January 11, 2010

Cannibalism in the Quran

Posted in Quranic Explanations tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , at 8:54 am by Nahed Metwaly

An important and a serious question, “Does Allah of Islam, allow Muslims in the Quran, to eat human flesh?”

The answer is very clearly, Yes.

Read the following two verses in the Quran,

(1) Quran (2: 173):

He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful (Surah The Cow 2:173).

(2) Quran (16: 115):

He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (Surah The Bee 16:115).

The reference of the commentaries on these verses is: The book of “Al-Kortoby, the collector of the Quranic rules.

This book is introduced in volume 1, of the 3rd edition by Imam Shams El-Din Abi Abdallah Mohamed Bin Ahmad Ben Abi Bakr Farag Al-Ansari Al-Kortoby who died in the Islamic year 671. It is published by Dar El-Ghad El-Araby, 3 Danesh Street, Abassia, Cairo, Egypt, Telephone (2-824-329).

He said in page 3,

“In the name of Allah the merciful and compassionate, this book is published under the supervision of the scholars of Al-Azhar (the largest Islamic University in the world). All publishing rights are reserved to Dar El-Ghad El-Araby, Cairo”.

He continues,

“This edition is corrected, edited and certified by the “Council of Islamic Research of Al-Azhar”, who published it in 9 November, 1988, 29 Rabie I of the Islamic year 1409.

In page 716 in volume 1, Al-Kortoby gives these comments,

“If one is in dire need and found a dead body of an animal, a swine, or of human, he might eat the dead animal because it as “Halal” (lawful or permissible), but not the body of a swine or a human”. There is a light prevention and a strong prevention, and these are the rules, such as one hates to have sexual relation with his sister, but can have a sexual relation with a foreigner because it is lawful for him. This is the condition for theses rules. Eating the flesh of a human is not allowed.

Yet the scholars Ahmad and Dawoud protested by saying that prophet Mohammad said, “Breaking the bones of a dead body is like breaking the bones of a live body. Al-Shafie said, “One may eat the flesh of a human body. It is not allowed to kill a Muslim nor a free non-Muslim under Muslim rule (because he is useful for the society), nor a prisoner because he belongs to other Muslims. But you may kill an enemy fighter or an adulterer and eat his body”.

Dawoud slandered Al-Mozny by addressing Al-Mozny saying, “You allowed eating the flesh of the prophets”. Ibn Sharie responded also to Al-Mozny by saying, “You allowed killing the prophets and did not allow eating the flesh of the infidels”.

Ibn Al-Araby said, “The proper thing for me is not to eat human flesh unless the person makes sure that this act saves him from starving to death and Allah knows best”.

Dear reader,

I reported to you what is written in the commentaries of Al-Kortoby. I wrote exactly what I found without changing a word. But let me put an extra light on these commentaries. Al-Kortoby mentioned two kinds of preventions, a light one and a strong one and he left the reader to chose between the two. He gave the example of having a sexual relation with a sister or with a foreigner. He prefers the light prevention and not the strong one and left the reader to chose between the two.

But Imam El-Shefie was more clear and he courageously said, “Human flesh may be eaten”. He added, “An enemy fighter or an adulterer may be killed and his flesh be eaten”. More seriously, Dawoud protested against Al-Muzni saying, “If you allowed the eating of the flesh of the prophets (sarcastically I say, “for fear that they would not be slaughtered in the Islamic way”),  you should also allow eating the flesh of the infidels”. The final verdict for him, “Human flesh should not be eaten unless that would safe the life of the eater from starving to death and Allah knows best”.

Here is a great danger to the whole world. Islam, the Quran, and the scholars of Islam allow the Muslim to eat the flesh of the non-Muslim if that saves the Muslim from starving to death. We all know about the economic crisis which haunts the whole world these days. As we said, Imam El-Shafie said it very clearly, “An enemy fighter or an adulterer may be killed and his flesh may be eaten”. And in the eyes of every Muslim, a non-Muslim is an enemy fighter and an adulterer.

I challenge any person who denies what I said, as by the grace of God, I have all the references which I got this information from.

This subject is to be continued.

Nahed