Question

Why has Quran chosen to mention only pig among forbidden animals?Why dogs, cats or other forbidden animals are not mentioned as they are also forbidden to eat?Kindly elaborate!

Regards

Answer

Quran in chapter 5(surah Maidah verse 4) has said “All good things are lawful for you to eat”. Majority of humanity ,as the history will testify, has generally not used carnivorous animals as edibles. Lions, tigers, dogs, cats and the likes are natural prohibitions which man has generally not used for eating. Refraining to eat the meat of such animals is so obvious that there was no need to give an exhaustive list of these prohibited animals in the Quran.Prophet(pbuh) on the other hand has mentioned some of these prohibited animals in his narratives but only to explain directives of Quran. Islam has prohibited things (from being used as edibles) due to their physical or spiritual uncleanness or due to the effects that they may have on the morality of an individual or a collectivity.

Although Quran has not given a specific reason for prohibiting pork but a little deliberation makes it quite obvious.Man has generally not used carnivorous animals as edibles and has preferred herbiv0rous animals for consumption. The case of pig is a little confusing. It is a common domesticated livestock animal and grazes in the same pastures as cows and other edible cattles but is clearly omnivorous(eats both meat and vegitables) unlike other commonly known animals. Due to this fact, it was not easy for man to take a decision regarding its lawfulness or prohibition, on his own. It is due to this reason that the Shari`ah has given an express directive for its prohibition and placed pig in the category of carnivorous animals.

Some people give other reasons for prohibition of Pork such as its filthy habitat, promiscuity and potential of causing numerous diseases.All these reasons could be true but one can argue that there are other animals which carry the same impurities but were not explicitly mentioned in the Quran.

Allah knows the best

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