42.Foods that are banned.
As per the following verses of the Quran (2:173, 5:3, 5:96, 6:119, 6:145, 16:115) we find four types of food banned for believers. Dead cattle, blood, pork We can easily understand they are dead cattle, blood, and pork are the three things. and the fourth that needs to be understood on pondering being those ‘shouted about’ in the name of other than Allah. The Arabs of the period before Prophet Muhammad during worship used to place various oblations and slaughter animals with loud shouts of names of the idols they pray to. Due to this reason the word ‘shouted about’ is found in this verse. This word includes the animals slaughtered in the name of other than Allah. and also points out to oblations offered to other than Allah. In verse (No; 5:3) of the Quran we find Allah mentioning the word not only ‘Shouted About’ but also ‘those slaughtered in the name of idols. Here the word slaughter refers to living creatures and ‘Shouted About’ refers to non-living things offered to other than Allah. Hence oblations offered to those other than Allah, things that have already been used in anointing idols, and those animals slaughtered in the name of other than Allah are forbidden as food can be learnt from this verse (5:3) of the Quran. The coconuts broken in the name of other than Allah, edibles that are offered in reverence in worship to other than Allah, things that are poured over idols in anointing them, Votive offerings in the name of people interred in Dargas, Eatables and non-eatables considered sacred by people after addressing a prayer to those interred in those shrines all constitute ‘Shouted Abouts’ in the name of other than Allah. All the above are to be considered Haram. Except for the four types of foods mentioned in these verses all others are allowed to be eaten by believers the message conveyed here. A doubt in the minds of some may arise whether the meat of animals such as dogs, foxes, donkeys could be eaten? While there are other foods that are banned, why did Allah make a special mention of the particular four types? We need to understand this with clarity. Islamic laws were promulgated for the people step by step. There was a period when no food was forbidden by Allah. Later on, only these four types were banned. At that juncture no other food was forbidden. Later on, clean food was allowed to be eaten and impure forbidden Prophet Muhammad was allowed the power to distinguish between what is clean and what is impure. This can be seen from verses 7:157, 9:29 of the Quran. Hence other than the banned four types of food by the Quran, other foods that was forbidden by Prophet Muhammad to be eaten stands banned in Islam. Along with the foods that were banned by the Quran meat of some other animals were forbidden by Prophet Muhammad This ban also had come from the side of Al-Mighty We need to avoid such foods.
Marine Animals.
There are no marine animals that are forbidden to eat. Not a single marine food has been banned. All marine animals are halal. There is no need to heed the advice of some Muslim religious scholars asking not to eat crabs, sharks, whales. The reason being absence of any such substantiations in the Quran or Hadiths. This being the imagination of these scholars. ‘Hunting on the seas and marine food is allowed for you’ says verse 5:96 of the Quran. He was the One who made you bring round the sea so that you may eat fresh meat from it. Prophet Muhammad declared that naturally dead marine animals in the sea as Halal.
(Hadith Books: Tirmidhee 64, Abu Dawood 76, Ibnu Maaja 380, Nasaaye 59, 330, 4275, Ahmad 6935, 8380, 8557, 8737, 14481, 22017 Muaddah.)
If at all there is a ban on marine food, it should be from Allah or his messenger and nobody has the right to do so. Allah and His messenger had not banned any marine food. But anything that is detrimental to humans is banned in Islam. Likewise, any marine food that is detrimental to humans is doubtlessly banned.
Birds
There is no list of birds that are indicated as halal and haram either in the Quran or the Hadiths. Nevertheless, Prophet Muhammad has broadly categorized in birds that are declared as haram. Prophet Muhammad banned the flesh of birds with nails from being eaten.
Hadith Book: Muslim 3914.
Some people take the meaning of the word ‘miklab’ as nails on the feed of birds. All the birds possess nails on their feet leading to the conclusion that birds cannot be eaten. The actual meaning refers to nails of hunting birds that help them to pick and hold on to their prey. We need to understand that birds hunting with curved nails are forbidden to be eaten. Birds such as eagles, hawks, falcons have curved hunting nails that are used to prey on other living beings. We need to avoid eating these kinds of birds. Though poultry have nails they are used to holding on to insects, worms and carcasses and use their mouth to hunt. Hence except birds with nails for hunting other creatures, others are allowed to be eaten by people.
Animals
As for pigs, it is specifically banned and can be seen in the Quran. Domestic donkey ban can be seen in the hadith. Book Bukhari: 4217, 4215, 4199, 3155, 4218, 4227, 5115, 5522, 5527, 5528.
Other than this to decide on other animals Prophet Muhammad has laid out a few basics in general. Amongst animals Prophet Muhammad banned those with canine teeth. (Book Buhari: 5781, 5530).
Canine teeth are those found on the upper jaw, one on each side. We are forbidden from eating these birds. If we come to understand these fundamentals, we can decide independently on what to eat. As for donkeys, though we do not find canine teeth, it is banned specifically in the Quran, hence the general guidance does not apply. We do not find any message in the Quran or mentions in the hadiths about any ban on insects and worms. We rather find in the hadiths about the companions of Prophet Muhammad having eaten locusts in his presence. There is lots of evidence for this. ‘We along with Prophet Muhammad have consumed locusts while taking part in six or seven battles. (Book Bukhari:5495.) There are poisonous creatures among marine animals and insects and worms. Some may question why we need to eat these, risking our lives. Do not destroy yourselves Al-Quran 2:195. Do not kill yourselves Al-Quran 4:29. These are the words of the Quran, wherein we need to understand that anything bringing harm to oneself is forbidden-Haram. Once we come to know certain plants are poisonous, eating them is forbidden. Snakes, lizards, poisonous marine creatures can be included in this basic list. This criterion applies not only to living organisms but also to plants and other pulses etc. These are the only living organisms that are banned and the rest are allowed to eat. Some of the food allowed to eat may look nauseating to a few, they can avoid such foods. Prophet Muhammad does not prefer flesh of monitor lizard; at the same time, he did not stop anyone from eating the same. Book Bukhari: 2575, 5391, 5400, 5402, 5536, 5537, 7267. These verses also talk about eating banned foods under duress. To know what is meant by ‘under duress’ please refer to Explanations point No; 431.
