The Islamic Bulletin Volume XX No. 26 Page 29 ISLAMIC DIETARY LAWS a chemical substance which can be injurious to human health. 98% of the body’s uric acid is extracted from the blood by the kidneys and removed through urination. 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. 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. Plus as everyone knows that swine (pig) eats its own excretion, which means that of all the uric acid and the other waste products excreted, most of it goes back inside again. Read The Labels The law requires that food manufacturers provide ingredient information on the food labels. That makes our job easier. All we need is to read the labels carefully. To be sure, ingredient labels are not the most readable part of many food packages, and they may not always contain sufficient information to determine the Halal status of a product. But reading food ingredient labels is the first essential step in that direction. As you read the labels, especially look for the following ingredients. Bakery and Cereal Products Look for these in all bakery and cereal products: Gelatin, mono- and di-glycerides, animal shortening, whey. In cereals look for marshmallows. (They contain gelatin) Fruits and Vegetables Additives and preservatives may be added in the preparation of processed and canned fruits and vegetables. Look for: Gelatin, monoand di-glyceride, cheeses, alcohol or wine. Candies Look for: Animal fat, gelatin, alcohol, whey, glycerol, glycerine, and marshmallows. Meet The Suspects Now that we have learned how to spot the suspect ingredients on a food label, here is more information that will help us decide whether these ingredients can be considered Halal or non-Halal. Lard Lard is a saturated fat obtained from swine (pigs], particularly from the abdominal cavity of the animal. Any food containing lard is completely Haram. Mono- and di-glycerides Mono-glyceride and di-glyceride are lipid (fat) molecules used as emulsifiers in shortening, bakery, and dairy products. These may be manufactured from vegetable oils, beef fat, lard, or marine oils. Therefore, Muslims should stick to labels saying vegetable or marine mono- and di-glvcerides. Shortening Shortening is a blend of fat and/or oil. If the label simply says ‘shortening’, stay away from it; it may even be lard. When the label says ‘vegetable shortening’ without listing all the vegetable sources or adding, the words “pure” or “100%”. Even 1% lard will make it 100% haram. Enzymes Enzymes are a protein substance found and formed in all living cells that bring about chemical reactions inside or outside of the body. Enzymes can be extracted from animal sources, calves and pigs. Vegetable enzymes are okay. When In Doubt Remember, you can always look for the symbols K or U which is Halal (but not on alcoholic items). Absolutely no pork and if unsure choose vegetable ingredients. Why Bother? In a way, the life of a Muslim revolves around the concept of Halal. He or she must earn income from Halal sources, be involved only in Halal transactions, and eat Halal food. In every walk of life, staying away from Haram is a lifelong struggle. It is obvious that Muslims should seek an education and training for their children that will well prepare them for this. Education of Muslim children can not be complete if it fails to inculcate in them a strong faith in the superiority of Halal practices. PORK AND ITS HARMFUL EFFECTS Pork-prohibited in Qur’an The Qur’an prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different places. Quran 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115. He has only forbidden you carrion, blood and pork and what has been consecrated to other than Allah. But anyone who is forced to eat it-without desiring it or going to excess in it-commits no crime. Allah is EverForgiving, Most Merciful . (Qur’an, 2:173) Pork prohibited in the Bible The Bible prohibits the consumption of pork, “You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.” Leviticus 11:7-8 Pork is also prohibited in the book of Deuteronomy, “Thou shall not eat of the swine nor shall you touch its dead carcasses.” Deuteronomy 14:8 Eating pork is harmful to health in a great many regards. This harm still persists today, despite all the precautions that are taken. First and foremost, no matter how clean the farms and environments on which it is raised may be, the pig is not by nature a cleanliving animal. It often plays in, and even eats, its own excrement. Due to this and its biological structure, the pig produces much higher levels of antibodies in its body than other animals. In addition, far higher levels of growth hormone are produced in the pig compared to those in other animals and human beings. Naturally, these high levels of antibodies and growth hormone pass across to and collect in the pig’s muscle tissue. Pork meat also contains high levels of cholesterol and lipids. It has been scientifically proven that these significant amounts of antibodies, hormones, cholesterol and lipids in pork represent a serious threat to human health. Eating of pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases. A person can have various Helminthes, like roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc. One of the most dangerous is Taenia Solium, which in a layman’s terminology is called tapeworm. It harbours in the intestine and is very long. Its ova i.e. eggs, enter the blood stream and can reach almost all the organs of the body. If it enters the brain it can cause memory loss. If it enters the heart it can cause heart attack and if it enters the eye it can cause blindness. If it enters the liver it can cause liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of the body. Another dangerous helminthes is Taenia Tichurasis. A common misconception about pork is that if it is cooked well, these ova die. In a research project undertaken in America, it was found that out of 24 people suffering from Taenia tichurasis, 22 had cooked the pork very well. This indicates that the ovas present in the pork do not die under normal cooking temperature. When exposed to excessive quantities of growth hormone as a result of a pork-based diet, the human body first puts on excessive weight and then suffers physical deformations. Islam has prohibited blood of any type. A chemical analysis of blood shows that it contains an abundance of uric acid,
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