And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him a light by which to walk among the people like one whose likeness is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made fair-seeming to the disbelievers that which they were doing.} (Al-An'am: 118 - 122).

That is a command from Him—the Almighty—to follow the Inward sciences (Al-'Ulum al-Batina), which are symbolized by the outward food that He—the Almighty—has made lawful for His believing servants in His Mighty Book. It is also a rebuke for those who abstain [from these sciences] due to their failure in striving (Ijtihad) and deep understanding (Tafaqquh). Subsequently, it is a prohibition against following the outward sciences (Al-'Ulum al-Zahira), symbolized by forbidden food, except in cases of need and necessity, according to His—the Almighty—saying: {But whoever is compelled by necessity, neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit]} (Al-Baqarah: 173). He—the Almighty—did not grant permission for it except to those compelled in their time of necessity, both outwardly and inwardly, example for example and measure for measure.

The Almighty has informed us that most of those inclined toward eating forbidden food go astray without knowledge, due to the intensity of their inclination toward it and their lack of knowledge regarding the Inward, just as Paul informed in the fifteenth chapter of his epistle, saying: "Do not be led astray, for evil communications corrupt good manners." He [the Almighty] has prohibited the outward of sin and its