why pork is prohibited for Muslims?

As a Prelude:

Muslim means one who accept and submit himself to the supreme power of God, and he or she is obliged to be clean both mentally, physically and foremost spiritually.

Abstention of eating Pork in Islam has many basis both scientific and as well as religious. It is the one of steps taken by islam to practice hygiene and to attain the purity of human nature as embedded in both the Glorious Qur-an and the Holy Bible. Islam teaches us clean living with the following consideration:

Firstly, insist the purity of our souls and minds, cleanliness of our body, and

Secondly, on gentle physical exercise, in this, one of the pillars of Islam is the obligatory 5-times a day prayer including accompanying several rakaats of sunnah prayers afford the forms of gentle physical exercise.

Severe exertion(jogging,playing etc) may even lead to heart exhaustion , hypertension and hypoxia.

Hygiene is superficial and materialistic but the culture of inner faculties is a more provoking study involving both body and spirit.

What the Holy Qur An Says:

‘Forbidden to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine and that over which has been invoked other than the name of ALLAH (s.w.t) that which has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a headlong fall or by being gored to death; that which has been partly eaten by a wild animal, unless you are able to slaughter it (in due form) and that which is sacrificed on stone (altars ( Surah Al-Maida 5/3)

What the Holy Bible Say:

“And the swine , who chewed not a cud (non-ruminate) but devided hoof(split-toed) they are unclean to you , do not eat their meat nor touch their dead carcass, they are unclean to you”. (Leviticus 11, verse 7-8).The specific reason God gave the Israelites for forbidding them to eat any unclean animals or even touching their carcasses was to "be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44-45). Here God does not distinguish between clean and unclean animals specifically for health's sake.

“Do not make yourselves unclean by eating anything unclean or forbidden( e.g.swine), I am the Lord your God and you must keep yourselves holy because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:43-44)

The old testament (torah) or even the new testament (injil or Gospel)of the bible clearly testified that it can not be changed as indicated in the following verse instructed by god to Prophet Moises to be abided forever and the mission of Prophet Jesus:

"Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 12:28).

“ I am not suppose to come to abrogate or destroy the law(Torah) and the prophets, but to complete”.(Matthew 5, verses 17-19)

The apostle John is direct in his evaluation of any who claim to be Christian but refuse to follow Christ's laws and commandments: "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

The Nature of Pig:

As a veterinarian, we studied the nature of swine(Porcine). Some people have argued that the modern pig today as given only clean food and water and therefore its flesh or meat is consumable or permissible. The answer to this argument is this : you feed the pig with clean wholesome mash but you can not change its nature. It is still a pig. A pig is not a plant and you can not change it by bud-grafting.

Pig is naturally lazy and indulgent in sex(the semen of a boar in a single ejaculate reaches about 300 ml), Pig eats anything and everything (omnivorous)available, be it feces or anything filth. It prefers dirty places to clean one. It sleeps and eats only.It is the most voracious of all domestic animals. It is the cradle of all harmful germs. Pork serves as carrier of diseases to mankind because of germs and excessive fats. It is for this reason that it is not suitable for consumption.

Opinions:Ancient/Modern

The Famous Chinese Longevity Journal, Yan Show Tan say:

“On the verge of death, fear goes into the pig’s heart and the animals last breath goes into his gall. All flesh is nourishing , except pork, eat not”.

In the Tang Dynasty , a great physician Sun See Mao , who declined the offer to be the coveted prime minister live to ripe old age of 100 years and was undoubtedly a great physician and hygienist of over a thousand years ago. He wrote in his book,

“ Sheh Shen Lu” PORK ENCOURAGES THE REVIVAL OF OLD AILMENTS, LEADS TO STERILITY, FOSTERS ,RHEUMATISM AND ASTHAMA.

In the Ming Dynasty , a famous physician named Lee Shih Chen, the author of Materia Medica in ancient China say:

“ Southern Pork has Pungent Smell and Gives Concentrated Gravy. It has Poisonous Ill-effects Which are All the More”

Dr. Glen Shepard wrote the following issue in the Washington Post :

“One in six people of the United States of America and Canada have germs in their muscles Trchinosis from eating Pork infected with trichinia worms. Many people so infected have no symptoms.Most of those who do have recover very slowly. Some die, some are reduced to permanent invalids. All were careless pork eaters”

Common Diseases :

Here are some of the commonest diseases acquired due to eating pork:

1.Peumonia, jaundice(Intestinal Round worm)

2.Persistent Diarrhea( Fasciolopsis worm, Taenia sp)

3.Anemia/TB(Hookworms)

4.Lung Bleeding( Paragonimus worm)

5.Hypertension(due to fats)

And many more

Other Religions Prohibit Pork

Judaism:

The Judaism strictly adhere to the teaching of the old testament of the Holy Bible. It is clearly stated in the Lev. 11:7-8

Hinduism:

The followers of Hinduism are forbidden to eat pork which they absolutely shun. The Pariah caste or untouchables do not make any selection in food, but all other castes consider it shameful to eat pork.In fact all hindus should purely vegetarians especially the Brahmin.

According to Hindu Scripture the Thukalpiam, Chapter 163:”One day when Manikavasagam was worshipping SIVA, he offered him after his prayers, a meat of a wild boar he had just hunted. Suddenly, he saw blood oozing from the eyes of the image, and then he heard a voice saying: “You who eat this meat , have sinned”

Zoroastrianism

Is a former religion of Persians founded by Zoroaster in 550 BC. It is a monotheistic religion based on philosophy and the dualism of good and evil.

There are about 150,000 Parsees(Adherents) in India especially in downtown Bombay. The Zoroastrian restaurants in Bombay serve no pork or beef.

The Seventh Day Adventists:

The SDA is a sect of Christianity founded by William Miller in 1848. who prophesied that the end of the world would come in 1843, 1844 or even 1845. The followers observed the teaching of the Bible Lev. 11:7-8 . They frequent Muslim restaurants as a matter of convenience when they do not eat at home. Tea and Coffee are forbidden for SDA.

People who shall not eat pork:

Buddhism.

The Buddhists have 5 principal Commandments which are the prohibition of killing, adultery, stealing, lie and intoxicants.

The first commandment prohibition of killing, it is unlike Islam or Christianity. It prohibits the killing of rats, snakes, mosquitoes , flies etc. The devotees of Mahayana (Great Vehicle) Buddhist will never eat chicken,duck, fish,beef, or muttons, or even eggs, onions and garlic and also pork. However some flagrant flouting Buddhist Commandment by many of their followers due to circumstances of the locality where they live like in Tibet and Mongolia where vegetables are very rare.

Christianity

All Christians should not eat pork because they believe unconditionally in the Old and New Testament.

Some Christians claim that they are now Christians and no longer Jews, We may ask them why the ten commandments are strictly practiced and the old and new testaments are bound into one which is called The Bible? The Fundamental training of a christian priest is based on the Old Testament.

The old testament (torah) or even the new testament (injil or Gospel)of the bible clearly testified that it can not be changed as indicated in the following verses instructed by god to Prophet Moises to be abided forever and the mission of Prophet Jesus. Please see and read following verses to prove that the Law of Unclean Meats , Lev 11:7-8 can not be repealed nor changedL( read later the Peter’s Testimony).

þ "Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 12:28).

þ “ I am not suppose to come to abrogate or destroy the law(Torah) and the prophets, but to fulfill”.(Matthew 5, verses 17-19)

The apostle John is direct in his evaluation of any who claim to be Christian but refuse to follow Christ's laws and commandments: "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). “ But in vain they worship me, teaching for the doctrines the commandments of men”(Mathew 15:9)

þ Malachi 3: 6 “ For I am Lord I change not.”

þ Psalms 89:34 “ My covenant will, I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips”

þ Deuteronomy 4:2 “ Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it”.

þ Ecclesiasticus 3:14 “ I know that everything God does will endure forever, nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.”

Confucius and Mencius

The teaching of Confucius and Mencius have been based on LEE-CHI or the Book of Rites. In chapter SHAO YI of the said book says” CHUIN TZU PU SHEH HOON YU” which means “ A gentleman does not eat flesh of pig and dog”

Is Pork A National food of the Chinese?

The Chinese have been eating pork for countless generations and it is the national food of the Chinese and yet , the Chinese exist in large numbers in the world. But please note that the Chinese are, in general , compelled to be vegetarians. Peasants who comprise at least 80% of the total population of China, enjoy eating pork just about 3 times a year, viz. at the beginning of the year the 5^th day of the 5^th moon and the 5^th day of the 8^th moon. I can confirm that no peasants in China could consume 24 lbs of pork a year.

Interestingly, Muslims Chinese , are by comparison , 2 inches taller than non-muslims Chinese , and they are much healthier, too! Many non-muslims Chinese suffer from hemorrhoids which are nearly unknown to muslims Chinese.

Did Jesus Declare All Meats Clean?

Many assume Jesus' statements in Mark 7 did away with the dietary restrictions recorded in the Old Testament. How should we understand Christ's words?

One of the foundational principles for understanding a scriptural passage is to examine the context. We should first notice that the subject is food in general, not which meats are clean or unclean.

The Greek word broma, used in verse 19, simply means food. An entirely different Greek word, kreas, is used in the New Testament where meat—animal flesh —is specifically intended (see Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 13:8). So this passage concerns the general subject of food rather than meat. But a closer look shows that more is involved.

In Mark 7 Jesus explains that ceremonial washing is not necessary for spiritual purity or sound spiritual health. He points out that "whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods" (verses 18-19). Jesus is simply stating here that any dirt or other incidental impurities not removed through elaborate hand-washing will be purged out by the human digestive system in a manner that has no bearing on the heart and mind of a person. Since spiritual purification involves the heart, ceremonial washings are ineffective and unnecessary in preventing spiritual defilement.

Peter's Testimony:

Can we find other biblical evidence that this view is correct, that Jesus never changed the biblical food laws? We find a telling event from the life of Peter well after Jesus' death and resurrection.

Peter is a central figure in the early Church. Jesus charged Peter to strengthen the brethren (Luke 22:32). Peter delivered a powerful sermon that led to the conversion of thousands (Acts 2:14-41). His boldly claiming the name of Christ resulted in the miraculous healing of a lame man. He powerfully preached on repentance to those who gathered to witness the miracle (Acts 3:1-26). Later the mere passing of Peter's shadow over the sick resulted in dramatic healings (Acts 5:15). Surely Peter would have understood something as fundamental as whether Jesus had repealed the laws of clean and unclean meat. Yet, years after Christ's death and resurrection, when he experienced a vision of unclean animals accompanied by a voice telling him to "kill and eat," notice Peter's spontaneous response: "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean" (Acts 10:14). Ironically, many believe the purpose of this vision was to do away with the dietary restrictions regarding clean and unclean meats.

This strange vision came to Peter three times, yet he still "wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant" (verses 16-17) and "thought about the vision" (verse 19). Peter did not jump to conclusions as too many do today. He already knew what the vision did not mean. Later God revealed the true meaning: "God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (verse 28).

Peter came to realize that the significance of the vision was that God was opening the way or door of salvation to the gentiles (non-Israelites).( As Jesus PBUH was only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel,(Mathew 15:22-28) not for the non-Israelites or the Gentiles.)

So Peter shortly thereafter baptized the first uncircumcised gentiles God called into the Church (verses 34-35, 45-48). Peter was never to eat unclean animals, but he did learn this vital lesson in the plan of God.

So What purpose do they serve?

Dr. Rex Russell explains: "For one thing, they serve a useful role just cleaning up the place. Many unclean animals, however, notably pigs and shellfish, are unhealthy because their diet consists of society's disease-laden refuse."As is well known, pigs will eat anything and everything. They were designed to clean up decaying flesh and pollution. Pigs have eaten Philadelphia's garbage and sewage for more than 100 years, saving the city $3 million a year in landfill costs. This is a wise use of hogs. They are designed to clean our environment”.

Allah Subhanna O Wata ala Knows Best”