We note the accuracy of the Qur’anic statement, and we must always put the equation:

  {وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا}

(If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.)  (An-Nisa: 82)

If the Qur’an had been written by human beings, it would have never come to their mind to put the sentence like this: (O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good). The lawful and good would come with the address “O you who believe”. Why?

Because the believer is the one who responds to the requirements of the faith. As for the whole people, there are among them the unbeliever and the believer. Allah (swt) gives the bestowments to those whom He loves and those whom He loves not, but He gives religion to those whom He loves. However, when He gives sun, air, water, livelihood, goodness, health and money, He gives them to all people, believers and unbelievers. Only when Allah (swt) speaks about something related to faith, He says, “O you who believe”, and if there is an imposition of a task, He says:

 {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ }

(O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting…)  (Al-Baqara: 183)

 {يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ }

(O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good – that you may succeed)  (Al-Hajj: 77) and so on…

( يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ ) (O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth.): Eating is a general term, and man lives by the essentials of life, including food, which is the fuel of the body. When Allah (swt) addresses man in general, his speech is not limited to those who believe, but includes believers and others for Allah (swt) has created what is in the earth for all people, because the Lord’s bounties are to all human beings, to those who believe and to those who do not believe, as if to say to the unbelievers, “even if you do not believe, take the advice of believers and use lawful things; because they benefit you in your life”. When he says: (O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good), it is out of advice to the unbeliever, but the believer has to abide, as stated in the verse:

{ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ }

(O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you…)  (Al-Baqara: 172)

Here, there is an imposition of a task, and in Allah’s saying, (O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good) there is no imposition of a task, and all people are addressed. Allah (swt) says to them, “Do not eat the unlawful (ḥarᾱm). Why?

For if you eat a dead animal, whether you are a believer or not, you would find that it has a different taste, and that it is rotten. Allah (swt) wants good for all people and for all humans, so He says, “eat lawful food”. He does not want anyone to be harmed; because the unlawful food harms the man in general.

Allah (swt) says to the atheist to not eat a dead animals or blood. He tells him to eat lawful food (ḥalᾱl), because ḥalᾱl food does not harm the man. This is an address to all human beings. As for the believer, the speech is different.

( وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ) (and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.): the footsteps are the space between a step and another. Allah (swt) mentions that the Satan is a clear enemy to human beings. When the Satan was expelled from Allah’s mercy, and descended to earth, he swore by the Might of Allah (swt):

{قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ }

([Iblees] said, “By your might, I will surely mislead them all.)  (Saad: 82)

“By your might” That is, by Your dispensing with the worship of your creation, I will surely mislead them all,

(Except, among them, Your chosen servants.)  (Saad: 83)

Consuming Halal includes food and money. The word “consume” is sometimes used for money.

 {وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ }

(And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly….)  (Al-Baqara: 188)

The inheritance is a scourge for the heirs, if the heir transgresses on the rights of others, as well as consume usury, taking bribes and consume others’ money unjustly.