Why Is Pork Prohibited in Islam?

Translation of extract from “20 Frequently Asked Questions on Islam” by Dr. Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik. Dr. Zakir is a medical doctor who gave up his medical profesion in order to become involved full-time in religious activities. He aims to explain the basis of Islam and expunge misconceptions of Islam using logic and science. He was the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) Mumbai, India.

It is generally well-known that pork is prohibited in Islam. The following facts explain various aspects of this prohibition:

1. The Al-Qur'an prohibits eating of pork.

The Al-Qur'an prohibits eating of pork in not less than four different verses. The prohibition can be found in Verses 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.

"Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals - cattle - beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering.....".

The above Verse is sufficient to convince Muslims regarding prohibition of pork.

2. Pork is also prohibited in the Bible.

All Christians believe in their holy book. The Bible prohibits consumption of pork in the Book of Leviticus:

".....and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch."

(Leviticus 11:7-8)

Pork is also prohibited in the Bible according to 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)

Similar prohibition is also repeated in the Bible, in the Book of Isiah, Chapter 65, Verse 1-5.7.

3. Consumption of pork contributes to many diseases.

Non-Muslims and Atheists will only agree with the above if they can be convinced through reasoning, logic and science. Consumption of pork can cause not less than seventy types of various diseases. One can catch various helminthiasis such as round worm, pinworm, threadworm and others. Among the most dangerous is Taenia Solium, or, in general terminology, tapeworm. It resides in the intestine and is very long. Its ovum, or eggs, enter the bloodstream and is able to reach all organs of the body. If it enters the brain, it can cause amnesia. If it enters the heart, it will cause heart seizure. If it enters the eyes, it can cause blindness and if it enters the liver, it causes liver damage. It can damage almost all organs in the body.

Another form of helminthiasis is Trichura Trichuriasis (affecting primarily the tissues of the cecum, appendix, colon and rectum). The most common misconception regarding pork is that cooking pork properly can kill the ovum. In a research project conducted in the United States, it was found that out of twenty-four persons who suffered from Trichura Trichusiasis, twenty-two of them had cooked pork properly, prior to eating. This showed that cooking pork at normal cooking temperature does not kill the ovum.

4. Pigs have fat building materials in them.

Pork has very little muscle-building materials but is high in fat content. This fat is stored in the arteries and can cause hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart attacks. It is not surprising that more than 50% of Americans suffer from hypertension.

5. Pigs are the dirtiest animals on earth.

Pigs live and breed on litter, waste and filth. In rural India, there are no modern toilets and villagers excrete in open areas. Usually, the faeces are eaten by pigs.

Some may argue that in modern countries like Australia, pigs are reared in clean places. Although the place is clean, pigs are reared in large numbers in sties. No matter how hard you try to keep the place clean, by nature pigs are dirty animals. They eat and enjoy their own and each other's faeces in their pens.