killed by a fall and that killed by goring with the horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten.” 4

2. Blood, explained as “blood poured forth” in 6:145.5

3. Flesh of swine: This was also forbidden by the law of Moses (Lev. 11:7). Jesus Christ, like a true Jew seems to have held the swine in abhorrence: “Neither cast ye your pearls before swine” (Mt. 7:6). He is also reported to have cast out a number of unclean spirits which he then allowed to go into a herd of swine, causing it to perish thereby (Mt. 8:30-32; Mk. 5:11-13). This shows that he looked upon the animal as unclean. St. Peter compares sinners who relapse into evil to swine who go again to wallow in the mire after they are washed (2 Pet. 2:22).

4. The fourth kind of forbidden food is that over which any other name than that of Allāh has been invoked at the time of slaughtering it. In 5:3 “what is sacrificed on stones set up (for idols)” is added, and it evidently comes under this description.

The Holy Qur’ān speaks of the first three forbidden foods, carrion, blood and pork, as unclean things, while the fourth the invocation of other than Allāh’s name at the time of slaughtering an animal, is called fisq or a transgression of the Divine commandment. The reason for this distinction is that there is uncleanness in the case of first three, since they have a pernicious effect upon the intellectual, the physical or the moral system; while in the fourth case, the spiritual side is affected, as the invocation of other than Allāh’s name, or sacrificing for idols, associates one with idolatry. In this case the thing is not unclean in itself, like blood or carrion or pork; it is forbidden because the use of such food associates a man with idolatry.

Slaughtering of an animal

According to the law of Islām, all animals that are allowed as food must be slaughtered6 in such a manner that blood flows out. The approved method is to cut off the windpipe, the oesophagus and the two external jugular veins.7 The idea underlying this particular manner of slaughter is causing the blood to flow so that the poisons contained in it should not form part of food.8 The same appears to be the reason for prohibition of blood as food. Fish, or other watergame does not require to be slaughtered,9 and it is allowed irrespective of who has