Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

salam
today in school we disected a fetal pig. i know that eating pork is haram. but my question is that if a muslim person disects it, is it a sin?? cuz later in the day my friends were telling me that its a sin even touching and being in the same room as the pig is. I have heard that Allah said that its ok until you are learning something. now in the disecting i learned. so i dont think that can be bad or a sin. i would really appreciate is you could explain it to me and tell me what`s really right.
Thank you

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Answer:

Touching disecting pig or swine

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 145: (O Prophet (saws)) Say: "I find not in the Message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine for it is an abomination, or what is impious (meat) on which a name has been invoked other than Allah's." But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, thy Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah Subhanah has clearly forbidden and declared ‘haraam’ for the believers to consume the flesh of swine as food; and as much as the swine and its flesh is impure, if for some reason one touches or needs to touch the swine or its flesh, there is absolutely no prohibition or sin in doing so; but one must make sure that one washes and thus purifies every part of one’s body or clothes where the swine or its flesh might have touched.

It is only the consumption of the flesh of swine that is absolutely prohibited to the believers. Just as if one touches or needs to touch any impurity one would wash the parts of one’s body or clothes that came in contact with it, one should wash and thus purify any part of one’s body or clothes that happen to touch the swine, for it is indeed impure.

Thus in its essence, there is absolutely no prohibition or sin in touching a swine or its flesh, if one has a genuine reason to do so.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan