Comparative Theology · Common Ground
Pork among the forbidden foods
Handle with care. Christians answer with Acts 10 and Mark 7. Know those passages before raising this.
In short
- 1.Leviticus 11:7-8 forbids the pig by name.
- 2.Deuteronomy 14:8 repeats it.
- 3.Islam did not invent this rule - it retained it.
The claim being examined
Leviticus and Deuteronomy list the pig among animals Israel may not eat.
The Islamic position
Islam keeps the same prohibition, along with blood and carrion.
Analysis
The prohibition is unambiguous in the Torah. Christian abandonment of the food laws is traced to Acts 10 and Paul's letters, a development after Jesus (PBUH), who says in Matthew 5:17 that he came not to abolish the Law.
From the Qur'an
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍۢ وَلَا عَادٍۢ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ
innamā ḥarrama ʿalaykumu l-maytata wal-dama walaḥma l-khinzīri wamā uhilla bihi lighayri l-lahi famani uḍ'ṭurra ghayra bāghin walā ʿādin falā ith'ma ʿalayhi inna l-laha ghafūrun raḥīmun
He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah.
From the Bible
And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat.
Read it in their BibleThe pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat.
Read it in their BibleSources
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