(May Peace and Mercy and Blessings of Allah be Upon ! السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
We are starting a Ramdan series of Articles based on the dietary prohibitions in Islam and other religions based on scientific facts and research.
Islam is a code of life. Muslims do not practice only during the weekends or festive seasons; rather religion is an ongoing part of daily life. Islam is organised in a spiritual and moral way, taking into account humankind’s innate needs and desires. The tenets of Islam are derived from the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad, known as the Sunnah, These two sources of revelation are a guide, or a manual for life.
https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1892/health-in-islam-part-3/
Dietary do’s and dont’s in Islam , and Ahlul kitab (Judaism and Christianity)
Some people do not eat various specific foods and beverages in conformity with various religious, cultural, legal or other societal prohibitions.
Some food prohibitions can be defined as rules, codified by religion or otherwise, about which foods, or combinations of foods, may not be eaten and how animals are to be slaughtered or prepared. The origins of these prohibitions are varied. In some cases, they are thought to be a result of health considerations or other practical reasons;[2] in others, they relate to human symbolic systems.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_drink_prohibitions
We will now look at the various foods that effect our body , soul and mind based on Religion and Science.
it is believed that our Gut is our second brain. Anything we eat or drink effects our mood , behaviour and hence our actions. Food that is beneficial for our body is also good for our mind and soul. Spiritually our actions are effected by what we eat and drink.
The article link below highlights all the benefits of foods prohibited in Islam and the scientific logic behind it. Briefly any animal or plant that we consume not only do we absorb the nutrients but also absorb its positive and negative energy, its soul in other words. Hence the characteristics and behaviour of that animal also is passed down to our soul in its complete energy form along with the Bacteria and microbiome that resides in the animal or plant.
If we look at food and absorption at the molecular level, We not only absorb the nutrients in the form of proteins vitamins and minerals but also the same cells , the mitochondria the nucleus which interacts and communicates with our own mitochondria. In lay man terms the body receives and becomes what it absorbs.
hence the famous quote
“You become what you think , and you are what you eat” -Barbara Cortland
and how Anna rephrased it:Mad Cows and Mad Pigs and Mad Fish say it is not ‘you are what you eat’ but that we become whom we eat.- O Anna Niemus
http://aaiil.org/fiji/articles/jalaluddean/prohibitedfoodsislam.pdf
Quran
Chapter 2:173, Surah Al-Baqarah as: “173 He has forbidden you only what dies of itself, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any other(name) than (that of) Allah has been invoked. Then whoever is driven by necessity, not desiring, nor exceeding the limit, no sin is upon him. Surely Allah is Forgiving,
In simple terms any animal which has split hoofs and does not regurgitate its food (cud) and chew it properly is not good for us.
BibleThe Book of Leviticus states:”Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. Merciful.”
other religions
https://thrivemeetings.com/2018/01/religious-dietary-restrictions-guide/
The jist on the discussion on foods Halal (Permissable) to Haram (forbidden)
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_dont_Muslims_magometanets_dont_eat_pork
Prohibitions in the Torah[edit]The Torah (Pentateuch) contains passages in Leviticus that lists the animals people are permitted to consume. It first notes what qualifies an animal that is absolutely permitted:Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is completely split into double hooves, and which brings up its cud that one you may eat.— Leviticus 11:3Animals that have cloven hooves and chew their cud are ruminants such as cows, sheep, and deer. This text does not specify every possible animal by name, only their behaviors.The text goes on to describe specific animals that are known and meet one, but not both, of those qualifications, thereby prohibiting their consumption. It does not elaborate on the exact reason for prohibition other than physical characteristics.Pigs are described in this section as prohibited because they have a cloven hoof but don’t chew their cud.And the pig, because it has a cloven hoof that is completely split, but will not regurgitate its cud; it is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.— Leviticus 11:7-8Deuteronomy expands on the list of permitted animals.You shall not eat any abomination.These are the animals that you may eat: ox, lamb, and kid,gazelle, deer, and antelope, ibex, chamois, bison, and giraffe.And every animal that has a split hoof and has a hoof cloven into two hoof sections, [and] chews the cud among the animals that you may eat.— Deuteronomy 14:3-6Deuteronomy reiterates what Leviticus states on pigs.And the pig, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You shall neither eat of their flesh nor touch their carcass.— Deuteronomy 14:8
Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are halāl (حَلَال “lawful”) and which are harām (حَرَامْ “unlawful”). This is derived from commandments found in the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, as well as the Hadith and Sunnah, libraries cataloging things the Islamic prophet Muhammad is reported to have said and done. Extensions of these rulings are issued, as fatwas, by mujtahids, with varying degrees of strictness, but they are not always widely held to be authoritative.
According to the Quran, the only foods explicitly forbidden are meat from animals that die of themselves, blood, the meat of swine (porcine animals, pigs), and animals dedicated to other than God (either undedicated or dedicated to idols). All vegetarian cuisine are halal and allowed for Muslims.
However, a person would not be guilty of sin in a situation where the lack of any alternative creates an undesired necessity to consume that which is otherwise unlawful. (Quran 2:173) This is the “law of necessity” in Islamic jurisprudence: “That which is necessary makes the forbidden permissible.”
7th Jul, 2017
University of Lahore
Prohibited foods in islam
A variety of substances are considered as unlawful (haraam) for humans to consume and, therefore, forbidden as per various Qurʼanic verses:
Pork[2] Animals slaughtered in the name of anyone but “God”.[3] All that has been dedicated or offered in sacrifice to an idolatrous altar or saint or a person considered to be “divine”[2][4]Carrion (carcasses of dead animals which weren’t killed by men or pets trained for purpose, like dogs or falcons)[2]
An animal that has been strangled, beaten (to death), killed by a fall, gored (to death), or savaged by a beast of prey (unless finished off by a human)[4]
Blood[4]Intoxicants and alcoholic beverages[5]
Quranic verses which have information regarding halal foods include: 2:173, 5:5, and 6:118–119, 121.
Why do Muslims abstain from pork?
The prohibition of pork in Islam is derived from the following verse of the Glorious Qur’an:
“Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah.”
[Al-Qur’an 5:3]
Let us examine various aspects of this prohibition:
1. Prohibition in Earlier Scriptures
Islam is a culmination of the same monotheistic religion that was revealed to earlier prophets. Although the Glorious Qur’an is the only revelation that is extant in its original revealed text, some remnants of earlier revelations can be found in the Bible.
The Bible prohibits the consumption of pork, in the book of Leviticus
“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you”.
“Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you.”
[Leviticus 11:7-8]
Pork is also prohibited in the Bible in the book of Deuteronomy
“And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you. Ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcass.”
[Deuteronomy 14:8]
The main utility of pigs in the ecosystem is as scavengers. They live and thrive on muck, feces and dirt.
It could be argued that in developed countries, pigs are bred in very clean and hygienic conditions. Even in these hygienic conditions the pigs are kept together in sties, and so the chances of them consuming filth are very high.
3. Health Aspects
Research has shown correlation between pork consumption and several diseases. Eating pork can expose the individual to various helminthes (worms) like roundworm, pinworm and hookworm. One of the most dangerous of worms is Taenia Solium, which, in lay man’s terminology is called the pork tapeworm. It harbors in the intestine and is very long. Its ova i.e. eggs, enter the blood stream and can reach almost all the organs of the body. If it enters the brain it can cause memory loss. If it enters the heart it can cause heart attack, in the eye it can cause blindness, and in the liver it can cause liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of the body.
A common misconception about pork is that if it is cooked well, these ova die. In a research project undertaken in America, it was found that out of twenty-four people suffering from Trichura Tichurasis (another worm commonly found in pork), twenty two had cooked the pork very well. This indicates that the ova present in the pork do not die under normal cooking temperature.
Pork has very little muscle building material and contains excess of fat. This fat gets deposited in the vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack. It is not surprising that hypertension is a common ailment due to the prevalence of the consumption of pork.
Thus the prohibition of pork in Islam is a blessing.
https://www.whyislam.org/faqs/restrictions-in-islam/why-do-muslims-abstain-from-pork/
A similar prohibition is repeated in the Bible in the book of Isaiah chapter 65 verse 2-5.
2. The Nature of Pork
Eating Pork is forbidden in the QuranThe Quran prohibits the consumption of pork in many verses including: 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.”He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah”. (Al Baqara 2:173)”Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah , and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience”. (Al-Mā’idah 5:3)Say, “I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine – for indeed, it is impure – or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah” (Al-‘An`ām 6:145).”He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah”. (An-Naĥl 16:115)The above verses of the Holy Quran are sufficient to satisfy Muslims as to why pork is forbidden and that any prohibition in the holy book is ultimately for their own good.Further, Pigs have NO neck that makes it impossible to be slaughtered the Islamic way (The Halaal way) by the insertion of a knife in the neck and thus getting rid of the blood, which contains an abundance of uric acid, a toxic chemical substance that can be injurious to human health.Disease caused by eating porkEating the meat of pig can cause over SEVENTY different types of latent diseases as their body contains many TOXINS and deadly parasitic WORMS like tapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc. If you eat pork you are likely to inject many of these worms or their eggs into your body! Most dangerous among them is the Tapeworm.These worms can enter the human body through the mouth, anus, nose, or skin, with most species attaching themselves to the intestinal tract. This is why you have to stay away from pig.Once inside the body, these worms lay eggs and raise a family! The baby worms along with their parents stroll inside your body and can reach any organ easily.If they enter the brain it can cause memory loss. If they enter the heart it can cause heart attack, if they enter the eyes, it can cause blindness, and if they enter the liver, it can cause liver damage. Simply put, it can damage almost all the organs of the body.One in six people in the US and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms (roundworms), which are found in pork.These worms are found in the flesh of pig and the diseases caused by eating pork are incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage.Influenza virusInfluenza or flu is one of the most lethal illnesses that pigs share with humans. This illness is harboured in the lungs of pigs during summer and tends to effect pigs and humans in the cooler months.Influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of flu infection and other several fatal diseases.Pork sausage contains bits of pig’s lungs, so those who eat pork sausage tend to suffer more during the epidemics of influenza.Pork has fat building materialPork has very little muscle building material and contains excess of fat. This fat gets deposited in the vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack. America is home to the most obese people in the world!Those who consume pork are more prone to obesity because of the high fat content in pork. In this group, blood cholesterol level is frequently higher than normal; pork-eaters are more susceptible to arteriosclerosis, which may result in cardiovascular diseases, malfunction of the brain blood-circulation, vascular pathology of the lower limbs, etc.Eating pork also leads to GALLSTONES.Apart from the above mentioned, there are a host of other noxious diseases caused by eating pork. Most of the time it claims life. What do pigs eat?The pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth. It lives and thrives on muck, faces (shit or poop) or excreta and dirt. Often trash is collected and fed to pigs.Pigs will scavenge and eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage, small animals and even other pigs. Surprisingly, pigs eat their own babies! They eat anything and everything.Even if pigs are bred in clean and hygienic conditions they are kept together in farms or barns and they simply cannot resist eating filthy substances or shit from other pigs and of theirs own. They are just filthy by nature.Another interesting fact is that the pig excretes only 2% of its total uric acid content; the remaining 98% remains an integral part of the body.https://www.quora.com/Why-muslims-do-not-eat-pigs
