Say: 'I do not find, in what is revealed to me, aught forbidden to him who eats thereof except it be carrion, or blood outpoured, or the flesh of swine -- that is an abomination -- or an ungodly thing that has been hallowed to other than God; yet whoso is constrained, not desiring nor transgressing, surely thy Lord is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.' 145 And to those who were Jews We made unlawful every animal having claws, and of oxen and sheep We made unlawful to them the fat of both, except such as was on their backs or the entrails or what was mixed with bones: this was a punishment We gave them on account of their rebellion, and We are surely Truthful. 146 So if they give the lie to thee (Muhammad), say: Your Lord is a Lord of All-Embracing Mercy, and His wrath will never be withdrawn from guilty folk. 147 Those who associate others with Allah in His divinity will now surely say: 'Had Allah willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have associated others with Allah in His divinity, nor would we have declared anything (which Allah did not forbid) as forbidden.' Even so those who had lived before them gave the lie (to the Truth) until they tasted Our chastisement. Tell them: 'Have you any sure knowledge that you can produce before us? In fact you are only following idle fancies, merely conjecturing.' 148 Say: "With Allah is the argument that reaches home: if it had been His will, He could indeed have guided you all." 149 Say thou: here with your witnesses, those who will testify that Allah hath forbidden all this. Then even if they testify, testify thou not with them. And follow thou not the desires of those who belie Our signs and those who believe not in the Hereafter while they equalise others with their Lord. 150