The Roast Pork

After saying salaam, and that every bird appearing on the pulpit, is obliged to make a voice, the bluebird began with a song,

Have you seen the little piggies
Crawling in the dirt?
And for all the little piggies
Life is getting worse
Always having dirt to play around in

Have you seen the bigger piggies
In their starched white shirts?
You will find the bigger piggies
Stirring up the dirt
Always have clean shirts to play around in

In their styles with all their backing
They don't care what goes on around
In their eyes there's something lacking
What they need's a damn good whacking

Everywhere there's lots of piggies
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon *)

Then she continued, "Indeed, praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His assistance and Forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and the mistakes in our actions. Whoever is guided by Allah cannot be misguided by anyone, and whoever is misguided by Allah cannot be guided by anyone, and I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, and I testify that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His worshipper and Messenger."

The bluebird paused for a moment, then told a story, "A young pig was shut up in a fold-yard with a goat and a sheep. On one occasion, the shepherd laid hold of him, when he grunted, and squeaked, and resisted violently.
The sheep and the goat complained of his distressing cries, and said, "He often handles us, and we do not cry out." To this, he replied, "Your handling and mine are very different things. He catches you only for your wool, or your milk, but he lays hold on me for my very life!"
The sheep and the goat were silent, in their mind, they tought that sometimes, complaining, can be justified. But indeed, what the pig had said, was necessary to clarify. Then the sheep said, "O my brother, what do you mean by that? Tell us!" The pig said, "Don't you know that the shepherd would kill me, roast me and make me a meal on Eid." The sheep and the goat looked at each other, they smiled, then the goat tried to explain, "Forgive us brother, but what is on your mind, is really not true." The pig respond, sadly, "Don't you imagine how it hurts when the shepherd killed me, skinned me, cut me roughly?" The sheep was trying to convince, "Everything you imagine is not true." The pig asked, "Why?" The goat answered, "Because, the shepherd, our master, is a Muslim. He won't eat pork. What have I heard, there are strict rules in Islam when it comes to killing animals." The pig was stunned, then he asked, "Is that true? Explain it to me, please!"

The sheep declared, "What I will tell you, what I have heard from our master. Hear this, once, our master said to the other shepherds, "Allah Almighty has made it lawful for Muslims to eat the meat of pure animals and to take benefit from their various parts. But He has made this lawfulness contingent on adherence to firm injunctions presented in the Qur’an and the Sunna. The driving principle behind these injunctions is that an animal, in essence, bears similarity to a human being in that it has a soul and perception and can sense comfort and pain. Looking from this perspective, the seemingly logical ruling is, that it would not be lawful for a human being to slaughter an animal, eat its meat, and take benefit from its various parts. However, Allah has made man the most noble of creation and has placed the world at his disposal. All that He has created is for man s advantage. He says, 'It is He who created for you all that is in the earth.'

It is clear, that Allah has made the consumption of animals permissible purely out of His vast kindness. As this is the case, He has made consuming them subject to some “ ritual” (taabbudi) laws [those that are strictly and precisely determined by Allah through the Qur’an and the Sunna of His Messenger (ﷺ)]. A servant of Allah who abides by these ritual laws, thereby displays his acknowledgment that the lawfulness of an animal is a great blessing from Allah, and that he really does not deserve to derive benefit from or take relish in eating from an animal until he recognizes this blessing, shows thanks for it, and follows the method that Allah has prescribed for slaughtering the animal.

Of all law systems, Islamic law, the Sharia, is exceptional in its treatment of the issue of animal slaughter. It delineates in superb detail the acceptable slaughtering methods, founding them on sound principles from the Qur’an and Sunna. In view of the thorough attention Islamic law pays to this matter, the act of slaughtering an animal is not a “non-ritual” ('aadii) act. That is, it is not an act for which one need not adhere to any principles or laws; one may not do it however he pleases, according to his need, personal interest, or simply what he finds easiest. It is, rather, a ritual act, for which it is obligatory to conform to the laws outlined in the Qur’an and Sunna.

Islam's stance on what is permissible to eat and what is not is clear. There are strict rules when it comes to meat regarding what is allowed and what is forbidden. Allah says,

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيْرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوْذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيْحَةُ وَمَآ اَكَلَ السَّبُعُ اِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْۗ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَاَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوْا بِالْاَزْلَامِۗ ذٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌۗ اَلْيَوْمَ يَىِٕسَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ دِيْنِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِۗ اَلْيَوْمَ اَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِيْنَكُمْ وَاَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِيْ وَرَضِيْتُ لَكُمُ الْاِسْلَامَ دِيْنًاۗ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِيْ مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّاِثْمٍۙ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ

"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 Islām as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." [QS. Al-Ma'idah (5):3]

There are two categories of animals, first, water creatures, and they can be divided into two types, fish-like creatures that do not live outside water, and, creatures that do not resemble fish. Fish-like creatures are halāl by consensus of the scholars of Fiqh, except that the Hanafīs differed from this when it came to floating fish, which they consider makrūh. As for non-fish-like creatures, the opinion of the Shāfi’īs is that every dead water creature is halāl except the frog, regardless of how it died. This also is the opinion of Mālik and Ahmad. However, Mālik considered the dolphin makrūh. As for ash-Shāfi’ī, he said, “It is allowed to eat the dolphin and the beaver,” and an-Nawawī said, “What is correct is that the ruling of fish applies to all of these, and it is not necessary to perform any slaughtering procedures on them.”

And from the water creatures, frogs are prohibited by agreement of the Shāfi’īs and Hambalīs. As for the Hanafīs, they forbid everything in the sea besides fish. Likewise, alligators are prohibited for food, as they are considered water beasts whose power lies in their fangs, and in the authentic hadīth, “Any fanged creature is forbidden.” And this is the strongest opinion with the Shāfi’īs and Hambalīs. And none of the creatures of the sea need to be slaughtered in any way according to the correct opinion.

The second category is that of land creatures, and they are also of two types, those without flowing blood, and, those with flowing blood. As for those without flowing blood, they are all harām except for the locust. So, flies, ants, bees, beetles, wasps, and pests such as scorpions are all forbidden to be eaten because they are all foul, unclean creatures. This also includes ticks, lice, and worms. And in an authentic hadīth, the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) prohibited the killing of four creatures: the ant, the bee, the hoopoe, and the shrike. As for the tiny worms that are found inside fruits such as figs, dates, and apricots, as well as certain cheeses, these are not forbidden to eat, and the decision to eat them goes back to one’s natural inclination. As for the locust being permissible. As for the mule, it is harām. As for wild animals, every beast with fangs is forbidden, as is every bird with claws. And it is forbidden to eat eagles, hawks, and falcons, just as it is forbidden to eat dogs and cats. As for rabbits, they are halāl. As for hyenas and foxes, they were permitted by the Shāfi’īs. And it is forbidden to eat the meat of bears, mongooses, jackals, and monkeys. Also, it is harām to eat whatever consumes carcasses, such as the eagle, the stork, the crow, and beetles. It is harām to eat snakes, as they possess fangs. As for the lizard, it is allowed to eat.

The overall conclusions regarding this subject are, first, sea creatures are all halāl and do not need to undergo any slaughtering procedure. Second, land animals that are harām are not to be slaughtered, and their meat and skin cannot be purified by slaughtering. Third, captured animals must be slaughtered with a cut to the throat. Fourth, permissible land animals and domestic animals and stray animals must be hit with either an arrow or a bullet, such that its blood flows from any part of its body.

The Islamic practice of slaughtering animals by means of a sharp cut to the front of the neck has frequently come under attack by some animal-rights activists as being a form of animal cruelty, the claim being that it is a painful, inhumane method of killing animals. In many places in the West, it is required by law to stun the animals with a shot to the head before the slaughter, supposedly to render the animal unconscious and to prevent it from reviving before it is killed, so as not to slow down the movement of the processing line. It is also used to prevent the animal from feeling pain before it dies.

The Arabic word used in Islamic law to denote “lawful slaughter” is dhakaat. Dhakaat, at its lexical root زك و, means “ to attain completion or perfection” (itmaam). From this root, also comes dhakaa’, or “intelligence,” which is a sort of completeness in its own sense, in that it gradually develops with age and experience. Similarly, the prescribed method of slaughtering is called dhakaat, because it completes— in other words, it fulfills— the requirements by which eating an animal becomes permissible. Some scholars have said that lawful slaughter is named dhakaat because of another meaningof the word, “ to produce a fragrant aroma.” The technical term they use is raa'iha dhakiyya, meaning “fragrant aroma.” When an animals blood flows out during slaughtering, its meat takes on a fresh, fragrant scent.

In the context of the Shari’ah, dhakaah is to perform the method of slaughter with its proper conditions, and this requires five things, first, the slaughterer, and two conditions must apply to him, he must be a Muslim or from the People of the Book, and, it is not allowed to eat something slaughtered by one who is insane, drunk, or prepubescent who cannot tell right from wrong. Second, the instrument being used to slaughter with, and two conditions apply to it, it must be sharp, and, it cannot be a tooth or claw.
Third, where the cut is made, and it must be at the throat, specifically, the gap between the base of the neck and the chest. Fourth, what to say at the time of slaughtering, and this is the Tasmiyah - ‘In the Name of Allāh’ and ‘Allāh is the Greatest’. Fifth, what to cut, and this includes most or all of the throat, the esophagus, and, the two jugular veins at either sides of the neck.

The killing method that Islamic law considers satisfactory for a proper and lawful slaughter differs for different types of animals. In the case of an animal that is not under ones physical control, either because it is wild or because it has strayed from other domesticated animals, it is sufficient to wound it with any sharp tool that causes its blood to flow out until it dies. This type of slaughter is called “ forced slaughter” (dhaakat idtiraariyya): one cannot gain control of an animal to slaughter it by hand and is therefore “forced” to kill it from a distance. It is not necessary that such an animal be slaughtered by the methods of dhabh or nahr. Forced slaughter is prescribed in the case of hunting. I will not concerned with explaining the laws of this type of slaughter, but focuses instead on the type called “voluntary slaughter” (dhakat ikhtiyaariyya).

Voluntary slaughter refers to when an animal is under ones physical control, be it a domesticated animal or a captured wild animal. In this case, it is obligatory to cause its blood to flow out by the conventional method of cutting into its jugular veins. The jurists have stipulated that for a lawful slaughter, at least some of the jugular veins (awdaaj ) must be cut into. Awdaaj is the plural of wadaj, which for our purposes simply means “ jugular vein.” Of the jugular veins, there are two main, external ones, called in Arabic wadajaan, the dual form of wadaj. The jurists, however, have extended the usage of the word awdaaj to include the trachea and esophagus. Imam Shaffi'i, may Allah have mercyon him, says that it is obligatory for one to cut into the trachea and esophagus, and that this is sufficient for a complete slaughter, even if one does not cut either of the external jugular veins.

Despite the jurists’ varying opinions regarding these secondary details, they have agreed that for voluntary slaughter, the cutting point is where the throat meets the upper part of the chest, and that it is necessary to cut into more than one of the four passageways. From what we have seen so far, it should be evident that the opinion requiring at least one of the two external jugular veins to be cut into is the dominant opinion. This is because making the blood flow out entirely, which is required, can only occur by cutting into one or both of the external jugular veins, which are the main blood vessels in the neck.

The jurists have agreed that for a complete and proper slaughter, according to Islamic law, the implement used must be sharpened such that it easily cuts and pierces the animal because of its sharpness, not because of its heaviness. It is not necessary that the slaughtering tool be a knife; it is permissible to slaughter using anything with asharp edge, whether it is made of steel, stone, wood, or somethingelse.

The general body ( jumhur) of the jurists have concluded that for an act of animal slaughter to be acceptable by Islamic law, it is also obligatory that the slaughterer perform tasmiya at the time of slaughtering. Tasmiya is the technical term for “ mentioning the name of Allah,” which must be done verbally, not just in the heart, immediately before slaughtering. The words usually used are Bismillaahi Allaahu Akbar, meaning “ In the name of Allah; Allah is the Greatest ” However, it is acceptable to say other statements, e.g., Laa ilaaha iliallaah, as long as Allah’s name, and no one else’s, is mentioned.

As for the slaughterer, he must be a sane Muslim or from the People of the Book. The condition of sanity (‘aql) is meant to ensure that the person intended to slaughter, as slaughtering is an act of worship, and it therefore requires an intention. This is the position of the majority of Hanafī, Mālikī, and Hambalī scholars. So, it is not allowed to eat the meat slaughtered by one who is drunk, a young child, or insane. Based on this, it is not allowed to eat meat slaughtered by the polytheist, the disbeliever not from the People of the Book, the apostate, the idol worshipper, the Communist, the Druze, the Nusayrī, the Qādiyānī, the Bahā’ī, the Magian, the Hindu, or the Buddhist.

Now, we face the issue of asking about the status of the meat when in doubt. Is it necessary to ask about the meat or its origin? It is obligatory to ask about the meat when you don’t know or are uncertain, especially in the times we are in when people purchase meat slaughtered by non-Muslims without any hesitation, and there is no might nor power except with Allāh. In such a case, you should ask people if you are invited to their dinner tables if they bought imported meat or meat slaughtered in the lands of the Muslims.
The Muslim should ask the meat shops about the kind of meat they are purchasing so that he can protect his religion and honor, and so that he would know if what he is putting in his mouth is halāl or harām. After asking, if the uncertainty is removed and it is confirmed that the meat he is buying is halāl, he can purchase it and eat. However, if uncertainty still remains, what is he to do? In such a case, he must not buy the meat, as meat is not permissible when there its status is uncertain.

Other shepherd asked, "Why pork forbidden in Islam?" Our master said, "A Muslim spends his or her life endeavouring to please Allah by worshipping Him and obeying His laws, or rules. One of those rules is that the eating pork, or pork products is forbidden.
At first, one might wonder what harm could come from pork, a product eaten in many parts of the world, and the fact that pork contains parasites and diseases harmful to man may spring to mind as a justifiable reason for abstaining. However, when analysing why Muslims are forbidden to eat pork, this becomes a secondary reason. Muslims simply do not eat pork or pork products because Allah has prohibited it. Allah says,

اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡمَیۡتَۃَ وَ الدَّمَ وَ لَحۡمَ الۡخِنۡزِیۡرِ وَ مَاۤ اُہِلَّ بِہٖ لِغَیۡرِ اللّٰہِ ۚ فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَیۡرَ بَاغٍ وَّ لَا عَادٍ فَلَاۤ اِثۡمَ عَلَیۡہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ

"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." [QS. Al-Baqarah (2):173].

Sometimes we may never know or understand why Allah has ordained some things and prohibited others. In the case of pork, no specific reason for the prohibition is given except in Quran 6:145 when Allah says, in reference to the flesh of pig, “for that surely is impure.” A Muslim submits to Allah’s commands willingly, without needing to know the reason behind the divine rule. Moreover, Allah has expressly stated that a believer hears the words of his Lord and obeys them. And Allah knows best."

Paused, then the sheep said, "Well, that's what I know about what kind of animals a Muslim can and should not eat. How do you respond?" The pig was pleased, his eyes sparkled, then sighed, "Aah, it turns out, I'm not going to get slaughtered." However, suddenly, he was dumbfounded, then said, "Are you going to be slaughtered?" The goat and the sheep looked at each other, laughed and said, "It's okay, that means we have done what Allah has commanded."

References :
- Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, The Islamic Laws of Animal Slaughter, translated by Amir A. Toft, White Thread Press
- Abdullah Azzam, The Ruling on Meat Slaughtered In The West, Open Sources
- Aisha Stacey, Why Pork Forbidden In Islam?, Islamreligion.com

- Rev. Geo. Fyler Townsend, M.A., Aesop Fables, George Routledge and Sons
*) Piggies, written by George Harrison 

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