Eating haram food or forbidden food is harmful to our interests.

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

Dear friends, I hope you are all well, and I am also well and healthy with your prayers and the endless mercy of Allah Almighty.

Eating haram food or forbidden food is harmful to our interests

Humans are the best creatures created by Allah Almighty. He has made halal and pure food lawful for us and prohibited haram and impure food. This provision of Allah is not only a religious instruction, but also a complete policy for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of humans. Haram food refers to those foods or drinks that are clearly prohibited by the Quran, Hadith and Islamic Sharia. Eating these is not only a sin in the eyes of Islam, but also very harmful to human health, morality and social life.

Types of Haram Food:

Some foods and drinks are directly prohibited in Islam, such as:

Pork and its meat: Pigs are declared impure in the Quran.

Blood: Eating any kind of flowing blood is prohibited.

Meat of dead animals (Maita): Animals that have not been slaughtered in the name of Allah or have died of their own accord.

Drugs: Such as alcohol, marijuana, heroin, etc.—which cause intoxication.

Food obtained through unlawful means: Food purchased with money earned through bribery, theft, usury, cheating, or fraud is also prohibited.

Meat collected by violating the Islamic rules of hunting or slaughter.

Physical harm:

One of the harms of haram food is that it is dangerous to human physical health. For example—

Pork: It contains germs and fat that cause various diseases in the body such as: worms, increased cholesterol, heart disease, skin diseases, etc.

Blood: It contains germs, toxins, and waste products that can cause poisoning and infection if they enter the body.

Drugs: Destroy the liver, kidneys, nervous system and brain.

Meat of dead animals: It decomposes easily and produces poisonous bacteria, which causes food poisoning.

Allah Almighty has prohibited these mainly to protect human health, which has also been proven by modern science.

Mental harm:

Haram food is not only harmful to physical but also mental health.

Taking drugs destroys a person's thinking power and judgment.

The effect of haram food on the body weakens the spiritual strength, which results in loss of concentration in worship.

Spiritual harm:

Eating haram food is very harmful to faith and piety. The Prophet ﷺ said, "The body that is raised on haram food, Paradise is forbidden for it." (Tirmidhi)

Haram food deprives one of Allah's mercy.

It hinders the acceptance of supplications. A hadith states that Allah does not accept the prayers of a person who is raised on haram food.

The taste and attention for worship decreases.

Social harm:

The consumption of haram food is often associated with illegal earnings, which creates various problems in society.

Obtaining food by bribery, theft or fraud increases social crimes.

Intoxicants increase unrest, fights, theft, murder, etc. in society.

The moral foundation of society is destroyed and conflicts arise within families.

Scientifically harmful evidence:

Modern science has also proven that the foods prohibited in Islam are harmful to the human body. For example—

Pork contains a parasite called Trichinella, which causes serious diseases.

Alcohol and drugs increase the risk of liver cirrhosis, cancer, heart disease and nervous system diseases.

Eating blood can cause hepatitis and other viral infections.

Benefits of abstaining from forbidden food:

Physical health: Halal and pure food keeps the body disease-free and strong.

Mental peace: You can be free from the sting of conscience and guilt due to the influence of forbidden food.

Spiritual development: Halal food increases the acceptance of prayers and attention to worship.

Social peace: Intoxication and crime decrease, morality increases in society.

Instructions from the Quran and Hadith:

Allah Almighty says in the Quran:

“O you who believe! Eat of what I have provided for you as lawful and pure, and fear Allah, if you are believers.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 88)

In another place, it says:

“Forbidden to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah.” (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 3)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“A man is on a long journey, his hair disheveled, his hands covered with dust, and he raises his hands to the sky and supplicates: ‘O my Lord! O my Lord!’ While his food is forbidden, his drink is forbidden, his clothing is forbidden, and he is nurtured by forbidden things—how will his supplication be accepted?” (Muslim)

Eating forbidden food is a clear violation of Islamic law, which is harmful to both our world and the Hereafter. It results in physical illness, mental instability, spiritual weakness, and social unrest. Therefore, for a Muslim, consuming halal and pure food is not only a religious duty, but also one of the ways to protect one’s own interests. If we follow the boundaries of halal and haram in the light of the Quran and Hadith, we will receive the mercy of Allah and be able to live a healthy, beautiful, and peaceful life.