Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterReasons for Pork Being Forbidden in Islam
Question
What are the causes that's made pork meat forbidden in Islam?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Allah, The Great and Almighty, has forbidden pork and stated its impurity. He Says (what means): {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. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.”} [Quran 6:145]
The Sharee'ah gives no specific justification for such prohibition except the Quranic term “Rijs”, which means impurity and dirt from the linguistic point of view. But, in the Sharee'ah, it means dirt, abomination and offensive. It also means each and every action that is refused by sound predisposition. Allah Says about His Prophet (what means): {…who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them.} [Quran 7:157]
So, everything that Allah has prohibited is noxious and repulsive. Furthermore, noxious things indicate everything that spoils man's life: in his health, property or morals.
In the past, Muslims had no detailed information concerning the noxiousness of pig or cause of prohibition. Then, modern scientific studies provide us with important information concerning diseases and harmful germs that are spread and originated by pig. Among these harmful things are germs and a tapeworm called “Treichine” (trichina) which grows in the flesh of swine and occupies human intestines resisting all medicines used to discharge it. Also, such an armed tapeworm may cling within one's muscles, resisting medicine to remove it. Thus, science gives a clear-cut justification for the prohibition of the flesh of swine and the wisdom becomes visible.
According to Larousse, a French encyclopedia, the noxious worm “Treichine” (trichina) passes along the human body heading to the heart, and then, settles in one's muscles, especially in chest, eye, throat and midriff, where its embryos remain alive for years.
In addition to what is mentioned above, science may give much more information about diseases caused by swine.
Here, it is very important to state that Islam does not endorse the claim of those who think that modern technical supervision over breeding, feeding and housing of pigs can kill such germs.
Since scientific research is continuous and developing, this leads us to believe that more possible harms of eating pork will be discovered; and herein lies the ultimate prohibition of the Sharee'ah, whether we know or do not know the reasons and wisdom behind it.
As a final word, even if it is possible to raise pigs free from such defects and harms in some or many places in modern world, it is impossible to have such a state worldwide; even so, the everlasting Sharee'ah rulings are suitable for all times and all places.
Thus, the prohibition was general and comprehensive.
Allah knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
