Is it a sin to consume pork without knowing?

Sources

• ✓ 2:173

  2:173 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍۢ وَلَا عَادٍۢ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ

  He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swineflesh, and that which hath been immolated to (the name of) any other than Allah. But he who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:173

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 2:173

  Allah Almighty commands His believing servants to eat of the good and pure provisions He has provided for them and to be grateful to Him if they truly serve Him. Consuming lawful (halal) food is a cause for acceptance of supplications and acts of worship, whereas eating from the unlawful (haram) prevents acceptance of prayers and devotion. This is supported by the hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad from Abu Huraira, in which the Prophet ﷺ said: "O people, Allah is pure and accepts only that which is pure. He commanded the believers as He commanded the messengers, saying: 'O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds; indeed I am aware of what you do.' And He said: 'O you who believe, eat from the good things We have provided for you.' Then he mentioned a man who travels for a long time, disheveled and dusty, raising his hands to the sky saying: ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ while his food, drink, and clothing are unlawful, and he is fed with unlawful matter. How can his supplication be accepted?" This hadith is also recorded authentically by Muslim and Tirmidhi. After granting them His provision and guiding them to eat from what is good, Allah clarifies that He has only forbidden them carrion—that which dies by causes other than proper slaughtering, regardless of whether it was strangled, beaten to death, fallen, gored by a beast, or otherwise dead without being ritually slaughtered. The majority specify that the prohibition includes dead sea creatures as well, based on the verse in Al-Ma'idah (5:96) that permits the catch of the sea and its food as lawful provision, coupled with authentic hadith indicating that sea water is pure and its dead creatures are permitted. As for milk and eggs from dead animals, the Shafi‘i school and others consider them impure because they are integral parts of the carcass, though Malik holds that while pure, they become impure if in contact with the carcass. There is some disagreement about the impurity of the smell from carrion, though the majority regard it as impure. Reports mention that the Companions ate some cheese from non-Muslims and that a slight impurity mixed with large amounts of pure liquid is overlooked by the scholars. Moreover, it is forbidden to consume the flesh of swine, whether slaughtered properly or having died naturally, extending also to its fat, since it falls under the ruling of pork by preference or by analogy. Allah forbids eating what is slaughtered in the name of other than Him, such as the offerings to idols and other pre-Islamic pagan practices. Al-Qurtubi relates that Al-Hasan Al-Basri was asked about a woman who slaughtered an animal for a pagan idol celebration and ruled it unlawful. Aisha was also asked about food sacrificed by non-Muslims at their festivals and indicated Muslims should not eat what was slaughtered for that day but may eat from their trees' fruits. Then Allah allows consumption of these forbidden items in cases of genuine necessity and need, when other foods are unavailable, as stated: "But whoever is forced—neither desiring it nor transgressing its limits—there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." This means if one is compelled to eat carrion in a situation of dire need without intentional wrongdoing or defiance, it is excused. Mujahid explained that the necessity must be genuine, such as cutting off the path, leaving the righteous community, or being in a sinful situation, but those who do so deliberately have no permission even in need. Said ibn Jubayr and Muqatil bin Hayyan consider the 'not desiring' to mean not deliberately seeking to eat the forbidden out of lust, nor preparing it for delicacy—only consuming the minimal needed to survive. Ibn Abbas interpreted that one should not fully satisfy oneself, and the conditions of not transgressing in consumption were stressed by various scholars. Al-Qurtubi adds that when someone finds both carrion and lawful food without certain harm, they should prefer the lawful food. He then cites a hadith of a man during famine who ate a stalk of grain, had his owner beat him, but the Prophet ﷺ told the owner he had done nothing wrong since he was hungry and unknowing, and ordered the owner to return the man’s garment and feed him. Muqatil bin Hayyan explained that the phrase "there is no sin upon him" in the verse applies to eating from necessity, and it is related that the amount one may consume under necessity should not exceed three bites. Said ibn Jubayr remarked that Allah is forgiving for eating from the forbidden during necessity and merciful for having allowed it in such extremity. Waki‘ narrated from Al-A‘mash and Masruq that whoever is compelled but refrains from eating or drinking and then dies will enter the Fire. This indicates that eating carrion under compulsion is a binding obligation, not a mere concession, comparable to the permitted breaking of fast for the sick in Ramadan and similar cases. In summary, this aya teaches the command to eat from the lawful good provisions of Allah with gratitude, forbids carrion, pork, and what is slaughtered for others than Allah, but in cases of genuine necessity permits eating the otherwise forbidden without sin provided one does not desire it or transgress limits. Furthermore, reliance on authoritative traditions and the explanations of early scholars clarifies these rulings for the believer’s proper practice.