407. Prohibition on eating pork. 

Through verses (2:173, 5:3, 6:145, 16:115) of the Quran the Almighty prohibits men from eating pork

The reason for this ban is not explained either in the Quran or in the sayings of Prophet Muhammad.

Some cite the reason, being the pig consumes human waste 

If the basis for the ban is cited as above, then there are many creatures like the cow and the foul that do the same.

And moreover, if the reason cited is as above, there are pigs that are raised in farms that do not eat human waste, but are still banned.

Hence the reason for ban on pork is not based on eating habits of the animal but something else.

Generally excess fat in our food is detrimental to our health especially for those with heart diseases. 

Those with heart ailments are advised to refrain from eating beef and mutton.

100 grams of mutton contains 17 grams of fat and 5 grams of fat is found in 100 grams of beef, but pork contains 50 grams of fat in 100 grams of meat.

A meat containing half its amount of fat cannot be a good food.

Cattle in general have sweat glands producing sweat that is excreted along with unwanted fluids through pores in their skins, thus bringing down the temperature within their bodies.

But the pigs do not have sweat glands in them. Humans normally can withstand a temperature of 40°C and other cattle can hold on to withstanding a heat of much higher intensity. But pigs cannot withstand heat above 29°C, the reason being the absence of sweat glands. This is the reason the pig keeps keeling itself in damp slush when the temperature goes above 29°C to bring down its body temperature.

Pigs act as hosts to the tapeworms, that get embedded in their flesh, and are not killed with any high amount of heat while cooking The world of medicine has discovered that nearly 66 diseases such as brain fever, swine flu, yellow fever, inflammation of the heart etc. are connected with these tapeworms found embedded in the flesh of the pigs.

People living in Islamic countries for whom pork is prohibited are found less susceptible by 5% to inflammation of heart diseases than their counterparts in European countries where pork is freely eaten.

Due to the above cited various reasons pork has been prohibited in Islam.

406. The technology to keep food fresh. 

Verse (2:259) of the Quran narrates an incident and tells the person in there, ‘We made you a testimony to men’

In verses of the Quran, where the Almighty cites evidence for men, it can be widely seen as facts regarding predictions, scientific truths, or matters relating to science hidden in them.

The person cited in this incident travels accompanied by a donkey taking along with him some food. 

During this journey The Almighty gives death to them at a certain place and they remain still for a hundred years, while the man and the donkey were dead and reduced to decomposed bones, the food that was carried by the man remains fresh even after a period of a hundred years.

What kind of testimony does ‘The Almighty’ provide to men through this incident? 

The food and water carried by the person remains fresh though lying close to the dead and putrefied man and the dead donkey.

This verse conveys a predictive message that a protective layer can be created as in a refrigerator.

Since a predictive built-in message is found in this verse requiring man to delve into a technology (a know-how) through the words ‘We have provided evidence for you’.

405. Remarriage of women who lose their husbands.

In verse (2:240) of the Quran it is being said the widowed women may continue to live in the house of the husband, and not be sent out by the family of the husband, this should have been testified by the husband when he was alive, by executing a death will.

This was later changed in verse 4:12 of the Quran as saying the widowed wife receives 25% of the property of the deceased husband, is childless, and 12.5% if has children, by this Islam this grants the widow a life independent of the husband’s household after getting the due share from the late husband’s property.

Though the widow is entitled to stay back in the house of the dead husband, she is free to move out if she finds it an impediment in to look for ways for her remarriage, can be seen from the phrase ‘to decide their bright future’.

During the period when the very question of existense of soul in women was debated, Islam established the right to property and right to remarriage in women.

404. Men conversing with women who remain in Iddah.

 Islam says, women who lose their husbands are required to defer their remarriage for a period of four months and ten days from the death of the husband, and restrict themselves in decorating and adornments.

Please refer to point No;69 of this explanation book.)Some Muslims impose unislamic restrictions of women during this period.

Such foolish and blind beliefs are imposed on them like restricting them to dark rooms, and not permitting them to even look at their male blood relations, not allowing them to even meet male children, and not giving a chance to encounter a pregnant woman on an assumption she may carry a male child.

This verse (2:235) of Quran sounds the death knell for such stupid and blind beliefs.

This verse clearly says that during this period of Iddah the widow can talk to alien men except talks about promising remarriage. And also talks that are allowed as per Islamic ethics are permitted. 

Please refer to points 69, 260, 424, to know more about this subject.

403. The right of women to choose a husband.

There are instances where the parents of a girl forcefully get her married to men of their dislike. This situation continues even in the present 21^st century, but Islam has conferred this right on women in the 6^th century itself.

Similar to the right of men to choose their wives, the women also have their own rights to choose a husband. When a girl chooses a husband within the ambit of Islam the parents are not to deny the right of such daughters, and not force them to do things against their wishes clearly declare the verses (2:234, 4:19).

Prophet Muhammad has made it imperative to take the consent of the girl before solemnizing the marriage. Prophet Muhammad has also shown us the way to cancel a marriage that has been solemnized without the girl’s consent. (Bukhari 5139, 6945, 6969) 

Islam has provided security to the girls in such a way that the girls do not get duped and they express their consent through the father or their male siblings or through the local jamaat. In the same way when the girl does not violate Islamic ethics, and at the same time choose her husband herself, the parents are not to stand in the way of her getting married to that particular person.

402. The right of women to divorce husbands.

Islam requires men to divorce their wives only after making adequate arrangements for them in the best they can afford. (Please refer to point no, 74). 

Verse (2:229) of the Quran says those women who dislike their husbands can go in for separation with them, by paying the required compensation due to them.

Similar to rights granted to men to divorce their wives, the women are also entitled to get rid of their husbands if they dislike them. 

Some scholars, having misunderstood this verse of the Quran, say women can get divorced from their husbands only after paying their due compensation to their husbands. 

They cite the phrase found in the verse ‘there is no harm in getting separated from her, when she pays an adequate compensation to him’.

This does not mean the wife pay as much as the husband demands, but returns the dower she received from him at the time of marriage between them, this can be observed by going through the verse from the beginning. ‘You (men) are not to take back whatever was given to them in marriage’ can be found in the initial words of the verse.

When a demand for divorce arises from the wife’s side, what was prohibited in the first few words of the verse is permitted in the later part of the verse.

It says, the husband when divorcing his wife should not claim back the dower given to her on marriage.

While the same can be reclaimed by the husband if the wife demands divorce is the message conveyed through this verse (2:229) of the Quran. And it also does not mean the husband can claim more than that was given to the wife at the time of marriage.

Prophet Muhammad has also ruled on the basis of this concept in cases relating to marital disputes. (Bukhari:5273). 

To know more about divorce in Islam, please refer to points 66, 69, 70, 74, 386, 424 in these explanations.

401. The right to forgive a murderer.

In verse (2:178) of the Quran it is being said the heirs of the murdered person can forgive the murderer.

The murderer of a person should be awarded death sentence is the criminal law procedure in Islam. 

But if the heirs of the murdered persons desire to forgive him, he can be saved from such a punishment. 

But the murderer needs to adequately financially compensate the murdered’s family. Even if a single member of the murdered person’s family desires to forgive the murderer he does not face the death sentence. 

This can be understood from the phrase in this verse of the Quran ‘But whoever overlooks from his brother anything’ meaning any part of the heirs wishing to overlook the crime and desire to forgive the murderer, he is saved from execution and the compensation money needs to be paid to the heirs of the murdered.    The word ‘anything’ in this phrase refers to something small,(i.e.) for example if there were ten heirs for the murdered person, even if one is ready to forgive the murderer, he gets absolved of the murder by paying a financial compensation as demanded by the family of the murdered person. We observe many countries, that have death penalty as punishment for murders committed, have granted the power to forgive the murderer to the president of the country.

When a peron is killed, murdered, the ones affected are his family members. Only they can feel the pain, the difficulties,and the anxiety of his absence. Hence the right to forgive should rest with only those who are affected. Granting such a right to the president of a country who is not affected in any way, amounts to a great injustice.

When a person who’s father has been murdered is awaiting justice, it is very unbecoming for the president of the country pardoning the murderer of is own accord.

This intelligent and justifiable law is found in these verses of the Quran.

400. Safa , Marva.

In this verse (2:158) of the Quran it is being said ‘There is no harm in circumambulating the mounts of Safa and Marva

This should not be interpreted to mean the circumambulation can either be carried out or avoided.

On the contrary it is made mandatory to circumambulate the mounts of Safa and Marva during the journeys of Hajj and Umrah. (Bukhari:1545). 

Though the circumambulation of the mounts of Safa and Marva were made mandatory some considered it a crime to do so because of the presence of the statue of Manaath the pagan god.

The pagan days people circumambulated the pagan god Manaath along with the mounts Safa and Marva.

The same pagans after accepting Islam as their way of life considered it a sin to continue doing the same.

Since he people of those days considered circumambulation of Safa and Marva a sin, the verse saying it is not a crime was revealed, (Bukhari: 1645, 1790, 4495, 4861)

Since we find the message Safa and Marva are signs of the great God in the same verse, and with Prophet Muhammad having stressed the importance of both the mounts, there is no doubt it is mandatory to circumambulate them.