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Why Did God Create Pigs & Then Forbid Eating Pork?

14 December, 2017
Q Why can't we eat pork? If God created it, doesn't that make it good?

Answer

Short Answer: God has created things which are each good for its own purposes. We don’t have the full wisdom as to why, but there are valid reasons, scientifically: It may be that in ancient societies people did not have the proper cooking and freezing facilities to ensure that the consumption of pork would lead to healthy human beings. Likewise, it’s common sense to avoid eating scavengers which eat anything and everything they find. Don’t forget, too, that if one is forced by circumstances to eat that, of course, we know that the circumstances may actually cause a prohibition to now become a permissible thing.


Asalamu Alaikum,

Thank you for contacting About Islam with your question.

Dr. Shabir Ally from Let the Quran Speak addresses this question in the video below.


Transcript:

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Aisha Khaja: Dr. Shabir, the question that we have today is from a fifteen-year-old who’s asking why would God create pigs, and then deem them not good for consumption?

Dr. Shabir Ally: 

Well, there are a lot of things that God has created that, you know. Some are good for consumption, some are not good for consumption.

And that doesn’t mean to say that God’s plan is not good. God has created things which are each good for its own purposes.

And we don’t know the full reasons for all of God’s creation. And we don’t know the full wisdom for all of His acts.

That’s why we need his guidance because if we are left to our own, we would say, “OK, everything looks good!”

We’d just eat whatever looks good.

But in the Bible and also in the Quran, the consumption of pork is prohibited. And this is for good reason. And we turn only to God.

It may be that in ancient societies people did not have the proper cooking and freezing facilities to ensure that the consumption of pork would lead to healthy human beings. And, perhaps, for that reason, it was prohibited.

Maybe it was also prohibited because the common sense of people leads to the conclusion that pigs are scavengers. They eat all and sundry things.

And so, there is a natural abhorrence for eating the meat that is nourished from all and sundry things.

And one is more inclined to eat from those animals which are, you know, fed and nourished on good rations.

It is a provision that is not in our religion.

And if one is forced by circumstances to eat that, of course, we know that the circumstances may actually cause a prohibition to now become a permissible thing.

But that’s not our situation now. And we have so many things which are halal and permissible to eat. So, we do not have to turn to these things which we know to be prohibited in the Quran.”


I hope this helps answer your question. Please keep in touch.

Walaikum Asalam.


(From AboutIslam’s archives)

Read more…

Why Don’t Muslims Eat Pork? – 3 Reasons

Why is Pork Forbidden in Islam?

Why Should You Avoid Eating Pork?

Why is Pork Forbidden in Islam?

 

About Dr. Shabir Ally
Dr. Shabir Ally holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, with a specialization in Biblical Literature. He also holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Quranic Exegesis. He is the president of the Islamic Information and Dawah Centre International in Toronto where he functions as Imam. He travels internationally to represent Islam in public lectures and interfaith dialogues. He explains Islam on a weekly television program called "Let the Quran Speak". Past episodes of this show can be seen online at: www.quranspeaks.com.