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Are the verses on prohibited kinds of foodstuffs not entirely clear?

Question:
Are the verses o­n prohibited kinds of foodstuffs not entirely clear? For example, what about the following verse:

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals - cattle - beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or o­n which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering.” Please notify and mention what is legal and what is illegal… [5:3]

Answer :
Prohibited foodstuffs have been mentioned in the Holy Qur’an either briefly or in detail. Example of the first case is Allah’s saying in surah Al-Baqarah:

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ فَلا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“He has forbidden you o­nly the Maitah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., o­n which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). . [2:173]

He also said in surah Al-An’am:

قُل لاَّ أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوْحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلاَّ أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): “I find not in that which has been inspired to me anything forbidden to be eaten by o­ne who wishes to eat it, unless it be Maitah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth (by slaughtering or the like), or the flesh of swine (pork, etc.) for that surely is impure, or impious (unlawful) meat (of an animal) which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or o­n which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). . [6:145]

Verses that mention such prohibited foodstuffs in detail include the following verse from surah Al-Ma’idah which is o­ne of the last surahs revealed in the Qur’an:

:حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ
وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals - cattle - beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or o­n which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns - and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal - unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) ­ and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) o­n An­Nusub (stone altars). (Forbidden) also is to use arrows seeking luck or decision, (all) that is Fisqun (disobedience of Allâh and sin). . [5:3]

Al-Maitah is the dead animal which has not been legally slaughtered. Blood is that which flows from the animal when it is slaughtered. Yet, if there was blood with the meat, it is permissible. The flesh of the swine is already known. Prohibited also is the fats of swine. It is not permissible to eat them or make use of them any way.

“...and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or o­n which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering” :

This means that the Name of Allah has not been mentioned when slaughtering this animal. It also refers to each animal slaughtered as a sort of seeking the pleasure of others than Allah. They include animals slaughtered in the birthday ceremonies of the sheikhs and dead people, those slaughtered under the feet of a prestigious visitor, and those slaughtered for the sheikhs of the Sufi groups. All such animals are not intended for the sake of Allah. It is deviation and an act that does not conform with true monotheism. “and that which has been killed by strangling” refers to the animal strangled by its rope until it dies. “or by a violent blow” refers to the animal blown by a piece of iron or a stone and it fell dead. “or by a headlong fall” refers to the animal which has fallen in a well or from a hill or the like and nobody managed to legally slaughter it. If a person found it still alive, it is permissible to wound it in any part of her body if he has not managed to slaughter it by cutting its neck. “or by the goring of horns” refers to the animal gored by the horns of another animal until the former falls dead. “and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal” refers to the animal which another wild animal has eaten some of its limbs. If it is still alive and it has been legally slaughtered, it is permissible to eat it as Allah said: unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) This means that if it has been legally slaughtered before its death, it is permissible to eat it. “and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) o­n An­Nusub (stone - altars)”: An-Nusub is the stone which the pre-Islamic Arabs used to slaughter animals o­n it. By analogy, it refers to any animal that may be slaughtered at a certain place or time which had not been defined in the Islamic law, such as the animals slaughtered in the birthday ceremonies of dead people. It has been recorded in the Prophet’s (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) Sunnah that each wild animal which has canine tooth is prohibited. The same rule applies to all taloned birds of prey. .[See Sahih Muslim in the chapter o­n hunting]The flesh of the donkey is also prohibited. Each dirty food which a person detests is also prohibited as Allah said: He allows them as lawful At-Taiyibât [(i.e. all good and lawful) as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.], and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.) Allah knows best

From calgaryislam.com