Hadith: Indeed, Allah and His Messenger have forbidden selling alcohol, dead animals, swine, and idols

عن جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما أنه سمع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول عام الفتح وهو بمكة: «إن الله ورسوله حرم بيع الخمر والميتة والخِنزير والأصنام»، فقيل: يا رسول الله أرأيت شحوم الميتة، فإنه يُطلى بها السفن، ويُدهن بها الجلود، ويَستصبِح بها الناس؟ قال: «لا، هو حرام» ، ثم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عند ذلك: «قاتل الله اليهود، إن الله حرم عليهم الشحوم، فأَجْمَلوه، ثم باعوه، فأكلوا ثمنه».
[صحيح] - [متفق عليه]

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the year of the Conquest, when he was in Makkah, say: "Indeed, Allah and His Messenger have forbidden selling alcohol, dead animals, swine, and idols." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, what about the fat of the dead animals that is used for coating boats and as hides, and people use it for lighting purposes?" He said: "No, it is forbidden." Then the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah destroy the Jews. Indeed Allah had forbidden fat to them, but they melted it and then sold it and consumed its price."
Sahih/Authentic. - [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Explanation

The sublime Shariah advocates everything that brings about interest to humanity and warns against everything harmful to them. Therefore, it allows good things and forbids evil things. Among the evil things are the four things mentioned in this Hadīth. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah, in the year of the Conquest, forbid selling those four things. So alcohol, dead animals, swine, and idols are forbidden to sell, and so is consuming their prices, for they represent evil and harm. Then Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that some Companions asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the fat of dead animals, which was used in coating the wood of boats, as it acted as a filler of holes that prevent sinking, and in varnishing leather to soften them, and also in lighting lamps. However, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that the fat of dead animals is forbidden to use. Then he said: "May Allah destroy the Jews!" He meant thereby to stress the fact that making unlawful things lawful through trickery brings about divine wrath and curse. There is a grammatical note that should be explained in his statement: "No, it is forbidden." It is said that the pronoun 'it' refers to selling the fat, while other opinions suggest that it refers to using it. The Standing Committee tends to the other option, meaning that 'it' refers to usage and drawing benefit from it. Based on this, it is forbidden to make use of the fat of dead animals or any part of the dead animals, except for the things specified by evidence, such as the skin that would be tanned. The rationale behind the prohibition - Allah knows best - is that the fat of dead animals is impure. So when something is prohibited due to impurity related to its essence, then its price is also prohibited, as well as drawing benefit therefrom. Consuming such things is also prohibited with greater reason.