About Halal and Haram...
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Bob: Tell me why is it that a Muslim is very particular about the words Halal and Haram; what do they mean?
Yunus: That which is permissible is termed Halal and that which is not permissible is termed Haram, and it is the Quran which draws the distinction between the two.
Bob: Can you give me an example?
Yunus: Yes, Islam has prohibited blood of any type. You will agree that a chemical analysis of blood shows that it contains an abundance of uric acid, a chemical substance which can be injurious to human health.
Bob: You're right about the toxic nature of uric acid, in the human being it is excreted as a waste product and in fact we are told that 98% of the body's uric acid is extracted from the blood by the kidneys and removed through urination.
Yunus: Now I think that you'll appreciate the special prescribed method of animal slaughter in Islam.
Bob: What do you mean?
Yunus: You see, the wielder of the knife, whilst taking the name of the 'Almighty', makes an incision through the jugular veins, leaving all other veins and organs intact.
Bob: I see, this causes the death of the animal by a total loss of blood from the body, rather than an injury to any vital organ.
Yunus: Yes, were the organs, example the heart, the liver, or the brain crippled or damaged, the animal could die immediately and its blood would congeal in its veins and would eventually permeate the flesh. This implies that the animal flesh would be permeated and contaminated with uric acid and therefore very poisonous; only today did our dietitians realize such a thing.
Bob: Again, while on the topic of food; Why do Muslims condemn the eating of pork or ham or any foods related to pigs or swine.
Yunus: Actually, apart from the Quran prohibiting the consumption of pork, bacon (pig flesh); in fact the Bible too in Leviticus chapter 11, verse 8, regarding swine it says, "of their flesh (of the swine, another name for pig) shall you not eat, and of their carcass you shall not touch; they are unclean to you." Further, did you know that a pig cannot be slaughtered at the neck for it does not have a neck; that is according to its natural anatomy. A Muslim reasons that if the pig was to be slaughtered and fit for human consumption the Creator would have provided it with a neck. Nonetheless, all that aside, I am sure you are well informed about the harmful effects of the consumption of pork, in any form, be it pork chops, ham, bacon.
Bob: The medical science finds that there is a risk for various diseases the pig is found to be a host for many parasites and potential diseases.
Yunus: Yes, even apart from that, as we talked about uric acid content in the blood, it is important to note that the pig's biochemistry excretes only 2% of its total uric acid content, the remaining 98% remains as an integral part of the body. -
Hmmm.. that's certainly interesting.. Tell me, pigs are the only creature in the world with no neck, hence the inability to be slaughtered, hence haram? Are there other creatures? What about dogs? I would love to hear Bob and Yunus talk about dogs.
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Anyway, the Quran doesn't really specify on the exact need for halal and haram, apart from increasing holiness through discipline. The scientific explanations for the need for halal methods of slaughtering are pretty good in lending credence, though.
I've read another interesting article on the methods of slaughtering used in Islam. You can read it in full here: http://www.eat-halal.com/articles/islamicslaughter.shtml
Also, as a side note, the Jews have their own set of dietary laws, known as the kashrut dietary laws. Foods that are allowed are known as 'kosher', while forbidden foods are known as 'traif'. Interestingly, according to some Islamic scholars, kosher food may be consumed in the absence of halal alternatives.
You may want to read more about the comparison between halal and kosher food here:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mjewishislamdiet.html -
god got say dogs not allowed meh?
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Just to add on, I asked before my religious teacher why is there also halal and haram in food. She replied something like this, "Compare that to the bigger picture of your whole physique. Do you think every thought you indulge in is nutritious? Do you think every words you'd like to hear is true? Do you think every sight you see is what it seems to be? Sometimes, you would know when to filter things out.
Now, do you think you can still eat & consume everything, at your own rate and amount without any effect on your body? So thats the spirit of it. Positive discrimination. Watch your food intake!"
Why would you want to kill dogs??!! They are man's best friend.Originally posted by dinky1409:Hmmm.. that's certainly interesting.. Tell me, pigs are the only creature in the world with no neck, hence the inability to be slaughtered, hence haram? Are there other creatures? What about dogs? I would love to hear Bob and Yunus talk about dogs.
Dogs are cool as pets. 
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No not kill dogs hehe, but why can't we touch dogs? Why is it haram? Is there any scientific reasonings behind it?
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does seafoods (squids, fish, crabs & etc.) need to be halal?
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Can you quote scientific references for these assertions? As a medical practitioner, I am not aware of this. Uric acid is a waste product certainly and excessive amounts lead to the condition known as gout. It is the consumption of red meats rich in purines that lead to high uric acid levels. Purines are a constitutent of nucleic acids and uric acids are the breakdown products. All red meats such as beef, lamb, pork and internal organs rich in DNA such as liver and kidney are rich in purines. There is no scientific correlation with the type of animals as far as I am aware. Certain vegetables such as beans also constitute a rich source of purines.Originally posted by Master -_-:This implies that the animal flesh would be permeated and contaminated with uric acid and therefore very poisonous; only today did our dietitians realize such a thing.....
Bob: The medical science finds that there is a risk for various diseases the pig is found to be a host for many parasites and potential diseases.
Yunus: Yes, even apart from that, as we talked about uric acid content in the blood, it is important to note that the pig's biochemistry excretes only 2% of its total uric acid content, the remaining 98% remains as an integral part of the body.
(http://www.uspharmacist.com/index.asp?page=ce/105135/default.htm)(
Pigs are certainly hosts for a number of parasites, but so are cattle and sheep. Even household pets like dogs and cats are the hosts of parasites such as toxoplasma and toxocara. Of course the latest risk is avian flu virus in birds..
But I do not see the need for scientific justification for a religious doctrine. Faith and science are two separate matters...[/b] -
As far as I know, there are no restrictions on seafood, as per the following verse in the Quran:Originally posted by augleo:does seafoods (squids, fish, crabs & etc.) need to be halal?
“To hunt and to eat the food of the sea is made lawful for you, a provision for you and the seafarers…” (Al-Ma’idah (The Table) 5:96) -
Originally posted by oxford mushroom:
Medical practitioner or not, i dun care
Can you quote scientific references for these assertions? As a medical practitioner, I am not aware of this. Uric acid is a waste product certainly and excessive amounts lead to the condition known as gout. It is the consumption of red meats rich in purines that lead to high uric acid levels. Purines are a constitutent of nucleic acids and uric acids are the breakdown products. All red meats such as beef, lamb, pork and internal organs rich in DNA such as liver and kidney are rich in purines. There is no scientific correlation with the type of animals as far as I am aware. Certain vegetables such as beans also constitute a rich source of purines.
(http://www.uspharmacist.com/index.asp?page=ce/105135/default.htm)(
Pigs are certainly hosts for a number of parasites, but so are cattle and sheep. Even household pets like dogs and cats are the hosts of parasites such as toxoplasma and toxocara. Of course the latest risk is avian flu virus in birds..
But I do not see the need for scientific justification for a religious doctrine. Faith and science are two separate matters...[/b]
i just copy and paste for the enjoyment (read: enjoyment) of people