LESSON-5, 3RD TERM: DIETARY LAWS IN ISLAM-2020

Content:
4.1 Surah Al- Maidah 05:03 (Translation & explanation),
4.2 Halal and Haram in Islam

4.3 Reasons for the Prohibition of Specific Foods in the Quran

LEARNING OUTCOMES/ OBJECTIVES:

❖ Students will be able to recite the text of the Quran,
❖ They will be able to translate, explain and infer moral and social laws from
these verses of the Quran,
❖ They will be able to explain the meaning of certain terminologies concerning
Haram eatables.
❖ They will be able to discuss the reasons behind these prohibitions.
Note: First listen to the recitation with Arabic text and English
translation from the video file then…

Explanation of the text of the Quran:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFCnr0AzUoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXs-b83cHx4

ُ َ َّ َ ُ َ ِّ َ َ ُ ْ َ ُ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ َّ َ َّ ُ َ َ ‫َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ ُ َ َ ُ ْ ز ز‬
ْ‫يح ْة‬ ‫ن ْالل ِْـه ْ ِب ِْه ْوال َمنخ ِنق ْة ْوالموقوذ ْة ْوالمندي ْة ْوالن ِط‬ ِْ ‫ل ْ ِلغ‬
َْ ‫ير ْوما ْأ ِه‬ ِْ ‫م ْال ِخ ِن‬ْ ‫م ْالميت ْة ْوالد ْم ْولح‬ ْ ‫ُح ِّر َم َتْ ْعليك‬
َ ََ َّ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ ُّ َ َ ُ ُ َّ َ َّ َ
ْ‫ينْكف ُروْا‬ ْ ‫سْال ِذ‬َْ ‫قْال َيو َْمْ َي ِئ‬
ْ ‫بْ َوأنْتستق ِس َ ُمواْ ِباْلزّل ِ ْمْذ َٰ ِلكمْْ ِفس‬ ْ ِ ‫لْ َالن ُص‬ ْ ‫حْ َع‬ْ ‫ّلْ َماْذكيتمْْ َو َماْذ ِب‬ْ ‫الس ُب ُْعْ ِإ‬ َْ ‫َو َماْأ ك‬
َّ ْ‫ل‬
ً َ َُ ُ ُ َ ُ َ َ َُ ُ َ ُ َْْ َ َْ َ ُ َ َ ََ ُ
ْ‫مْ ِاْلسل َْمْ ِدينْا‬ْ ُ ‫يتْلك‬ْ ‫تْ َو َر ِض‬ ْ ِ َ ِ ‫تْ َعليكمْْ ِنع َم‬
ْ ‫تْلكمْْ ِدينكمْْوأتمم‬ ْ ‫نْاليو ْمْأ كمل‬ ْ ِ ‫لْتخشوهمْْ َواخشو‬ ْ ‫منْدينكمْْف‬
َّ ُ َ َ َّ َّ َ ِّ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ‫ِ َ َ ِ ِ ُ َّ ز‬
﴾٣ْ:‫نْالل ْـهْغفورْْر ِحيمْْ﴿المائدة‬ ْ ‫نْمتج ِانفْْ ِْلثمْْف ِإ‬ ْ ‫فْمخمصةْْغ‬ ْ ِ ِ ْ‫نْاضط ْر‬ ْ ِ ‫فم‬
(Surah Al- Maidah 05:03)

TRANSLATION
“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. This
day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear
Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have
approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to
sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”.
EXPLANATION
Opinions of Abdullah Yusuf Ali (T h e N o b l e Q u r ’ a n)
3. 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;(691) that which hath been killed by
strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which
hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due
form);(692) that which is sacrificed(693) on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the
division(694) (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who
reject faith given up all hope of your religion:(695) yet fear them not but fear Me. This day
have I perfected your religion(696) for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen
for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to
transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
691.The prohibition of dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which other names than
that of Allah have been invoked, has been there explained.
692 If an animal dies by strangling, or by a violent blow, or a headlong fall, or by being gored to
death, or by being attacked by a wild animal, the presumption is that it becomes carrion, as the
life-blood is congealed before being taken out of the body. But the presumption can be rebutted.
If the life-blood still flows and the solemn mode of slaughter (dhabh) in the name of Allah as a
sacrifice is carried out, it becomes lawful as food.
693 This was also an idolatrous rite, different from that in which a sacrifice was devoted to a
particular idol or a false god.
694 Gambling of all kinds is forbidden: 2:219. A sort of lottery or raffle practised by Pagan Arabs
has been described in n. 241. Division of meat in this way is here forbidden, as it is a form of
gambling.
695 So long as Islam was not organized, with its own community and its own laws, the
Unbelievers had hoped to wean the Believers from the new Teaching. (Now that hope was gone,
with the complete organisation of Islam).
696 It is considered by many as the last verse revealed chronologically, marking the approaching
end of al Mustafa's ministry in his earthly life.
______________________________________________________________________________
Views of Maulana Mawdoodi

“You are forbidden carrion 9 and blood, the flesh of swine and of that animal which has been
slaughtered in any other name than that of Allah, 10 and of the strangled animal, and of that
beaten to death or killed by a fall or gored to death or mangled by a beast of prey -save of
that you duly slaughtered while it was still alive 11 -and of that which is slaughtered at (un-
godly) shrines.12- 13 It is also unlawful for you to try to find your fortune by means of divining
devices,14 for all these things are sinful acts, Today the disbelievers have despaired of
(vanquishing) your religion; therefore do not fear them but fear Me. Today 15 I have perfected
your religion for you and completed My blessing on you and approved Islam as the way of
life for you,16 (Therefore observe the limits prescribed by the Law); if, however, one, dying
of hunger, eats of any of these forbidden things, provided that he is not inclined towards sin ,
he will find Allah Forgiving and Compassionate. 17” (Surah Al-Maidah, 5:3)
9That is, the flesh of the animal that dies a natural death.
10That is, the flesh of the animal which has been slaughtered in the name of another than
Allah or has been slaughtered with the intention of dedicating. it to a saint or a god or a
goddess etc. (Please also see E.N. 171 of Al-Baqarah).
11That is, "If an animal falls a victim to any of these accidents but is still alive and is duly
slaughtered, it is lawful to eat its flesh". This also implies that the flesh of a clean animal
becomes lawful only when it is slaughtered in the prescribed way and that there is no other
way of making it lawful. In the prescribed way only that much of the throat is cut that enables
the blood to flow out freely. This cannot happen if the whole of the neck is cut off or if the
animal is strangled or killed in any other way because in that case most of the blood remains
in the body and congeals at different places and sticks to the flesh. But when it is slaughtered
in the prescribed way, the whole of the body remains connected with the brain for a
sufficiently long time to allow the blood to flow totally out of the body and the flesh is
cleansed of the blood which in itself is unlawful. Therefore it is essential that the flesh should
be cleansed of blood in order to become lawful.
12The Arabic word “Nusub” applies to all those places which have been specifically
dedicated to any saint or god, etc., for making offerings to them or for any other kind of
ungodly worship whether there is or is not any sort of stone or wooden idol therein.
13In this connection, it should be understood well that the limits prescribed by the Law for
making eatables lawful or unlawful are not laid down from the point of view of physical
health but from the moral and spiritual points of view. As regards the matters concerning
physical health, these have been left to man's own judgment and discretion, It is his own
business to find out what things are useful or harmful for his physical health and nourishment
and the Law does not take any responsibility for his guidance in this respect. Had it done so,
poison would have been the first thing to be made unlawful, but there is absolutely no mention
of this or other deadly things in the Qur'an or the Traditions. The Law is only concerned
about what is morally or spiritually harmful or beneficial and also about the right or wrong
means for obtaining lawful things. It is obvious that man has no means of finding out these
things by himself and is consequently liable to commit errors in this matter without the
guidance of the law. For whatever has been prohibited, has been prohibited because it is
harmful from the point of view of cleanliness or morality or belief. On the contrary, whatever
has been made lawful, has been made so because it is free from all these evils.
One might ask why Allah has not explained the philosophy underlying the prohibition of
certain things for the clear understanding of the people. This is because it is not possible for
mankind to comprehend this. For instance, it is not possible for us to make a research into
the nature of moral evils that are produced by eating carrion, blood or the flesh of swine, nor
is it easy to find out how they are produced and to what extent, because we have no means
of measuring or weighing morality, It is, therefore, obvious that, even if their evil effects had
been explained, the position of the skeptic would have remained the same as b efore for the
lack of means of testing their veracity.
This is why Allah has declared the observance of the limits prescribed for the lawful and the
unlawful as a matter of belief. One, who believes in the Qur'an as the book of God and in the
Holy Prophet as His Messenger and in Allah as All Knowing and All-Wise, will observe the
prescribed limits whether one understands their philosophy or not. On the other hand, if one
does not believe in this basic creed, one will avoid only those things which are harmfu l
according to human knowledge and will go on suffering from the consequences of those
which man has not learned to be harmful.
14This verse comprises three categories of prohibitions:
(1) It prohibits the pagan ways of taking omens from a god or a goddess and the like, about
one's fortune or getting indications as to the future or deciding disputes. For instance, the
pagan Quraish of Makkah had specified the idol of Hubal at the Ka`abh for this purpose and
kept near it seven divining arrows. They would, after presenting the offering to the priest and
performing certain ceremonies, pull out an arrow and regard the words engraved on it as the
verdict of Hubal.
(2) The second category consists of the superstitious ways and irrational methods of taking
decisions about the daily problems of life for anything regarded as portending good or evil
regardless of reason or knowledge, or of finding out future events blindly by the ominous
significance of particular things, circumstances, occurrences or proceedings or the like. In
short, it included all the so-called arts of prediction and prophetic significance.
(3) The third category includes all kinds of gambling in which the distribution of things etc.,
is based on mere chance and not on merit, right, service or other rational considerations. For
instance, all the schemes of lottery which entitle a certain holder of a ticket to a prize merely
on chance, and at the expense of a large number of other holders of such tickets, or the award
of prizes for cross-word puzzles in which a certain answer out of a large number of correct
ones corresponds, by mere chance, to the answer that has been ear-marked as correct for the
purpose - all these things are unlawful.
However, one simple form of casting lots is lawful in Islam, when there are two equally
lawful things or rights and there is no rational method of deciding between them. Supposing
two persons have equal rights, in every respect, to something and the judge finds no rational
justification to give preference to either of the disputants, neither of whom is willing to forgo
his rights. In such a case, if they mutually agree, the matter may be decided by casting lots,
or if one has to choose one of the two lawful things and is in difficulty in regard to the choice,
one is allowed to cast lots for it. The Holy Prophet adopted this method on such occasions as
required a choice to be made between two persons with equal rights, whenever h e thought
that if he himself decided in favor of one, the other might be grieved.
15"Today" does not mean a particular day or date but the time when this verse was revealed.
"The disbelievers have despaired of your religion" means: "After along systematic resistance
and opposition, they have lost hope of defeating your religion. Now they do not expect that
you wilt ever return to the former way of "ignorance" because your religion has become a
permanent way of life and has been established on a firm footing. Therefore. "Do not fear
them but fear Me." That is, there is no longer any danger of interference from the disbelievers
that they will prevent you from the performance of your religious obligations. You should,
therefore, fear God and observe His commands and instructions because no ground for fear
has been left for you. Now your disobedience of the Law will mean that you do not intend to
obey Allah."
16"I have perfected your religion" means: "I have provided it with all the essential elements
of a permanent way of life which comprises a complete system of thought and practice and
civilization and have laid down principles and given detailed instructions for the solution of
all human problems. Hence there is no need for you to seek guidance and instructions from
any other source."
The completion of "the blessing" is the completion of the blessing of guidance.
"I have approved Islam as the way of life for you" because you have practically proved by
your obedience and devotion to it that you sincerely believe in Islam which you have
accepted. As I have practically set you free from every kind of subjection and servitude there
is no compulsion for you to submit to any other than Me in your practical life." It also implies,
"As a gratitude for these blessings of Mine, you should show no negligence in the observance
of the prescribed limits."
Authentic traditions show that this declaration was revealed on the occasion of the last Hajj
performed by the Holy Prophet in A.H. 10. I am however of the opinion that it was at first
revealed in A.H. 6 close after the treaty of Hudaibiyah as a part of this discourse, but was
again sent down to the Holy Prophet for its declaration on that suitable occasion. This is
because this verse is so well knit in this context that it would be incomplete without it,
Therefore it cannot Be imagined that it was inserted here afterwards when it was revealed in
A.H. 10. I believe (and the real knowledge is with Allah) that at the time of its revelation in
this context its real significance was not realized, therefore in A.H. 10, when the whole of
Arabia was subdued and the power of Islam reached its zenith, Allah again sent down these
sentences to His Prophet for their declaration on the occasion of his last Hajj.
__________________________________________________________________________

❖ Halal and Haram food in Islam

In the Holy Quran

“O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks
to Allah if it is (indeed) He whom ye worship” (2:1724).

“He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that which hath been
immolated to (the name of) any other than Allah. But he who is driven by necessity, neither
craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful” (2:173).

“O ye who believe! Fulfill your undertakings. The beast of cattle is made lawful unto you (for
food) except that which is announced unto you (herein), game being unlawful when ye are on
pilgrimage. Lo! Allah ordained that which pleased Him” (5:1)

“Forbidden unto you (for food) are carrion and blood and swine-flesh, and that which hath been
dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the
dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by (the goring of) horns, and
the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by the death-stroke), and that
which hath been immolated unto idols.

"And (forbidden is it) that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination. This day are
those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear Me! This
day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you and have chosen
for you as religion Al-Islam. Whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful” (5:3)
“They ask thee (O Muhammad) what is made lawful for them. Say: (all) good things are made
lawful for you. And those beasts and birds of prey which ye have trained as hounds are trained,
ye teach them that which Allah taught you; so eat of that which they catch for you and mention
Allah's name upon it, and observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is swift to take account” (5:4)

“This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the
Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of
the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for
you) when ye give them their marriage portions and live with them in honour, not in fornication,
nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denied the faith, his work is vain and he will be
among the losers in the Hereafter” (5:5).

“And eat not of that whereon Allah's name hath not been mentioned, for lo! it is abomination.
Lo! the devils do inspire their minions to dispute with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in
truth idolaters” (6:121).

From the Hadith

-On the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of
Allah said: “Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has
commanded the Faithful to do that which He commanded the Messengers, and the Almighty has
said: “O ye Messengers! Eat of the good things, and do right..” (Quran 23:51). And Allah the
Almighty has said: “O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided
you..” (2:172). Then he mentioned [the case of] a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled
and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying]: O Lord! O Lord!-while his food is
unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how
can he be answered!” (Muslim).

-On the authority of Abu Ya'la Shahddad ibn Aus, the Messenger of Allah said: “Verily Allah
has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill well; and if you slaughter, slaughter
well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he
slaughters” (Muslim).

-In an incident narrated by Rafi' bin Khadij, the Prophet told Muslims who wanted to slaughter
some animals using reeds, “Use whatever causes blood to flow, and eat the animals if the Name
of Allah has been mentioned on slaughtering them...” (Bukhari).

-Narrated Abu Thalaba: Allah's Messenger forbade the eating of the meat of beasts having fangs
(Bukhari).

-Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet cursed the one who did Muthla to an animal (i.e. cut its limbs
or some other part of its body while it is still alive (Bukhari)

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 ❖ Reasons for the Prohibition of Specific Foods in the Quran
God has created man in a way that whatever he eats and drinks has an influence on his mind, body
and soul. Hence, God declared certain edible materials as prohibited (Haram) and others
permissible (Halal). This paper lists the foods that are impermissible as mentioned in the Quranic
Chapters al-Baqarah and al-Maidah.
In these chapters, twelve impermissible foods are listed, some of which are carrion, blood, pork,
and wine, in addition to the meat of animals that have been strangled, gored to death, and not
slaughtered based on Islamic rules. Moreover, brief reasons as to why they are forbidden are also
presented.

Introduction
Once man had been created, God created sustenance for him as well. Just as the food contributes
to growth and strength of a man’s body, it also influences his mind and soul considerably. Hence,
God - the Wise, has forbidden people from eating certain foods so as not to negatively affect our
souls.
While modern scientists have not yet discovered the negative effects of impermissible foods on
people’s minds and souls, there are scientific findings, which confirm the harmful effects of
impermissible foods on physical health. This provides some evidence for the miracle of the Holy
Quran. In this paper impermissible foods mentioned in the Quranic chapters al-Baqarah and al-
Maidah have been discussed.

Impermissible Foods
The foods which God has forbidden us from eating in the chapters al-Baqarah and al-Maidah
consist of the following:

Carrion
Carrion refers to dead body of any animal whose meat has been considered permissible by God –
either four-footed, bird, wild or tame. In other words, eating carrion or making any use of it is
forbidden. God says in the Quran,
“Forbidden to you (for food) are carrion…”
The reason behind prohibiting carrion
No doubt, God - the Wise, does not make something such as eating carrion prohibited without a
reason unless it has harmful effects. In addition to hadiths on the detrimental effects of carrion,
scientific advances have also revealed its damaging effects.
The reason behind this may be that the stomach cannot make fresh blood out of carrion. In addition,
carrion is the center of various microbes. Besides prohibiting the consumption of carrion, it is
forbidden to eat it because it is also impure (najis). Thus, Muslims are to avoid it altogether.

Blood
Allah says in the Quran,
“Forbidden to you (for food) are …blood….”
During the Age of Ignorance, people used to cook and consume the large intestine of an animal
with its blood poured over it. After the revelation of the Quran, the oozed blood was forbidden.
However, a little blood remaining in the animal’s meat after it is slaughtered or the blood that has
turned into meat in the liver are considered permissible.
The reason for forbidding the consumption of blood
When restricted to the areas where blood should be, such as the heart and vessels, blood is
necessary for life. However, eating blood is detrimental to both the body and spirit.
On one hand, blood is a haven for microbial growth. All microbes after entering the body,
concentrate in blood first. The white blood cells fight body toxicities by destroying bacteria and
helping to remove unwanted material. When blood stops circulating in the body, white blood cells
are destroyed. Thus, the microbes that have no opposition any more, tend to multiply rapidly. And
when blood stops circulating in the body, it becomes the filthiest part of a human or animal’s body.
On the other hand, foods affect a man’s temperament and conduct through influencing glands and
their hormone production. Consuming blood thus leads to cruelty and hard-heartedness.5
In this regard, Muslim scholars say: God has made (drinking) blood prohibited because it ruins
body…and causes one’s mouth and body to give an unpleasant odor cause bad-temperedness,
hard- heartedness, and being less affectionate to others. One who drinks blood, may even kill his
father, friend and spouse.

Pork
In this regard, Allah said in the Glorious Quran,
“Forbidden to you (for food) are ……and the flesh of swine…”
According to the above Quranic verse, pork is considered prohibited as a whole so it becomes
evident that pork is basically haram whether it is carrion or not. This is also the case with the meat
of animals such as dogs, cats, and monkeys. However, pork is specified because people tend to eat
it more than animal meat.
Why pork is forbidden
Even some people those who eat pork consider pigs as dirty animals. They are also known for
being extremely indifferent and irresponsible in sexual matters, and since food affects a person’s
conduct and mindset, it leads to this carelessness in those who eat pork.
Pork is also forbidden in Judaism. As written in the Old Testament, “…do not chew their cud; they
are unclean for you. Do not eat their meat (i.e., pork) and do not touch their corpse. “Moreover,
sinners are likened to pigs in the Gospel. In the stories herein, the pigs are introduced as the symbol
of Satans.
It is surprising that some insist on eating pork while on the one hand they see pigs eating dirt and
their excrement, and on the other hand, it has been scientifically proven that its meat contains two
dangerous parasites, namely trichina and measles.
Trichina spawns 15,000 eggs every month, causing anemia, dizziness, diarrhea fever, rheumatic
pains, nerve injury, itching, excess fat, bruise, fatigue, and difficulty in chewing, swallowing and
breathing. There are 400 million larvae of Trichina in one kilo of pork. This is perhaps why eating
pork was banned in some part of Russia some years ago.
Some may say that all these parasites can be killed and pork can be cleansed of them using modern
technologies. However, germs that cannot be killed by using conventional methods will still
remain.
Even if we assume that the parasites can be killed by cooking pork at high temperatures using
hygienic devices, the harm from pork cannot be denied because based on the aforementioned
principle - the meat of every animal carries the features of that animal, and it influences the conduct
of the one who eats it through the hormones secreted by the glands of the animal.
Consuming pork can lead to sexual laxity and indifference to reputation and chastity of one’s wife
and daughters, all of which are the prominent qualities of pigs and are transmitted to the one who
consumes pork.

Animals not slaughtered based on Islamic rules

Allah said in the Quran,
“Forbidden to you (for food) are carrion…and that which has been slaughtered to (the name
of) any other than Allah.”
This verse implies that if a halal animal is killed either in the name of any other than Allah, or,
when Islamic rules have not been observed during the process, or, by disbelievers - it becomes
prohibited to eat.
The philosophy of animals not slaughtered based on Islamic rules
Does saying the name of God or any other name when slaughtering animals hygienically influence
its meat?
Not necessarily so, because in Islam edible materials become forbidden for different reasons.
Sometimes it is for good physical health, sometimes for self-purification, and sometimes for
preserving social order.
Animals slaughtered to the name of idols, for example, are prohibited due to spiritual, moral, and
pedagogical reasons. They separate man from God and have negative psychological and
pedagogical effects due to polytheistic tradition of idol-worship, which reinstates idolatry.
The above-mentioned items, namely carrion, blood, pork and animal not slaughtered based on
Islamic legal rules are prohibited in four Quranic chapters - two in Mecca (Anam, 145; Nahl, 115),
and two in Medina (al- Baqarah, 173; al-Maidah, 3).
It seems that the prohibition of these types of meats was proclaimed for the first time during early
Islam. The second time it was done when Prophet’s residence in Mecca ended. The third time it
was done during in his early migration to Medina and the fourth time in his late life in the chapter
al-Maidah, which is among the last chapters revealed.

Strangled Animals
In this regard, Allah said in the Glorious Quran,
“Forbidden to you [for food] are carrion, and the strangled.”
The term strangled can sometimes refer to an animal whose head is put under pressure between
two parts of a tree until it dies. Others maintain that it refers to an animal strangled to death with a
rope or trap.
According to Ibn Abbas, “In the Age of Ignorance, people used to strangle an animal and eat its
meat.”15 Also, according to some narrations, the Zoroastrians in particular, strangled animals to
death to use their meat.16 Thus, the above verse may apply to them as well.

Animals dying through beating

Allah says in the Quran,
“Forbidden to you [for food] are carrion…and the dead through beating,”
“The dead through beating” refers to any animal killed through many hits or a powerful blow with
any device, or if an animal dies due to a disease.

Dead animals through falling from a height

God says in the Quran,
“Forbidden to you [for food] are carrion…, and the dead animal through falling from a height.”
According to some, including Ibn Abbas, if an animal dies by falling, it is forbidden to eat its meat.
However, if it falls into a well and still remains alive and it is not possible to slaughter it properly,
one can target a large knife at it, leading to its death; in this way its meat will become permissible.

Animals that have been gored to death

Allah says in the Quran,
“Forbidden to you [for food] are carrion…, and that which has been gored to death.”
The meat of an animal which is gored or stabbed to death is also forbidden to eat.

Animals hunted and killed by wild animals

In this regard, Allah said,
“Forbidden to you [for food] are carrion…, and the devoured of wild beasts save that which you
make lawful (by finding it alive and beheading it).”
Another forbidden edible material is the meat of an animal that has been hunted and killed by
another wild animal.
The possible philosophy behind the prohibition of these five kinds of animal meat, namely - the
meat of the animal strangled to death, the dead animal through beating, the dead animal through
fall from a height, animals that are gored to death, and animals that have been killed by another
wild animal - is that they do not bleed enough after being killed.
Unless as the main blood vessels of the throat are cut, insufficient blood pours out of the body.
Since blood is a haven for microbes, after the death of the animal, it is the first thing that becomes
infected in its body. Thus their meats is toxic for consumption. The meat is more toxic in particular,
if that animal has been killed from being tortured, has contracted a disease, or has been chased by
a wild animal during hunting.
What is more important that the spiritual aspects of slaughtering the animal, reciting the name of
God, and facing the Qiblah etc have are not been observed in the above-mentioned instances.
Of course, if these animals can be slaughtered in Islamic way before they die and enough blood
pours out of them, their meat will be permissible. Thus, following the prohibition of the above
meats, God has said,
“Save that which you make lawful (by finding it alive and beheading it).”

Animals slaughtered unto idols

Holy Quran says,
“Forbidden to you (for food)… and that which has been slaughtered unto Nusub (shapeless
idols) and (forbidden is it) that which you divide by gambling arrow.”
During the Age of Ignorance, idol-worshippers used to construct shapeless stones called “Nusub”
around the Kaabah. They would slaughter an animal on a Nusub and dab its blood on it. What
distinguished them from idols were their unique shapes. In this verse, God prohibited eating of this
meat, saying,
“That which has been slaughtered unto Nusub (shapeless idols).”
This prohibition is spiritually and morally motivated. There seems to be no worldly and physical
philosophy behind it. It is a kind of
“That which has been slaughtered to (the name of) any other than Allah.”
This was a common practice among the Arabs of Age of the Ignorance or pre-Islamic era.

Animals killed through lottery

Holy Quran say,
“(Forbidden) also is that which you divide by gambling arrow.”
This is another kind of animal meat, which is prohibited for eating in Islam. Here the meat of
slaughtered animal is distributed on the basis of lottery.
In the Era of Ignorance, ten people would bet to buy an animal and slaughter it. Then they would
put ten arrows in a bag, and draw lots for each of the ten members. On seven arrows, it was written
“winner” and on three others “loser.” The winners received a share of meat while the other three
received nothing; instead, they had to pay the price for one-third of the animal without receiving a
share of meat.
These arrows have been called “azlaam” plural of “zalam”. Islam forbade the meat from these
bets not because the very meat was forbidden but because they are obtained through gambling and
lottery.
Prohibition of gambling and the like is not restricted to animal meat. Rather, it is also prohibited
in other gains from gambling as well because gambling lies at the root of all harm resulting from
baseless social activities and superstitious pursuits.28
Thus, Islam takes a moderate position on eating different kinds of meat. It neither supports the
ideas of people of the Age of Ignorance whose diet consisted of lizards, carrion, and blood; nor,
of those of some who eat crabs, worms, and cats; nor, of Hindus who prohibit eating any kind of
meat. Instead, Islam considers eating meat of animals that have received pure nutrition.
Islam rejects extreme measures and states regulations on eating different kinds of meat, as listed
below:
i. The animals whose meat is to be eaten should be herbivorous since herbivores eat healthy, while
the meat of carnivorous animals is unhealthy due to their eating of carrion and other unclean meat.
As it has been mentioned before, the features of every animal consumed are transmitted to the one
who eats its meat. Thus, consuming the meat of wild carnivorous animals strengthens brutality and
savagery in man. For this very reason, in Islam the meat of ‘jalal’ animals, that is, those that eat
excrement and dirt is forbidden.
ii. Islamic rules require that animals whose meat is consumed are not unpleasant or disgusting.
iii. The meat should not harm man physically or spiritually.
iv. The meat of animals, which are sacrificed on the basis of polytheism, idol-worship and the like,
is prohibited to eat because they are spiritually impure.
v. Heeding to Islamic guidelines regarding the legal slaughter of animals that have hygienic or
moral effects on consumers of meat.

Wine
According to Raghib Isfahani, “khamr” (‫)خمر‬, meaning “wine” literally means “covering
something;” thus, “khimar” (‫ )خمار‬refers to “cover” [as a noun], the cloth with which a woman
covers her head is also called “khimar.”
However, it should be noted that on the basis of Islamic rulings, “khamr” is not limited to wine
(from grapes). Rather, it refers to any intoxicating liquid made out of either grapes, raisins, dates
or any other substance that can be made into an intoxicating drink is literally referred to by this
specific term.
In the Quran, it is seriously prohibited to drink intoxicating drinks, and Muslims are forbidden to
do so. However, God declared wine as haram in stages. He first said in the chapter al-Nahl:
And of the fruits of the date-palm, and grapes, whence you derive strong drink and (also) good
nourishment. Lo! Therein is indeed a lesson for people who have wisdom.
In this verse, “strong drink” refers to intoxicating drinks. Apparently, in this verse God does not
permit Muslims to make wine out of dates and grapes. Rather, “strong drinks” are placed in
contrast to “good nourishment,” which implicitly indicates the undesirability and prohibition of
intoxicating drinks.
Thus, it is not necessary to say that this verse was revealed before the prohibition of intoxicating
drinks and has referred to their being halal. In contrast, it indicates that they were haram and this
was the first warning about prohibition of wine.
God also said the chapter al-Nisa,
“O you who believe! Do not approach prayer when you are drunken, until you know that which
you utter.”
In this verse, God refers to the fact that prayer becomes null and void when one is intoxicated.
In the gradual course of prohibition of wine, God, the Wise, said,
“They ask you concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for
people; but the sin is greater than the profit.”
In this verse, God introduced wine as having some benefit for people. Its benefits perhaps include
the money made through its sale, minor health benefits as offered by various scientific studies, and
the pleasure one gains as a result of drinking it. However, God has specified that the consequential
harms far outweigh the benefits.
Then in the chapter al- Maidah, He said:
“O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling,…are an abomination, of Satan’s work: eschew
such [abomination], that you may reach salvation”…
“Verily Satan wants to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling,
and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will you then abstain?’
After referring to these verses and comparing them with each other, scholars have pointed out ten
features that highlight the significance of prohibition of wine:
i. The word “verily” (‫ )انما‬is used,
ii. Wine is called an abomination,
iii. It is called a work of Satan,
iv. God explicitly prohibits people from drinking it,
v. When it is avoided, one can hope for and expect salvation,
vi. This verse includes the evils which result from drinking wine,
vii. There is a question which adds urgency to the warning to abstain from it, given to those who
commit this sin
viii. After much emphasis on this issue, people are invited to obey God and His Messenger and
are discouraged from opposing them
ix. God does not need our obedience, and
x. In the next verse, God says,
“On those who believe and do good there is no blame for what they eat,…”
As mentioned above, God declared the prohibition of wine gradually and in stages, perhaps
because the Arabs during that time were heavy drinkers, making it difficult for them to break the
habit. Hence there it was made easy for them by delivering the verdict of prohibition of wine in
stages.

Reasons for prohibiting wine

Drinking intoxicants is naturally, morally, and intellectually harmful. Its negative physical effects
include the disorder of the stomach, intestine, liver, lungs, nerves, blood vessels, heart, and the
five senses.
Both past and modern physicians have written and presented statistics that indicate a variety of
illnesses result from drinking wine. These include throat cancer, breast cancer, stroke, heart
disease, and high blood pressure. Overall, it harms organs such as the brain, heart, liver, and
pancreas.
As for moral harms of drinking, intoxicating beverages, besides having negative effects on body
also damage man’s soul. It may lead to a person behaving without grace, or committing
unintentional acts of insulting and harming others. They may commit crime or murder. They can
divulge one’s and others’ secret and trample on human rules and sanctity, which form the basis of
man’s happiness.
As for the intellectual harms of drinking intoxicating beverages, it dissipates one’s wisdom,
disrupts rational decision-making, and mars their perception and discretion. Drinking intoxicating
beverages is the worst sin and evil because many evils are rooted in it.
Some Quranic commentators have provided some mind-boggling statistics on the consequences
of drinking wine:
i. According to some statistics released in England, insanity due to drinking intoxicating beverages,
compared it with other kinds of insanity, in that there have been 2249 insane people due to
intoxication as opposed to only 53 insane people because of other reasons.
ii. According to the report of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and Injury,
“Forty percent of motor vehicle crash deaths involve alcohol drinking, and 40 percent of
pedestrians killed had been drinking.
The contributory role of alcohol in intentional trauma deaths is just as bad. The presence of alcohol
in combination with easy access to a deadly weapon (most commonly a handgun) and often only
a minor grievance is known as the deadly triad. These three factors together all too often result in
tragedy for the victim as well as the assailant.
Alcohol is responsible for approximately half of all trauma deaths and nonfatal injuries in the
United States—a very tragic and very expensive public health problem that continues every day
and every night on our nation’s highways, in our cities, and on our farms.”
iii. An English scholar by the name of Bentham writes: “In northern countries, alcoholic beverages
make a person fatuous and imbecile, while in the southern countries, it makes them insane.” He
adds: “The religion of Islam has prohibited all kinds of alcoholic drinks and this is one of the
distinctive features of Islam.”
iv. According to statistics in the United States, every year mental illness leads to twice as many
deaths as the American death toll in the Second World War. Scientists believe that drinking
intoxicating beverages and smoking play a crucial role in mental illness in the United States.
v. From the economic point of view, in England itself, the losses incurred every year as a result of
absenteeism on the part of employees due to alcoholism has been estimated to be around 50 million
dollars, which, by itself, is sufficient for the building of thousands of kindergartens, primary, and
secondary schools.
vi. As per statistics published about the losses arising from alcoholic use in France, alcohol burdens
the French budget by 137 billion francs per year (not including the personal losses incurred by the
individuals), details of which are as follows:
- 60 billion Francs spent towards courts and prisons.
- 40 billion Francs expended for social benefits and charities.
- 10 billion Francs utilized for covering the expenses of the hospitals for alcoholics.
- 70 billion francs for maintaining social security.
It is evident the the number of mental patients, mental hospitals, murders, thefts, rapes, and
accidents is proportional to the number of bars.

Conclusion
The chapters al-Baqarah and al-Maidah mention twelve eating and drinking substances, which are
both physically and spiritually harmful. And so, they are prohibited.
Islam upholds that Divine purpose for creating human beings is for them to reach perfection, and
food influences people’s physical and spiritual health. Therefore, it offers guidelines with respect
to what can and cannot be eaten so as not to hinder people’s growth towards perfection.