PORK FORBIDDEN

Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims

Question:
Why is the eating of pork forbidden in Islam?

Answer:
The fact that consumption of pork is prohibited in Islam is well known. The following points explain various aspects of this prohibition:

1. Pork prohibited in Qur’an
The Qur’an prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different places. It is prohibited in 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.
"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." [Al-Qur’an 5:3]
The above verses of the Holy Qur’an are sufficient to satisfy a Muslim as to why pork is forbidden.

2. Pork prohibited in the Bible
The Christian is likely to be convinced by his religious scriptures. The Bible prohibits the consumption of pork, in the book of Leviticus
"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you".
"Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you."[Leviticus 11:7-8]
Pork is also prohibited in the Bible in 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]
A similar prohibition is repeated in the Bible in the book of Isaiah chapter 65 verse 2-5.

3. Consumption of pork causes several diseases
The other non-Muslims and atheists will agree only if convinced through reason, logic and science. Eating of pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases. A person can have various helminthes like roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc. One of the most dangerous is Taenia Solium, which is in lay man’s terminology called tapeworm. It harbours in the intestine and is very long. Its ova i.e. eggs, enter the blood stream and can reach almost all the organs of the body. If it enters the brain it can cause memory loss. If it enters the heart it can cause heart attack, if it enters the eye it can cause blindness, if it enters the liver it can cause liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of the body.

Another dangerous helminthes is Trichura Tichurasis. A common misconception about pork is that if it is cooked well, these ova die. In a research project undertaken in America, it was found that out of twenty-four people suffering from Trichura Tichurasis, twenty two had cooked the pork very well. This indicates that the ova present in the pork do not die under normal cooking temperature.

4. Pork has fat building material
Pork has very little muscle building material and contains excess of fat. This fat gets deposited in the vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack. It is not surprising that over 50% of Americans suffer from hypertension.

5. Pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth
The pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth. It lives and thrives on muck, faeces and dirt. It is the best scavenger that I know that God has produced. In the villages they don’t have modern toilets and the villagers excrete in the open air. Very often excreta is cleared by pigs.
Some may argue that in advanced countries like Australia, pigs are bred in very clean and hygienic conditions. Even in these hygienic conditions the pigs are kept together in sties. No matter how hard you try to keep them clean they are filthy by nature. They eat and enjoy their own as well as their neighbour’s excreta.

6. Pig is the most shameless animal
The pig is the most shameless animal on the face of the earth. It is the only animal that invites its friends to have sex with its mate. In America, most people consume pork. Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives; i.e. many say "you sleep with my wife and I will sleep with your wife." If you eat pigs then you behave like pigs. We Indians look upon America to be very advanced and sophisticated. Whatever they do, we follow after a few years. According to an article in Island magazine, this practice of swapping wives has become common in the affluent circles of Bombay.

Q&A About Islam #1 (Prayer In Islam)

QUESTIONS :

No pictures, no idols, no symbols,
then what do Muslims pray to?

No burning of incense or paper money,
no lighting of joss sticks, no flowers,
then what do Muslims use for prayer?

No priests,
Then who guides the Muslims
in their prayer?

Is the Imam an intermediary
between God an man?

No holy water, no peacock feathers,
then how are Muslims blessed?

No chairs in mosques,
then where do Muslims sit
when they pray?

They don’t speak in Arabic here,
then why do Muslims here pray in Arabic?

A big prayer hall,
but why are only a few Muslims
praying here?

ANSWERS :

The Unseen Creator
Muslims pray to The Unseen Creator who created everything. His power to create is limitless. All He has to say is “Be’’ (“Kun” in Arabic) and it comes into existence. Everything came from Him and will return to Him. He does not have a son and was not fathered by anyone. He has no partners, and is unlike anything that the human mind can imagine. The Unseen Creator calls Himself by the personal name of “Allah” in The Noble Quran. Some say that when we drink water, we must remember the person who dug the well. The aims of a Muslim’s prayer are to remember and be grateful to Allah who created everything including the water and the person who dug the well!

Environment-friendly prayer
Prayer in Islam is a simple activity that consists of a series of body posture and recitation of verses from The Noble Quran. It is an environment-friendly prayer in that it does not require the burning of paper or other substances. The practice of making “offerings” to God is unacceptable in Islam. God is self-sufficient and has no needs.

No Priests
The person who leads the prayer is called Imam in Arabic. A person who has good knowledge and is able to recite The Quran well and lecture to the gathering during the Friday noon prayer is appointed as the Imam of a Mosque. The Imam is not like a priest. He is not an intermediary between God and man. Muslims seek the Mercy of God directly.

Reason and logic
Islam calls on the Believers to base their faith on reason and logic and not on blind beliefs such as believing that sprinkling holy water on the body or stroking the body with peacock feathers or other objects will drive away bad luck and bring prosperity. To receive the Mercy and blessings of God, Muslims are commanded to base their life on what is permitted, and keep away from the prohibited (such as intoxicants, gambling and adultery) in The Noble Quran and the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh).

Furniture-free
The Muslim prayer positions consist of standing, bowing, sitting and placing the forehead on the floor. It is no possible to do these while sitting on a chair. Thus all Muslim prayer places are furniture-free. There are no reserved places in the Mosque. All Muslims pray as equals.

Prayer in Arabic
Muslims use the words of God when praying to Him. They recite from The Noble Quran which is in Arabic. Praying in the language of The Quran ensures uniformity. A Muslim can go to any Mosque in the world and join the prayer without any difficulty. Praying in the language of The Quran ensures accuracy. Translations of the meanings of the verses in the Quran are not used in prayer. At the end of the formal prayer, Muslims can seek the forgiveness and blessings of God in their own languages. This is called ‘’du’a’’ or supplication

Prayer in any clean place
Muslims can performs their prayers in Mosques, homes or in any clean place. In some places, only a small number pray in Mosques, and they are usually those staying near the mosque and visitors. Muslims are required to perform the Friday noon prayer in the Mosque. The Mosque is packed during this prayer and in some places, Muslims pray in the compound of the Mosque due to lack of space inside.