“He has only
forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has
been dedicated for other than God. But whoever is forced by necessity, neither
desiring [it], nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed
God is Forgiving and Merciful.”
(al-Baqarah 2:173)
Yasmina:
Islam teaches that
the body and the intellect are, amongst other things, an amana or trust. Therefore, any law regarding them is meant to
preserve and protect this trust. As a
result, Islamic dietary law prohibits intoxicants, smoking and specific
categories of animals. Based on other verses and the Sunnah,[1] the list
of animals includes carnivores, swine, reptiles, birds of prey, pests and
insects, due to the nature of their diet and metabolism. As a confirmation that life is sacred and
that the only reason the animal is being killed is to fulfill one’s need
for food, all animals deemed lawful are slaughtered in a humane fashion. The
phrase “In the name of God, God is greater” is recited during the process. Consequently, a Muslim may not eat from a
carcass, an animal that has died from strangulation, blow or fall, or an animal
that has been sacrificed for an idol. Living by these rules nurtures my spiritual
and physical well-being, and raises my awareness of the many trusts I have been
given.
Tziporah:
There are many
similarities between the Muslim dietary laws and Kashrut, the Jewish dietary
laws: humane slaughter accompanied by the recitation of a blessing by a trained
ritual slaughterer, forbidden animals such as swine, birds of prey and
carcasses of wild animals. The basic difference may be the inherent assumption
that dietary laws are related to maintaining a healthy body. While some Jews have interpreted the laws of
Kashrut in this manner, I see them as part of an altogether different rubric of
laws. The lists of permitted and
forbidden animals in the Torah,[2] as well
as the prohibition against boiling a kid in its mother’s milk,[3] are
classified by the rabbis as hukkim,
statutes, for which the only explanation given is “I am the Lord your
God.” The underlying reason for observing
Kashrut, then, is simply to follow God’s mitzvot,
commandments. The physical act of eating
at once elevates the spirit to a state of holiness and humbles the body to a
state of submission before the Holy One.
Grace:
I so appreciate the
fervor with which both of you observe the dietary laws of your faiths, and I
can only hope that you will not be offended by my own practice, which is to
“eat darn near anything.” I use this colloquial expression to acknowledge—with humor,
not sacrilege—our differences. Christians interpret the creation story of
Genesis 1 to mean that all plants and animals are given to us as God’s good
gifts, without restriction. Yet, we also acknowledge that the body is a “temple
of the Holy Spirit.” (I Cor 6:19-20) The wholesome nurture of our bodies
demands that we are mindful of what we take into ourselves [4] and cautious
about creating stumbling blocks for others. Recently, I was preparing a dinner for the
three of us and found myself struggling to know fully how to “keep Kosher.” I
fear that I may have unintentionally violated an especially important
prohibition for you, Tziporah. How deeply grateful I am, then, for the spirit
of hesed (kindness) that allowed both
of you to sit at the table with me.
[2] See Leviticus 11 and
Deuteronomy 14
[3] Exodus 23:19, 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21
[4] Christian denominations differ in their positions
on alcohol. While Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches generally permit
consumption of alcoholic beverages, Mormons
abstain from both caffeine and alcohol.
Seventh Day Adventists—who run excellent heart hospitals in this
country—recommend adherence to a vegetarian diet, which is believed to be more
easily digestible and thereby protective of the human body. For personal health
reasons—not religious mandate—I eat meat, chicken and fish, limit my
consumption of bread and abstain from alcohol.
