By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Shaykh Nasir Makarim Shirazi
& Ayatullah Ja’far Subhani
Question: What is the harm in eating pork, that Islam has prohibited it, whereas Christians consume it with delight?
Answer: The present age has realized that pork has many unimaginable dangerous effects. One who eats pork is affected in a dangerous way. It is also bad from the ethical point of view, which comes into existence with the Hormones, and also many more health matters. Here we will point to one harm, a disease called Trichinosis; whose cure has not been found and it is interesting to know that whatever you are going to read below is an article from an American research center which was sent to us through Dr. Muhammad Gufrani.
A dangerous disease caused by pork
The doctors of Health centers have received reports from patients who have trichinosis and now this report shows that this disease has spread a great deal and the incidence of this in the society is much more than it was thought.
Trichinosis is a common disease caused due to a small hair-like worm, which itself is a type of earthworm. This worm lives in pigs and other animals. It is possible that those who give milk to their young ones, by eating pork may contract this disease. But in this case human beings are more prone to this disease. For example bear by eating the intestine of the pig gets this disease and hunters who use the meat of bear also get this disease.
Generally when a person eats meat that is not cooked properly he gets infected by this disease. No one can say surely that pork used by him was properly cooked as now also we see the incidence of those who are using it. Before consuming pork, it was prepared with some ingredients to remain safe from the worms, the writer of the article has pointed towards it in the end.
From the above said article we come to know that two and half crore people are ingesting these worms into their body. Only one group from them has been diagnosed, but there are thousands of incidences, which are not known to the doctors.
It is expected that two and half crore people are infected with this disease and 16,000 have publicly announced their illness, from which 5% have died due to the severity.
What Is The Difference Between Perspiration And Urine?
Question: Urine and perspiration, both are released from the body which is in excess, then why one of it is najis and the other pure? Whereas, it is said that both have similar chemical composition?
Answer: We should keep in mind that though both urine and perspiration similar in chemical composition in some aspects, they are also different in some aspects and it is possible that due to their difference in some chemicals two different commands are given about them. Because as we shall see there is a poisonous substance in urine which is absent in perspiration. We shall explain it as follows:
The following things are present in Urine:
Urea Calcium
Uric acid Potassium
Creatinine Phosphate
Ammonia Sulphates
Sodium Chloride
Whereas the components of perspiration are much less: Incidentally perspiration that comes out from the pores of the skin soon evaporates, and this evaporation stops the growth of bacteria on the skin, whereas it is very much possible that different types of bacteria remain in urine. On this basis it is understood why Islam has considered perspiration pure and urine impure. Its reasons are as follows:
(1) The colored matter which is present in the chemical composition of urine, in it the poison is much more than in perspiration and such a substance is not present in perspiration.
(2) The urea in urine, which has poison in it, is much more than urea in perspiration.
(3) As perspiration evaporates from the skin, it doesn’t leave any scope for growth of bacteria.
(4) From many aspects the density of urine is more than that of perspiration. It may be ten times denser than perspiration. That is the reason that one is harmful and the other harmless.
It is very difficult to avoid perspiration and it will create a lot of difficulties, whereas it is not difficult to control urinating, and this itself is a difference between them.
Why An Unbeliever Is Impure?
Question: What is the ogic behind the Islamic point of view that followers of other religions and in short the Kuffar are impure and they cannot keep social contacts with Muslims although in cleanliness they are ahead of some Muslims?
Apparently it is wrong to reply that mixing with disbelievers might misguide a Muslim and with their discussion and sayings they might deviate the Muslims and boycotting them would bring them towards Islam. This should be removed as Islam is the religion of broad-minded, it is a religion in which eyes and ears are closed.
Answer: Firstly it is true that Islam is broad-minded faith and not of where eyes and ears are closed, but if the purpose is that Islam belongs to only one group, then naturally it is not so because Islam is the religion of the whole mankind and if the purpose is that broad minded and intellectuals are more acquainted with Islam, then it is true. But this cannot become its proof that Islam turns a nelson’s eye towards people with less knowledge or educated people and should not consider their state.
Now we are coming towards the real question. As it has been pointed unbelievers are unclean by a type of spiritual impurity, whose body is also unclean and they are impure, it is to protect the beliefs of people, who very soon accept the effects of others and get strayed and this is not something new. Preachers have always recommended to the common people to keep away from polluted and strayed people and after all Islam has announced that unbelievers are impure.
We do consider that Islam under certain conditions gives the permission for economic, business relations but has not given the permission for eating together or in other words Islam wants that Muslims may keep relations with them and make profit and side by side remain protected from their beliefs and ethics, which can reach to the people while intermingling with them.
Here it should be not misunderstood. We are not saying this that broad minded and educated people, who do not fear that by socializing with the unbelievers there will be no danger of going astray, or spoil their ethics, they can stay with them completely and are exempted from the above rule. No, it is not like that.
The orders of Islam do not have any special angle for anyone and to be sure that the limits of Shariat are protected. It is necessary that for the generalization of this order be maintained, because if it is not like that, then every person will assume himself to be educated and maintain relations with unbelievers and the laws and orders of the Shariat will be subverted. (Think for a while.)
Many unbelievers do not refrain from impure things like blood, pork and alcoholic drinks; and naturally their whole life is unclean. To remain keep from those impurities Islam has announced that they are najis, so that those Muslims who by intermingling with them have the possibility of becoming impure may remain safe.