Islamic Dietary Prohibitions
Islam is a religion in
which there are few dietary rules. In Islam, one can eat all that is pure
and nutritious, but it also prohibits certain categories of food and drink.
Among the categories of food and drink forbidden according to Quranic injunctions
are the following:
- Meat of dead animals (carrion).
- Meat of strangled animals.
- Meat of dead animals through beating.
- Meat of dead animals through falling from a height.
- Meat of dead animals killed by (the goring of) a horn.
- Meat of dead animals devoured of wild beasts.
- Food on which any other name has been invoked besides that of God.
- Meat of animals that have been immolated into idols.
- Meat of swine (pig), including anything prepared from swine.
- All intoxicants including all types of alcohol and intoxicating drugs.
In Surah Al-Ma'idah, the
forbidden foods are explained in detail:
"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 God, and that which hath been
killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by
being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal;
unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed
on stone (altars); (Forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling
with arrows: that is impiety."
(Qur'an 5:4)
"O you who believe!
Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows
are an abomination- of Satan's handiwork; Eschew such (abomination) that
you may prosper. Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between
you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance
of God and from Prayer. Will you not then abstain?" (Qur'an 5:90-91)
Since the above categories
are obviously too many to explain in one issue, we will be explaining the
categories in future issues.
The Islamic Bulletin
P.O. Box 410186, San Francisco, CA 94141-0186
info@islamicbulletin.org
