FOOD PROHIBITION IN ISLAM: A STEP TOWARDS GOOD HEALTH

Abstract

Food intake undoubtedly has the greatest effect on human health. In many parts of the world, the problems of drug abuse and bad food consumption have deteriorated people's health to the extent that, reports revealed that, many have been afflicted with no greater calamity than alcohol. In Nigeria, many illnesses such as mental disorders, delirium tremens, nervous breakdown, digestive ailments as well as developmental and social problems like violent, accident, suicides, homicides, bankruptcies, broken homes are associated with alcoholic consumption. However, food prohibition in Islam aims at purifying human body and soul as well as giving guidance to what man can eat that will improve his health and save him from difficulties. This paper therefore, discusses foods that are prohibited in Islam based on the Qur'an and hadith which serve as the first primary source of Islamic law. It concludes that, the kind of food eating has a decisive effect on the soul and the entire body and therefore recommend that Muslims should follow the dictates of Islam regarding food prohibitions in order to live a healthy life.