Assalaamu alaikum Bhabha,
(smile) Thank you for raising this question, as it has caused me to spend an agreeable afternoon trying to find some answer to it.
There is no doubt that the flesh of pigs is considered with repugnance. In the Qur’an (6:145) it says:
Chapter (6) sūrat l-anʿām (The Cattle)
Asad (translation and interpretation of meaning):
:
Say [O Prophet]: "In all that has been revealed unto me, I do not find anything forbidden to eat, if one wants to eat thereof,
134 unless it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine - for that, behold, is loathsome - or a sinful offering
135 over which any name other than God's has been invoked. But if one is driven by necessity - neither coveting it nor exceeding his immediate need - then [know that], behold, thy Sustainer is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace."
136
http://www.alim.org/library/quran/ay...-of-live-stock
If you notice, there is an aside
specifically about the flesh of swine. I looked at the original Arabic, to try to get a better sense of the subtleties of the words. The aside says: For truly, it is a
rijs.
Reading through the entry for the root (r-j-s) of this word, as well as the particular word itself in Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon
http://www.tyndalearchive.com/tabs/lane/ , I find that the meaning is something like: something which is disliked because of it uncleanliness. It can also mean something that is a sin, or an action that can lead to punishment. Or something that is unlawful, forbidden.
Whichever shade of meaning you take, there is something
particular about pig flesh, that is even more objectionable that other categories of forbidden things to eat.
Does this mean that pigs
themselves are unclean and somehow bad? Personally, I don’t think so. They are Allah’s creation. But we humans are definitely being told that there is something particular about pigs
in as far as we ourselves are concerned.
I liken this to the fruit of a particular tree that Adam AS and his spouse were specifically Instructed not to eat; there was
nothing special about this tree,
except that God had specifically said not to eat it. Why? As a test, and as a proof of humanity’s free will.
It seems to me that Allah is Saying very clearly: pigs are a special category: stay away.
Why? (smile) This is where interpretation comes in. But
whatever the reason for the interdiction, the interdiction is clear: no eating pigs.
(smile) But you might be wondering: ok, so no eating pigs. I wouldn’t want to eat my pet, anyway!
To seek further clarification, I had a little search in the ahadith, and found:
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), in the year of the Conquest of Mecca, saying, "Allah and His Apostle made illegal the trade of alcohol, dead animals, pigs and idols." The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What about the fat of dead animals, for it was used for greasing the boats and the hides; and people use it for lights?" He said, "No, it is illegal." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) further said, "May Allah curse the Jews, for Allah made the fat (of animals) illegal for them, yet they melted the fat and sold it and ate its price."
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ عَامَ الْفَتْحِ، وَهُوَ بِمَكَّةَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ حَرَّمَ بَيْعَ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْتَةِ وَالْخِنْزِيرِ وَالأَصْنَامِ ". فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَرَأَيْتَ شُحُومَ الْمَيْتَةِ فَإِنَّهَا يُطْلَى بِهَا السُّفُنُ، وَيُدْهَنُ بِهَا الْجُلُودُ، وَيَسْتَصْبِحُ بِهَا النَّاسُ. فَقَالَ " لاَ، هُوَ حَرَامٌ ". ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ " قَاتَلَ اللَّهُ الْيَهُودَ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَّا حَرَّمَ شُحُومَهَا جَمَلُوهُ ثُمَّ بَاعُوهُ فَأَكَلُوا ثَمَنَهُ ". قَالَ أَبُو عَاصِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، كَتَبَ إِلَىَّ عَطَاءٌ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Reference
: Sahih al-Bukhari 2236
In-book reference
: Book 34, Hadith 182
USC-MSA web (English) reference
: Vol. 3, Book 34, Hadith 438
(deprecated numbering scheme)
http://sunnah.com/bukhari/34/182
There are quite a few versions of this hadith, with slight variations in wording, but the meaning is the same: even
trading in pigs is not permitted. The trade in pigs is also put in the same category as the trade in alcohol, and concerning this, the ahadith are very clear: not only is the
consumer of alcohol at fault, but so is
anyone who is involved in the transaction in
any way.
As the great sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi stated in his book for lay people
The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam:
Trading in Alcohol
The Prophet (peace be on him) did not stop at prohibiting the drinking of alcohol, whether much or little, but he also forbade any trading in it, even with non- Muslims. It is not permissible for a Muslim to import or export alcoholic beverages, or to own or work in a place which sells them. In connection with alcohol, the Prophet (peace be on him) cursed ten categories of people saying: Truly, Allah has cursed khamr and has cursed the one who produces it, the one for whom it is produced, the one who drinks it, the one who serves it, the one who carries it, the one for whom it is carried, the one who sells it, the one who earns from the sale of it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, on reliable authority. )
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dcare/pdfs/yusuf.pdf
Owning a pig, it therefore seems to me, is
not something that a Muslim should do.
(smile) Nevertheless, should we mistreat pigs? I found the following hadith in Malik’s Muwatta:
Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said that Isa ibn Maryam encountered a pig on the road. He said to it, "Go in peace." Somebody asked, "Do you say this to a pig?" Isa said, "I fear lest I accustom my tongue to evil speech."
وَحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ، لَقِيَ خِنْزِيرًا بِالطَّرِيقِ فَقَالَ لَهُ انْفُذْ بِسَلاَمٍ . فَقِيلَ لَهُ تَقُولُ هَذَا لِخِنْزِيرٍ فَقَالَ عِيسَى إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ أُعَوِّدَ لِسَانِي النُّطْقَ بِالسُّوءِ .
USC-MSA web (English) reference
: Book 56, Hadith 4
Arabic reference
: Book 56, Hadith 1817
http://sunnah.com/urn/418710
This hadith is not directly referencing the Prophet SAWS. But it
is showing the attitude and understanding of the people of Medina in the couple of centuries after the Prophet’s SAWS passing. Whatever one’s feelings about pigs, one must behave well towards them. For to do otherwise opens the door to bad behaviour.
I know this is a disappointment for you Bhabha. (smile) But you can still
love pigs, and enjoy their cuteness. It is just, to the best of my understanding, that we are not supposed to have much in the way of interactions with them.
The only possible exception that I would mention for owning a pig (for possible future readers),
might be if a person had a pig as a pet from before becoming a Muslim. It would be cruel to just release it into the wild (and if it survived, it could become dangerous). I would suggest (and this is
my own opinion only) that it
might be possible to give the pig away to a kind home, or, in the case of an elderly pig, keep it until it passes away naturally. I suggest this because in the time of Revelation, actions and behaviours were modified
gradually. So for instance, alcohol was first warned against, then Muslims were exhorted not to come to prayer while drunk, before it was finally banned outright. A new Muslim has much on their plate.
I also found the following (Hanafi) fatwa that I thought pointed possibly in this direction, though please take note of the part I highlighted in red: you should try to find a person of knowledge who could assess
your particular situation.
Can I Use Paintbrushes Made of Pig Hair?
JUNE 26, 2015 BY
SEEKERSHUB ANSWERS SERVICE
Simple Share Buttons Adder (6.1.5) simplesharebuttons.com
Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu,
Years ago, I didn’t know paintbrushes were mostly made of pig hair. We painted the wood and all the doors in our house. Now I worry that the brushes were made from pig hair, so impurity is transferred to the doors etc. so when I touch the doors, I end up washing my hands.
1. Should I try to find out if the brushes we used were made of pig hair?
2. If I do find out they were made of pig hair, what should I do?
3. Would this have effect on my prayers?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
No, you cannot use paintbrushes made of pig hair or boar bristles. This is the relied upon position in the Hanafi school as the pig is deemed to be essentially filthy (najis al-`ayn).
Allah Most Mighty and Majestic says, “[Prophet], say, ‘In all that has been revealed to me, I find nothing forbidden for people to eat, except for carrion, flowing blood,
pig’s meat– it is loathsome…’ ” [6.145]
The exegetes explain that even though the meat is specifically mentioned, in view of its being the most important part of the animal to the disbelievers, what is intended is the entire animal. [Sawi, Hashiyat Jalalayn; Jamal, al-Futuhat al-Ilahiyya]
The Dispensation
However, there is another position in the school which permits the use of such paintbrushes in cases of need or hardship, or in the case of a lack of suitable alternatives. Note that this judgement would need to be made by qualified scholars.
As such, and in your particular scenario, you don’t have to worry about the walls which were painted using such brushes, and you can take this dispensation for your past practice.
Moreover, there is no filth transfer to be concerned about as the walls are considered to be legally pure as long as the traces of filth are no longer manifest.
[Zayla`i, Tabyin al-Haqa’iq; ShaykhiZada, Majma` al-Anhur; Ibn `Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
Please also see:
Is It Permissible to Use Brushes that Are Made of Animal Hair Other than Pig?
And Allah alone gives success.
http://seekershub.org/ans-blog/2015/...e-of-pig-hair/
(gently) I hope this may be of help to you Bhabha. Remember, only Allah truly Knows, and we are all responsible for the choices we make. So we should make them carefully, after much prayer and thought, listening to our hearts.
May Allah, the Repeatedly Forgiving, Comfort and Strengthen us when we have difficult choices to make.