alptraum

The Claim that "Pork Produced Under the Strict Hygienic Surroundings of Today May Be Consumed"
Pork had many harmful qualities if consumed during the time of the Qur'an, and indeed still does. First of all the pig, no matter how hygienic the surroundings where it is raised, is still an animal that consumes its own excrement. The metabolism of the pig produces many antibodies in comparison to other animals, both because it feeds on its own excrement and because of its biological make-up. Moreover, its metabolism produces large amounts of growth hormones compared to those of other animals and human beings. Naturally, these antibodies and growth hormones make their way to the pig's muscles during circulation and accumulate there. In addition, pork contains large amounts of cholesterol and lipids. As a result, it has been scientifically proven that all these excessive antibodies, hormones, cholesterol and lipids present in pork pose a threat to human health.

Today in countries such as the U.S.A. and Germany, where pork is popular, obesity has become a widespread problem. Anyone whose diet includes pork will be exposed to large amounts of growth hormone, and as a result he will initially put on excess weight and then his body will continue to become deformed and disfigured.

Another harmful subject pork often contains is the trichina, a small parasitic worm. This particular parasite affects the heart muscles when it enters the body and represents a fatal risk. Even though it may be possible, with today's technology, to diagnose those pigs infected with this parasite, that was not the case until recently. In the past, therefore, people always faced the danger of such a fatal infection.

As can be seen, the wisdom behind the prohibition of pork in Islam is apparent. In Islam, a definite and deep-rooted measure has been taken against the consumption of pork, which, under all conditions, remains a health-risk and becomes fatal unless produced under supervision.

However, there is an important point to remember. It is not essential for something to be unhealthy or harmful to human beings in order for it to be prohibited. This is a subject that escapes many people and is often used by those with ulterior motives to take advantage of people's lack of knowledge and confuse them. That is to say, the ignorant claims they make along the lines of "Now why is this or that prohibited in the Qur'an? There is nothing wrong with it!" are a result of not thinking or realizing the wisdom and aim of the Qur'anic commandments. Unwise people often perceive notions through an incredibly narrow and limited lens; consequently, they never see the causes and the logic behind them within the bigger picture.

God can prohibit anything, for many different reasons. He can also prohibit something not harmful in order to test those who truly fear Him, love and obey Him as well as to expose the pretenders. Moreover, something can be prohibited for purposes of punishment or warning, or simply for the remembrance of blessings and as a means for people to show their gratitude.

God has also prohibited, in the Qur'an, the consumption of any animal that has been consecrated to something other than God.

He has only forbidden you carrion, blood and pork and what has been consecrated to other than God. But anyone who is forced to eat it – without desiring it or going to excess in it – commits no crime. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Baqarah: 173)

It is obvious that eating the meat of an animal that has not been consecrated to God does not threaten our health. However, if one of two oxen grazing in the same field has been consecrated to God its consumption would be "lawful" (halal), conversely, if the other one is consecrated to something other than God then its consumption would be "unlawful" (haram). One of the reasons for this commandment is to provide a means of testing people.

For instance, the prohibition imposed on the Jews in the past "not to work on the Sabbath" (Saturday) was meant to test them, and this is stated in the Qur'an:

Ask them about the town which was by the sea when they broke the Sabbath – when their fish came to them near the surface on their Sabbath day but did not come on the days which were not their Sabbath. In this way We put them to the test because they were deviators. (Surat al-A'raf: 163)

This prohibition about working on Saturdays that was imposed on the Jews in the past was not asked of Muslims. This shows that the ban was not imposed because of any social threat or because the fish which swarmed towards the city that day were in any way hazardous, but was simply to put the Jews to the test. Additionally, the same verse states that they disobeyed the ban and so failed the test. This prohibition served to exhibit the weaknesses in that nation's faith and fear of God.

A similar prohibition stated in the Qur'an carries a similar purpose and is a means of assessment of true believers:

You who have faith! God will test you with game animals which come within the reach of your hands and spears, so that God will know those who fear Him in the Unseen. Anyone who oversteps the limits after this will have a painful punishment. You who have faith! Do not kill game while you are forbidden (this while on Pilgrimage). If one of you kills any deliberately, the reprisal for it is a livestock animal equivalent to what he killed, as judged by two just men among you, a sacrifice to reach the Ka'ba, or expiation by feeding the poor, or fasting commensurate with that, so that he may taste the evil consequences of what he did. God has pardoned all that took place in the past; but if anyone does it again God will take revenge on him. God is Almighty, Exactor of Revenge. Anything you catch in the sea is lawful for you, and all food from it, for your enjoyment and that of travellers, but land game is forbidden you while you are under taboo (in Pilgrimage). Heed God, Him to whom you will be gathered." (Surat al-Ma'idah: 94-96)
The purpose of this ban has been clearly stated in the verse "... so that God will know those who fear Him in the Unseen." The ease with which the hands and spear reach their target is part of the test.

Another purpose behind this testing of nations is to punish them when they display misbehavior or perversity and to remind them to repent and go back to the right path. Some of the bans placed on the Jews in the past are examples of this:

We made unlawful for the Jews every animal with an undivided hoof, and in respect of cattle and sheep, We made their fat unlawful for them, except what is attached to their backs or guts or mixed up with bone. That is how We repaid them for their insolence. And We certainly speak the truth. (Surat al-An'am: 146)
We can conclude that there is deep wisdom in the prohibition of the things that God has declared to be unlawful. If we were to limit this reason to something being harmful or unhealthy it would be due to the lack of proper knowledge and comprehension of the Qur'an.

There is also more than one cause for the ban on pork. There is no doubt that pork has always been hazardous to human health until the present day. That definite measures against the risk in question, discovered by medical equipment and biological tests in our day, were taken in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago, a time when people were entirely uninformed about concepts such as microbes, bacteria, trichina, hormones or antibodies, is one of the miracles of this Divine Book. It is known today that, even after all the inspections and precautions taken during the production of pork, it still is physically unfit for human consumption, and is a type of meat that creates health hazards in human beings. Nonetheless, the production of pork is cost-effective and this is one of the reasons why it is so popular worldwide. This tempting factor, we may notice, somewhat resembles the flow of the fish during the Sabbath of the Jews. When there are so many edible and delicious sources of meat such as lambs, sheep, chickens, cows, countless varieties of birds, animals of prey and many more, to covet pork meat when it is forbidden by God would be considered a purposeful act.

Since the Qur'an is valid until the Day of Judgment, any form of pork consumption, other than the extraordinary situations stated in the Qur'an, is forbidden until then. If after a hundred years pork is completely treated of any health hazards, to avoid consuming it would still be a form of worship for true believers. Then, the question of whether to eat it or not will again be a trial for those mindless objectors.

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İmtisali cahidu fillah olubtur niyetim,
Dini islamın mücerred gayretidir gayretim.
Fazlı Hak ve hikmeti cündü ricalullah ile,
Ehl-i küfrü serteser kahreylemektir niyetim.
Embiyau evliyaya istinadım var benim,
Lütfü Haktandır hemen ümidi fethu ve nusratım.
Nefsim ve malımla nola kılsam cihanda içtihad,
Hamdülillah var gazaya sad hazaran rağbetim.
Ey Muhammed! Mucizatın Ahmedi muhtar ile,
Umarım galib ola Edayı dine devletim!