I am a student in the university and I am working in a group in order to carry out a scientific research on the impact of salt on drying meat, especially pork. This requires carrying out experiments on pork. So, is it permissible to carry out these experiments? It should be noted that I have no other choice in order to fulfil the requirements of my studies.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

Pork is impure. Allaah Says (what means): {…or the flesh of swine — for indeed, it is impure.}[Quran 6:145]. Deliberately touching impurity without a need is forbidden; this is what the Shaafi'ee and Hanbali and other jurists stated. Therefore, if this research is beneficial for the Muslim nation, and it is an obligation to carry out experiments on pork and not on other pure meat, then there is no harm. However, if there is no need for this research, or that there is a need for it but it is possible to carry out these experiments on other pure meat, then it is not permissible to carry out this research on pork unless you are obliged to do so. Nonetheless, if it is possible to carry out experiments without touching pork [as it is impure] by putting a separation between you and it (like wearing gloves), then there is no harm.

Allaah Knows best.