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Flesh of Swine

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Flesh of Swine

لَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ

The consumption of the [flesh of swine] (لَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ) is a fundamental dietary prohibition in Islam, a clear directive from Allah that shapes the daily lives of Muslims worldwide. This prohibition is not merely a cultural practice but a divine command, part of a larger framework of *halal* (permissible) and *haram* (forbidden) that guides a believer's choices as an act of worship and obedience. The Quran explicitly states this prohibition in several chapters, clearly identifying [dead animals, blood, and the flesh of swine] as forbidden for believers. This injunction is consistently reiterated, for instance, in [Surah An-Nahl], emphasizing its importance in Islamic dietary law. The Quran also offers insight into the rationale, stating that [the flesh of swine is impure]. Importantly, Islamic law acknowledges extreme circumstances: if one is [forced by necessity, neither desiring it nor transgressing its limit], and there is no other sustenance, consuming it becomes permissible, for Allah is indeed [Forgiving and Merciful]. This exception highlights divine compassion within the clear boundaries of religious law, making the avoidance of pork a deeply ingrained aspect of Muslim identity and practice.

Quran 4 verses

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Innamaa harrama 'alaikumul maitata waddama wa lahmal khinzeeri wa maaa uhilla bihee lighairil laahi famanid turra ghaira baaghinw wa laa 'aadin falaaa isma 'alaih; innal laaha Ghafoorur Raheem

He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

اس نے تم پر مرا ہوا جانور اور لہو اور سور کا گوشت اور جس چیز پر خدا کے سوا کسی اور کا نام پکارا جائے حرام کردیا ہے ہاں جو ناچار ہوجائے (بشرطیکہ) خدا کی نافرمانی نہ کرے اور حد (ضرورت) سے باہر نہ نکل جائے اس پر کچھ گناہ نہیں۔ بےشک خدا بخشنے والا (اور) رحم کرنے والا ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: The wordإِنَّمَا حَرَّ‌مَ (innama harrama) is a restrictive particle, therefore, the sense of the verse is that Allah Almighty has forbidden only those things which have been mentioned later, other than which, nothing else is forbidden. So, in this verse, it is the word, innama إِنَّمَا which points...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: He has only forbidden you carrion that is the consumption of it since this is the subject of the general address here and similarly the consumption of what follows all of which is what has not been slaughtered in accordance with prescriptions of the Law; to this the Sunna adds as also constituting c...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Command to eat Pure Things and the Explanation of the Prohibited Things Allah commands His believing servants to eat from the pure things that He has created for them and to thank Him for it, if they are truly His servants. Eating from pure sources is a cause for the acceptance of supplications ...

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُوا۟ بِٱلْأَزْلَٰمِ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِى مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Hurrimat 'alaikumul maitatu waddamu wa lahmul khinzeeri wa maaa uhilla lighiril laahi bihee walmun khani qatu wal mawqoozatu wal mutarad diyatu wanna teehatu wa maaa akalas sabu'u illaa maa zakkaitum wa maa zubiha 'alan nusubi wa an tastaqsimoo bil azlaam; zaalikum fisq; alyawma ya'isal lazeena kafaroo min deenikum falaa takhshawhum wakh shawn; alyawma akmaltu lakum deenakum wa atmamtu 'alaikum ni'matee wa radeetu lakumul Islaama deenaa; famanidturra fee makhmasatin ghaira mutajaanifil li ismin fa innallaaha Ghafoorur Raheem

Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

تم پر مرا ہوا جانور اور (بہتا) لہو اور سور کا گوشت اور جس چیز پر خدا کے سوا کسی اور کا نام پکارا جائے اور جو جانور گلا گھٹ کر مر جائے اور جو چوٹ لگ کر مر جائے اور جو گر کر مر جائے اور جو سینگ لگ کر مر جائے یہ سب حرام ہیں اور وہ جانور بھی جس کو درندے پھاڑ کھائیں۔ مگر جس کو تم (مرنے سے پہلے) ذبح کرلو اور وہ جانور بھی جو تھان پر ذبح کیا جائے اور یہ بھی کہ پاسوں سے قسمت معلوم کرو یہ سب گناہ (کے کام) ہیں آج کافر تمہارے دین سے ناامید ہو گئے ہیں تو ان سے مت ڈرو اور مجھی سے ڈرتے رہو (اور) آج ہم نے تمہارے لئے تمہارا دین کامل کر دیا اور اپنی نعمتیں تم پر پوری کر دیں اور تمہارے لئے اسلام کو دین پسند کیا ہاں جو شخص بھوک میں ناچار ہو جائے (بشرطیکہ) گناہ کی طرف مائل نہ ہو تو خدا بخشنے والا مہربان ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary This is the third verse of Surah al-Ma'idah where a number of fun damental and subsidiary injunctions and rulings have been described. The first problem relates to lawful and unlawful animals. As for animals whose meat is harmful for human beings - whether physically, to it may pose the d...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Forbidden to you is carrion that is the consumption of it and blood that is what has been spilt as mentioned in sūrat al-An‘ām Q. 6145 and the flesh of swine and what has been hallowed to other than God in that it was sacrificed in the name of something other than Him and the beast strangled to deat...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Animals that are Unlawful to Eat Allah informs His servants that He forbids consuming the mentioned types of foods, such as the Maytah, which is the animal that dies before being properly slaughtered or hunted. Allah forbids this type of food due to the harm it causes, because of the blood that ...

قُل لَّآ أَجِدُ فِى مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُۥٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُۥ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Qul laaa ajidu fee maaa oohiya ilaiya muharraman 'alaa taa'iminy yat'amuhooo illaaa ai yakoona maitatan aw damam masfoohan aw lahma khinzeerin fa innahoo rijsun aw fisqan uhilla lighairil laahi bih; famanid turra ghaira baa ghinw wa laa 'aadin fa inna Rabbaka Ghafoorur Raheem

Say, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure - or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."

کہو کہ جو احکام مجھ پر نازل ہوئے ہیں ان میں کوئی چیز جسے کھانے والا کھائے حرام نہیں پاتا بجز اس کے کہ وہ مرا ہوا جانور یا بہتا لہو یا سور کا گوشت کہ یہ سب ناپاک ہیں یا کوئی گناہ کی چیز ہو کہ اس پر خدا کے سوا کسی اور کا نام لیا گیا ہو اور اگر کوئی مجبور ہو جائے لیکن نہ تو نافرمانی کرے اور نہ حد سے باہر نکل جائے تو تمہارا پروردگار بخشنے والا مہربان ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary Mentioned in the previous verses was how astray the disbelievers of Makkah had gone when they had taken their self-carved, lifeless, insensate idols as partners in the Divinity of Allah as they made them share in animals created by Him and in many other blessings which were bestowed on th...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Say ‘I do not find in what is revealed to me anything forbidden to him who eats thereof except it be read yakūn or takūn carrion maytatan; or if read maytatun then with the form yakūn ‘it be’ preceding it or blood poured forth flowing as opposed to the case of a liver or a spleen; or the flesh of sw...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Forbidden Things Allah commands His servant and Messenger, Muhammad , قُلْ (Say) O Muhammad to those who prohibited what Allah has provided them, claiming this falsehood to be from Allah, لاَ أَجِدُ فِى مَآ أُوْحِىَ إِلَىَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ (I find not in that which has been revea...

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Innamaa harrma 'alai kumul maitata waddama wa lahmal khinzeeri wa maaa uhilla lighairil laahi bihee famanid turra ghaira baaghinw wa laa 'aadin fa innal laaha Ghafoorur Raheem

He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit] - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

اس نے تم پر مُردار اور لہو اور سور کا گوشت حرام کردیا ہے اور جس چیز پر خدا کے سوا کسی اور کا نام پکارا جائے (اس کو بھی) ہاں اگر کوئی ناچار ہوجائے تو بشرطیکہ گناہ کرنے والا نہ ہو اور نہ حد سے نکلنے والا تو خدا بخشنے والا مہربان ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary Nature of Prohibitions: The Correct View The restrictive particle: اَنَّمَا (innama: only) appearing in verse 115 seems to give the impression that things Haram are no more than the four mentioned in the verse. This impression emerges more clearly in another verse: قُل لَّا أَجِدُ فِي مَا...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: He has forbidden you only carrion blood the flesh of swine and that which has been hallowed to other than God. Yet whoever is compelled neither craving nor transgressing then truly God is Forgiving Merciful.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Command to eat Lawful Provisions and to be Thankful, and an Explanation of what is Unlawful Allah orders His believing servants to eat the good and lawful things that He has provided, and to give thanks to Him for that, for He is the Giver and Originator of all favors, Who alone deserves to be w...

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