to spread the ground. Eat of the sustenance Allah has provided you and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan, for surely he is your open enemy.

Ahmed Ali

He has created beasts of burden and cattle for slaughter. So eat of what God has given you for food, and do not walk in the footsteps of Satan who is surely your declared enemy.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And from the cattle, some for burdens, some spread on the earth; eat of the sustenance which Allah has bestowed upon you, and do not follow the footsteps of the devil; undoubtedly he is your open enemy.

Ali Quli Qarai

Of the cattle [some] are for burden and [some] for slaughter. Eat of what Allah has provided you and do not follow in Satan’s footsteps; he is indeed your manifest enemy.

Ali Ünal

And of the cattle (He has created) some for carrying loads, and some for the sake of their flesh, and skins and fur. Consume from what God has provided for you as sustenance, and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan (by laying down rules other than those of God and adopting ways other than God’s); surely he is a manifest enemy to you.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(He it is Who created some) of the cattle for carrying burdens and some (like sheep and goat) are too low (to carry burdens but fit for slaughter). Eat of what Allâh has provided for you and do not follow in the footsteps of satan, for he is indeed an enemy disuniting you (from Allâh).

English Literal

And from the camels/livestock carriers/burdeners , and spreaders , eat from what God provided for you, and do not follow the devil`s foot steps, that he (is) for you a clear/evident enemy.

Faridul Haque

And from the cattle, some for burdens, some spread on the earth; eat of the sustenance which Allah has bestowed upon you, and do not follow the footsteps of the devil; undoubtedly he is your open enemy.

Hamid S. Aziz

And cattle (He produces) some to carry burdens and some to eat. Eat of what Allah has bestowed upon you, and follow not the footsteps of Satan; verily, he is to you an open foe.

Hilali & Khan

And of the cattle (are some) for burden (like camels etc.) and (some are) small (unable to carry burden like sheep, goats etc. for food, meat, milk, wool etc.). Eat of what Allah has provided for you, and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Surely he is to you an open enemy.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And He it is Who produces gardens, trellised and untrellised, and palms and seed-produce of which the fruits are of various sorts, and olives and pomegranates, like and unlike. Eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and pay the due of it on the day of its reaping, and be not prodigal. Surely He loves not the prodigals;

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And of cattle (He created) beasts of burden and those which are fit for slaughter only; eat of what Allah has given you and do not follow the footsteps of the Shaitan; surely he is your open enemy.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And of the cattle (He produceth) some for burdens, some for food. Eat of that which Allah hath bestowed upon you, and follow not the footsteps of the devil, for lo! he is an open foe to you.

Muhammad Sarwar

God has created animals, both small and large. Eat from what God has given you for your sustenance and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is your sworn enemy.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And of the cattle, some are for carrying burdens, and others for slaughter. Eat of that which Allah has provided you with and do not follow in satan's footsteps; he is your open enemy.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And of the cattle (are some) for burden and (some smaller) for Farsh. Eat of what Allah has provided for you, and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan. Surely, he is to you an open enemy.

Wahiduddin Khan

Of the cattle there are some for carrying burdens and some for food. Eat what God has provided for you and do not follow in Satan's footsteps, for he is a declared enemy of yours.

Talal Itani

Among the livestock are some for transportation, and some for clothing. Eat of what God has provided for you, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. He is to you an outright enemy.

Tafsir jalalayn

And, He produces, of the cattle some for burden, fit to bear loads, such as the large [mature] camels, and some for light support, not fit for these [load-bearing tasks], such as young camels or sheep (such [cattle] are called farsh because they are like `bedding [farsh] spread on the ground', on account of their [physical] closeness to it); eat of that which God has provided you and do not follow the steps of Satan, his methods of forbidding [things] or deeming [them] lawful. Surely he is a manifest foe to you, one whose enmity is evident.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَمِنَ الَانْعَامِ حَمُولَةً وَفَرْشًا

And of the cattle (are some) for burden and (some smaller) for Farsh.

means, He created cattle for you, some of which are suitable for burden, such as camels, and some are Farsh.

Ath-Thawri narrated that Abu Ishaq said that Abu Al-Ahwas said that Abdullah said that;

`animals for burden' are the camels that are used for carrying things, while, `Farsh', refers to small camels.

Al-Hakim recorded it and said, "Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it."

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that;

`animals for burden' refers to the animals that people ride, while, `Farsh' is that they eat (its meat) and milk it. The sheep is not able to carry things, so you eat its meat and use its wool for covers and mats (or clothes).

This statement of Abdur-Rahman is sound, and the following Ayat testify to it,

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَا لَهُم مِمَّا عَمِلَتْ أَيْدِينَأ أَنْعـماً فَهُمْ لَهَا مَـلِكُونَ

وَذَلَّلْنَـهَا لَهُمْ فَمِنْهَا رَكُوبُهُمْ وَمِنْهَا يَأْكُلُونَ

Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands have created, the cattle, so that they are their owners. And We have subdued them unto them so that some of them they have for riding and some they eat. (36;71-72)

and,

وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى الاٌّنْعَـمِ لَعِبْرَةً نُّسْقِيكُمْ مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِ مِن بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَأيِغًا لِلشَّارِبِينَ

And verily, in the cattle, there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from between excretions and blood, pure milk; palatable to the drinkers. (16;66) until,

وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَأ أَثَـثاً وَمَتَـعاً إِلَى حِينٍ

And of their wool, fur and hair, furnishings and articles of convenience, comfort for a while. (16;80)
Eat the Meat of These Cattle, But Do Not Follow Shaytan's Law Concerning Them

Allah said,

كُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللّهُ

Eat of what Allah has provided for you,

of fruits, produce and cattle. Allah created all these and provided you with them as provision.

وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ

and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan.

meaning, his way and orders, just as the idolators followed him and prohibited fruits and produce that Allah provided for them, claiming that this falsehood came from Allah.

إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ

Surely, he is to you,

meaning; Shaytan, O people, is to you,

عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ



an open enemy.

and his enmity to you is clear and apparent. Allah said in other Ayat,

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَـنَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوّاً إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنْ أَصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ

Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire. (35;6)

and,

يَـبَنِى ادَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَـنُ كَمَأ أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْءَتِهِمَأ

O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytan deceive you, as he got your parents out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiment, to show them their private parts. (7;27)

and,

أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَأءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ بِيْسَ لِلظَّـلِمِينَ بَدَلاً

Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you What an evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers. (18;50)

There are many other Ayat on this subject