Muslims are disgusted when they see Christians eating pork. Even seeing a pig repulses them. Muslim food laws are similar to the food laws Moses gave Israel. Pork was clearly forbidden in the Taurat:
“Pigs have hoofs that are separated completely in two. But they do not chew the cud. So they are not ‘clean’ for you. You must not eat the meat of those animals. You must not even touch their dead bodies. They are not ‘clean’ for you” (Taurat, Leviticus 11:7-8).
Pork, an Abomination to God
The Quran, possibly influenced by the Taurat, also prohibits pork. “He has . . . forbidden you . . . blood, and flesh of swine . . .” (Qs 2:173).
What’s the Difference between Civil Law and Moral Law?
The Taurat has several types of laws: religious laws, moral laws and civil laws. Moral law is universal. For example, “You shall not steal” applies to all people everywhere. Civil law varies from country to country and age to age, e.g. traffic regulations. The same is true of religious law.
One of Israel’s religious laws forbade eating pork. It was common for the pagan tribes to offer a pig as a sacrifice to their idols. The pig was also very filthy. Eating pork caused terrible diseases to spread.
Israel-A Chosen Nation for a Special Purpose
Religious laws separated Israel from the surrounding pagan countries. They showed that Israel served the one true God. Israel was to be a constant reminder to the rest of the world that God had set them apart from other nations for a very special reason.
Why was Israel so special? Why did God choose them? Because Isa Al-Masih, the Kalimat Allah, would come into the world through Israel.
Isa Al-Masih Pointed out to Religious Leaders the True Source of Evil
Unfortunately, during Isa Al-Masih’s ministry on earth, many Israelites had lost sight of the purpose of the civil law. They started thinking that keeping religious laws made them holy. They thought religious law was more important than moral law. Men used the religious law to make their own version of holiness.Isa corrected them.
Isa Al-Masih spoke against this wrong use of the religious law: “Don’t you understand?” Jesus asked. “Don’t you see? Nothing that enters people from the outside can make them ‘unclean.’” … He went on to say, “What comes out of people makes them ‘unclean.’ Evil thoughts come from the inside, from people’s hearts. So do sexual sins, stealing … being proud and being foolish. All those evil things come from inside a person. They make him ‘unclean'” (Injil, Mark 7:18-23).
Pork and Holiness
Eating pork does not make us unholy! We are all unholy, even if we never eat pork. We will not be kept out of heaven because of what we did or did not eat. What makes us unholy is that we are sinful. The things we do are a result of what is inside our hearts, which is sin. Our sin keeps us from God and heaven. The only way we can be made holy is by accepting Isa Al-Masih’s sacrifice for our sin.
Food Laws from the Taurat No Longer Valid
The Lord commanded the Apostle Peter “to eat certain animals” that were listed as “unclean” in the Taurat. The story is told in detail in the Injil: “He [Peter] saw heaven open up. There he saw something that looked like a large sheet… It had all kinds of four-footed animals in it… Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘No, Lord! I will not!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that is not pure and clean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not say anything is not pure that God has made clean’” (Acts 10:11-15).
The food laws that separated Jews from non-Jews, such as eating pork, were no longer valid. God cancelled them. By doing this, He reminds us that He is mainly concerned with our inward appearance, not our outward appearance. What is on the inside makes us evil, not what is on the outside.
When comparing the Taurat and the Injil, one must look to see if the law in the Taurat is given again in the Injil. Laws which are not repeated in the Injil are no longer valid. The law about pork is revoked in the Injil!
Avoiding Pork Does Not Make Us Holy
A person’s deeds cannot make him holy. Avoiding pork or keeping other laws does not make a person good. Allah is perfect. We are not! Nothing we do on our own good enough to get us into heaven. Allah cannot allow anything unholy, pork eaters or non-pork eaters into heaven.
The Prophet David said, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all people. He wants to see if there are any who understand. He wants to see if there are any who trust in God. All of them have turned away. They have all become evil. No one does anything good, no one at all” (Psalms [Zabur] 14:2-3). This means that both people who eat pork and people who do not eat pork are evil.
The only way a person can be made holy and get into heaven is through Isa Al-Masih. “But now God has shown us how to become right with him. The Law and the Prophets give witness to this. It has nothing to do with obeying the law. We are made right with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. That happens to all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22).
[We invite you to visit us at https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation to learn more about God’s gift of Salvation. God loves you and waits to hear from you. Isa Al-Masih said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). For a deeper understanding of Isa we suggest you subscribe to “Isa, Islam, and Al-Fatiha” at this link.]
Questions to Comment On:
The Staff at Isa and Islam invites your comments. Please respond to the following questions:
1. What is the difference between moral law and civil law?
2. Why is it okay to eat pork now?
3. What is the only way we can be made holy?
If you have a question regarding this article, please contact us by clicking this link.
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Pigs eat everything, including their own feces That is why they are considered dirty and should not be eaten. Also these animals have sex with each other, and are just disgusting in general. We do not need a holy book to remind us of pigs, common sense should be sufficient.
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Muhammed Flaifil,
Respectfully, I know many Muslims who eat seafood, including prawns.
This animal is considered unclean in Judaism because it’s excretory organ is inside the shell and can be cooked with it, and often is. How do you explain that if you are so against eating pork for the reason you stated – “pigs eat their own feces”?
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Muhammed Flaifil,
It is dirty. However, eating pork does not make us sin. What makes us sin is our dirty heart. [b]”‘Don’t you understand?’ Jesus asked. ‘Don’t you see? Nothing that enters people from the outside can make them ‘unclean.” … He went on to say, ‘What comes out of people makes them ‘unclean.’ Evil thoughts come from the inside, from people’s hearts. So do sexual sins, stealing … being proud and being foolish. All those evil things come from inside a person. They make him ‘unclean” [/b](Injil, Mark 7:18-23).
All human beings sin. The only way humans can be right with God is to repent and follow the way. Isa is the way, the truth, and the life (Injil, John 14:6). They need to accept Isa as the sacrifice that cleanses them of their sin. To learn more about how you can be cleansed of your sin, please go to https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation/salvation-according-to-the-qur-an-and-the-injil.html
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A comment was accidentally deleted, so here it is:
Ahmed () — 2013-06-13 20:03
Is eating pork mentioned in the Injil?
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Dear Ahmed,
Not to eat pork is under the civil law and it is mentioned in the Taurat in the book of Leviticus 11:7-8. It was forbidden for Israelites to eat or even touch pork. This law was to protect Israel from terrible diseases. It was very common for pagans to serve pigs as sacrifice during that time, therefore God set them apart so other nations would see that they are chosen to be holy.
Although Isa does not specifically mention pork in the Injil, He does state that things that “enter” a person (ie, food) do not make a person haram (Mark 7:18). In other words, eating pork is ok, because it will not make you unclean.
Eating pork, along with other foods Jews considered unclean, is also discussed more specifically in Acts. [b]“He [Peter] saw heaven open up. There he saw something that looked like a large sheet… It had all kinds of four-footed animals in it… Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘No, Lord! I will not!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that is not pure and clean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not say anything is not pure that God has made clean’”[/b] (Acts 10:11-15). We can assume that pigs were one of the impure animals on the sheet, especially since pork was such a common food.
God made pigs, and all other animals that were at one point unclean, clean! In the same way that God made these animals clean, He makes us clean by taking our sin away through the sacrifice of Isa. To learn more about this, go to: https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation/the-divine-way.html
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To understand what the bible means, you need to read the entire book. You will find that the bible explains itself. Jesus did not abolish this law. People did, as they always misread and misunderstand. Jesus kept the Jewish law. If He did not, then Jesus would have sinned, and He was sinless.
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One can’t understand the whole meaning of the Bible by studying it quickly. Studying the Bible means more than simply reading it. We need to make serious plans to study consistently. We also need references from other sources because since the time of the Bible’s composition and the modern age there have been many cultures and a long span of time. Fully studying the Bible would take a person a life-time.
I agree with you, though, that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Injil, Matthew 5:17). By dying, He didn’t just fulfill the sacrificial system, but also fulfilled every law. He was obedient in offering His life for the penalty and curse of the law for all people.
Y/J
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The articles here portray the Christian point of view. I suggest you involve learned Muslims to tackle issues here.
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Chaiwone,
We clearly state in our “About Us” section that we are followers of Isa Al-Masih, and therefore that is our viewpoint. https://www.isaandislam.com/About-Us/about-us.html
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Did Jesus eat pork? The Bible does not mention Jesus eating pork. Jesus is a Muslim.
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Dear Ahmad,
The Bible does not tell us whether or not Jesus ate pork. However, Jesus was a Jew who was under the Moral and Civil Mosaic Laws, as described in the article.
But eating or not eating food does not make one holy. Only the blood of Jesus purifies us. [b]”The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.”[/b](1 John 1:7).
This testimony tells a little more about that: https://www.isaandislam.com/testimonies/god-s-love-for-a-muslim-girl.html
Y/J
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This is just another way of telling us that Muslims are wrong, and using Allah to misguide us through the article.
The pig is the most unclean animal, biologically and scientifically proven, and will corrupt your body and mind. You have to follow certain rules in any religion. Are you telling me that you can sin as much as you want? And then poof, just say I believe in Christ and I will enter heaven. You must be joking. Even Christ himself must be disappointed in your understanding of salvation.
Where in the Injil does Jesus say that what enters your body is not haram? Jesus never said this with his mouth. What we see is Mark. We cannot take his word as gospel. He was a disciple and his writings are not the Injil. Accordingly,e pork remains haram even by Christian standards and Bible (Injil).
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Mnm,
Eating pork is not sin. It is what comes out of the mouth that might result in sin. Don’t you agree with me?
Pork is just like any other food in that when we eat too much, it’ll affect your health. I’ve found health research that pork has less calories is beef.
Also, neither Jesus nor Muhammad wrote the Books. Both were written by others. The Bible was written by men who were inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, the Quran was written by Muhammad’s friends. By pointing to this issue to underestimate the Bible, you also point to “yourself” with the same result.
Y/J
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The Taurat and the Injil are the Word of Allah, revealed by the angel Gabriel to Moses and Isa Al-Masih (may peace be upon them). It was only assembled by people. But the Bible is written by the disciples. And to err is to be human. So it can’t be flawless and it’s not divine.
The Quran is the same. It was revealed to Muhammad (may peace be upon him) by Gabriel and was assembled into a book by his companions. It is flawless as it is the word of Allah.
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Samran,
Thank you for your comment above.
The Taurat was given by God himself through Moses. You are right that the Injil was written by Isa’s disciples. But they wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, [b]”All Scripture is God-breathed…”[/b]
Because the Bible is from God and God’s Word (divinity), it’s flawless and perfect. For further information please go to: https://www.isaandislam.com/The-Bible/should-muslims-trust-the-bible.html
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Qs 5:46:
[b]”Subsequent to them, we sent Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, confirming the previous scripture, the Tawrat. We gave him the Injil (Gospel), containing guidance and light, and confirming the previous scriptures, the Tawrat, and augmenting its guidance and light, and to enlighten the righteous.”[/b]
According to the Holy Qur’an, all Muslims must believe in and know the earlier authentic books because it is called the word of Allah. These books are a “light and guidance” to fully understand Islam and humanity.
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Stefan,
Thank you for your comment.
The Bible which consists of the Taurat, Zabur and Injil indeed bring the guidance and light. The Bible also guides us to Allah’s Signs which are also mentioned in the Quran (Qs 5:47).
What are the Signs? One of them is the sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim’s son (Qs 37:102; Taurat, Genesis 22:2). As he was about to sacrifice his son, Allah stopped him and provided His own animal sacrifice to take the place of Ibrahim’s son (Qs 37:106-107; Genesis 22:12-13). This sign pointed to Isa dying as Allah’s lamb. He became sin atonement of human kind. For more information about this sign, please go to: https://www.isaandislam.com/muslim-beliefs/hidden-meaning-in-the-eid-al-adha-sacrifice.html
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Leviticus 11:7 says swine is haram because it has two nails that split. But Christian priests did not declare swine unlawful for Christians.
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Halaby,
The Israelites were commanded not to eat swine and this rule was under the Civil Law. As explained above, the purpose of the Civil Law was to set the Israelites apart from all other nations. They were to be different from all other people of the earth because they worshiped the one true God. Also, they were not to adopt the practices of the idolatrous worship around them.
By the time when Isa Al-Masih lived, this Civil Law had become a mere sign of holiness. The people had become hypocrites, only pretending to be holy, while their hearts were evil. Isa saw how they were abusing the Civil Law. Thus, He declared all food clean for the purpose of exposing their hypocrisy and refocusing on the true holiness of the heart.
Isa declared it permissible to eat all food (Injil, Mark 7:14-19). The Quran quotes Jesus as saying, [b]“And (I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful some of that which was forbidden unto you”[/b] (Qs 3:50).
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Dear friends,
This is my answer: Moral law is the law that shows people how to have good morals, such as do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, etc.
Yes, if you drink alcohol and it makes you drunk and because of that, you kill or hurt others, drinking alcohol is illegitimate.
The fullness of the Holy Spirit from Isa Al-Masih is gentleness, love, patience, joy, peace, kindness, and self-control. The only way to be holy is from inside your heart, not from the outside, like washing your ear, legs, eyes, and face by water. This does not make one become holy. Holiness must come from inside and then out. Only by inviting Isa into your life can you be holy.
Jesus loves you all.
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Hi Fanny,
Thank you for your good comment. I agree with you that holiness should come from the inside our our heart. We need to invite Jesus/ Isa to come into our heart to make us holy. Blessings.
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Pigs, indeed, eat everything but it depends on the way you feed them, like with any other animal. But are poultry, chickens not omnivores and not forbidden by religious rules?
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Eugene,
Because Isa rose from the dead, we don’t need to keep religious obligations anymore to be right with God. Isa did this for us when He died and rose from the dead, once and for all.
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Dear All,
This is the first time I ever saw a site like this and this it is very refreshing to me. I am clueless about Muslims and everything about them and now I am learning from this one.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Savior!
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Jen,
We are glad that you find this website beneficial. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to write us a comment.
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1- Pigs are filthy and impure animals. Islam expressly prohibits the consumption of any pork product. Does the bible express permission to its consumption? (no assumptions or implying! )
2- Jesus /Isa is not God, Jesus is a servant of God just like Adam (Adam was created without a father or mother, at least Jesus had one parent)
3- Jesus is highly esteemed prophet and messenger of God, and as the Muslims, we acknowledge and love him so much.
4- “Therefore (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him a right, He expands his breast for Islam, and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to err, He makes his breast strait and narrow as though he were ascending upwards; thus does Allah lay uncleanness (Rijs) on those who
do not believe” (Qs 6:125).
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Yes, it’s true. Eating pork/ swine was forbidden, yet as Isa came, it’s no longer forbidden, because what made our heart impure is not from our food yet what comes from our heart. [b]’“…”Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.”(In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)”'[/b] (Injil, Mark 7:18-23)
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I am a Muslim and I don’t eat pork but I work with a company as pork butcher because there is no work in Italy anymore. I really want to know if is there no problem with that.
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Awal,
From the Bible point of view, touching or eating pork doesn’t make us impure or pure, but what comes out of us that matters.
[quote name=”Awal Tijani”]`
I am a Muslim and I don’t eat pork but I work with a company as pork butcher because there is no work in Italy anymore. I really want to know if is there no problem with that.[/quote]
Dear Awal Tijani,
Of course there is no problem with eating pork. It will not endanger your soul. Moreover it will be good for your body, except if you eat it too much. We need to take care of our spirit/soul. What can endanger your soul is sin.
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Fany,
Yes, you are right that pork can’t make our heart defiled, but sin. Spiritual problems should be dealt spiritually, not physically. Also, sin can’t be dealt alone by our own strength. We need God who is holy to help us. Get more explanation through this link: https://www.isaandislam.com/Isa-Al-Masih/are-you-a-muslim-carrying-a-load-of-sin-there-is-help.html.