This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqqash.
The Prohibition of a Dead Body and Its Wisdoms:
Wherever the Quranic verses mention forbidden foods, the first thing mentioned is carrion, that is, an animal or bird that has died a natural death and whose death did not occur through slaughter or hunting.
The modern mind questions what wisdom lies in declaring carrion forbidden and letting it go to waste instead of using it for food? In response, we say that the prohibition of carrion is based on several reasons:
(a) The natural disposition abhors carrion. Generally, the learned consider eating carrion disgraceful and not befitting a human being. This is why all revealed religions declare carrion forbidden and prefer only slaughtered animals for eating, although the method of slaughter differs.
(b) Allah Almighty does not like that a person eats something which he did not intend to obtain. Carrion is such a matter. However, in the case of an animal that is slaughtered or hunted, the person's intention and effort are involved.
(c) An animal that has died on its own may have died due to chronic illness, an accident, or eating poisonous plants. In such cases, there is a fear of harm in eating it. This fear also exists if the animal died due to extreme weakness or poor health.
(d) By declaring carrion forbidden, Allah Almighty has provided food from His mercy for the beasts and birds, as they too are a community like us.
(e) Another wisdom is that a person should not neglect his owned animals to the point that they become ill or die weakly, but should either hasten to treat them or hasten to relieve them (by slaughtering).
The Prohibition of Shed Blood:
Among the prohibitions is the second thing, dam masfuh, meaning flowing blood. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the ruling on the spleen. He said: You may eat it. People said: But it is blood. He said: Allah has forbidden flowing blood.
Reference: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (86/8) - Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi (7/10) and the chain of Samak from Ukramah is weak but it has a sound supporting narration according to Ibn Majah (3314, 3218) mursal.
The reason is its impurity. The pure nature of a human being detests it, and it also carries the possibility of harm like carrion. Moreover, it is also intended to prevent resemblance to bloodthirsty beasts.
The way of the people of ignorance was that if a person felt hungry, he would thrust a bone or a sharp object into the body of a camel or the like, and then drink the blood that flowed out. This caused great pain to the animal and it became weak. For this reason as well, Allah Almighty has declared shed blood to be forbidden.
Pork Meat:
The third thing is pork, which is considered impure according to natural disposition and is detested because the pig's preferred food is filth and garbage. According to modern medicine, its consumption is very harmful in every region, especially in hot countries. Scientific experiments have proven that eating pork produces a special type of worms that are very deadly. It is unknown what other secrets may be revealed in the future! Researchers also say that continuously eating pork reduces one's sense of honor.
Animals designated for non-Allah:
The fourth thing among the prohibitions is an animal that has been designated for someone other than Allah, meaning it has been slaughtered in the name of idols, etc. Idolaters used to invoke the names of idols like Lat and Uzza on their sacrifices. This was an act of worship and seeking nearness to someone other than Allah. The reason for its prohibition is religious interests, and the purpose is to protect monotheism, purify beliefs, and oppose the manifestations of polytheism and idolatry. Allah Almighty created humans, subjected all things on earth to them, and also made animals subservient to them. Moreover, taking their life for human benefit is permissible provided that the name of Allah is mentioned at the time of slaughter. In other words, mentioning the name of Allah expresses that the act of slaughtering a living creature is being done with Allah’s permission. But if someone takes the name of someone other than Allah at the time of slaughter, he effectively nullifies this permission, and therefore deserves to be deprived of the benefit of such a sacrifice.
Types of Dead Bodies:
In summary, these four things mentioned above are forbidden. Their details are explained in the verse of Surah Al-Ma'idah, according to which there are ten prohibitions:
منخنقه meaning the animal that died due to strangulation.
موقوذه meaning the one that died due to being beaten with a stick or similar.
مترديه meaning the one that died from falling from a height, for example: one that falls into a well or from a mountain.
نطيحه meaning the one that died due to being gored by another animal.
The one that a predator has torn apart, meaning a predator has torn the animal and eaten some part of it, causing its death.
After describing these five types, Allah Almighty said: إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ
Meaning if you find any of these animals alive and slaughter it, it is exempt from prohibition.
Reference: Surah Al-Ma'idah: 3
In such a case, a mere sign of life is sufficient for slaughtering. Accordingly, Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
If you find منخنقه، موقوذه، مترديه اور نطيحه at the time of slaughter moving its limbs, then eat it.
Reference: Tafsir al-Tabari (503/9)
And Dhahhak (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The people of ignorance used to eat such wounded animals without slaughtering, but Allah Almighty made it forbidden in Islam if they die in a wounded state; however, if any of them is slaughtered, it is exempt from prohibition. Therefore, if an animal is found with its legs, tail, or eyes moving and it is slaughtered, it is permissible.
Reference: Tafsir al-Tabari (504/9)
However, according to some jurists, it is necessary that the animal has a stable life. The sign of this is that blood starts to flow and the limbs begin to move vigorously.
The wisdom behind prohibiting these types of corpses:
The same considerations apply to the prohibition of these types of carrion as we have previously mentioned regarding the prohibition of carrion. Specifically, the intention is to instill in humans a sense of kindness and protection towards animals. It should not happen that people neglect animals carelessly, allowing some to die by strangulation or by falling from heights. Nor should they be left to fight each other, goring one another to death. It is also not permissible to beat an animal to death, as some cruel shepherds do. Similarly, animals that are made to fight humans, such as in bullfighting where bulls are provoked to gore each other resulting in human injury or death, is also not permissible.
As for the prohibition of animals torn by predators, the dignity of humans has been taken into account, and such carrion has been kept forbidden for believers. The people of ignorance used to eat camels, cows, etc., torn by predators, but Allah Almighty has forbidden their carrion for the believers.
Sacrifice of the Place:
The tenth thing among the prohibitions is the sacrifice at a place called Nasb, meaning a designated spot. Nasb is that idol or stone which has been established as a symbol of Taghut, that is, worship other than Allah is intended through it. Around the Kaaba, Nasbs were established, and the people of ignorance used to sacrifice animals on them for the nearness to their deities and idols. This sacrifice at the Nasb is of the same kind as the sacrifice for other than Allah because both involve the veneration of Taghut. The only difference is that for the animal sacrificed in the name of other than Allah, it is not necessary that the idol be present at the time of sacrifice; rather, sacrificing in the name of the idol is sufficient for it to be forbidden. However, the sacrifice at the Nasb is performed on the Nasb itself, even if the name of other than Allah is not mentioned. In other words, in the first case, the place is not fixed, but in the second case, the place is fixed.
There were Nasbs around the Kaaba, and one might assume that sacrificing on these Nasbs would be a form of honoring the House of Allah. Therefore, the Quran removed this superstition and explicitly declared this act forbidden; otherwise, the concept of sacrifice for other than Allah would include the sacrifice at the Nasb as well.
