Religion seeks to purify every aspect of human life. Along with the purification of the inner self, it emphasizes on the importance of distinguishing between pure and impure items in food and drink.
Human nature generally offers clear guidance on this matter, with the purification of the inner self, it emphasizes on the importance of distinguishing between pure and eligion seeks to purify every aspect of human life. Along allowing people to instinctively differentiate between what is pure and impure for consumption. Throughout history, humans have recognized that animals like lions, leopards, eagles, crows, vultures, snakes, scorpions, and even humans themselves are not suitable for eating. Similarly, they understand that animals such as elephants, horses, and donkeys are not intended for consump-tion but are instead meant for tasks like riding and utility.
They are also well aware of the impurity of these animals’ feces and urine. Similarly, their intellect typically leads them to the correct understanding of the harmfulness and filthiness of intoxicating substances. For this reason, God’s law has largely entrusted this matter to human nature itself.
Occasionally, human nature may deviate or become corrupted; however, an examination of global dietary practices reveals that the vast majority of people generally make correct distinctions in this matter.
As a result, the Sharia does not extensively regulate this area. Instead, it focuses on specific cases involving animals and their by-products where human reasoning and natural instincts alone are insufficient to determine their permissibility or prohibition.
The pig, while categorized as livestock, also consumes meat like predatory animals, raising the question of whether it should be regarded as edible. Similarly, for animals that are typically slaughtered for consumption, what is their status if they die with-out being slaughtered according to Islamic rites? Should their blood be deemed as impure as their feces and urine, or can it be considered permissible and pure? Additionally, if an animal is slaughtered in the name of anyone other than God, does it remain lawful for consumption?
As it was challenging for humans to provide clear and defin-itive answers to these questions, God Almighty, through His Prophets, revealed that pigs, blood, carrion, and animals slaugh-tered in the name of anyone other than God are impure and must be avoided for consumption.
The explanations given in the Qurʾān regarding this injunction are as follows:
1. Animals that die naturally or perish in sudden accidents are regarded as carrion. Likewise, an animal that has been mauled by a predator is also considered carrion unless it is slaughtered while still alive.
2. If a trained hunting animal kills prey and the prey dies be-fore it can be slaughtered, the act of killing by the trained animal is regarded as its slaughter, making the prey permis-sible to eat without further slaughtering. However, this is only valid if the hunting animal has captured the prey for its owner without consuming any part of it. If the animal has eaten from the prey, the catch becomes unlawful.
3. An animal also becomes unlawful if it is sacrificed at a shrine. Similarly, even if the slaughter was not dedicated to anyone other than God, but God’s name was also not recited over it, it still falls under this prohibition. This also applies to a hunted animal or any slaughtered animal where God’s name was pronounced by someone who either does not believe in God or believes in Him merely as one among other deities, and regards polytheism, in principle, as his religion.
4. The only exception to these prohibitions is in a state of dire necessity, and even then, only to the extent that the person is neither desiring it nor exceeding the limit of necessity.