God’s Law on Food – Spiritual, Physical, and Moral Significance
1. Why Is the Law on Food Important to God?
At first glance, dietary laws may seem secondary compared to moral and ethical commandments. However, when we analyze the Bible, the Qur'an, and human biology, we see that dietary laws are not just about food. They are about obedience, spiritual purity, and physical well-being.
The first recorded sin in human history was related to food:
> "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Genesis 3:6)
God did not require Adam and Eve to perform a great labor or a complex commandment. He only asked them to refrain from eating a specific food. This shows that food can be a test of obedience and spiritual discipline.
The same lesson reappears when the Israelites leave Egypt:
God provides them with manna – the perfect food from heaven.
They crave meat and rebel – which leads to divine punishment.
Thus, dietary laws are not merely physical regulations; they carry profound spiritual lessons:
✅ Food shapes character and discipline.
✅ Unclean food has both spiritual and physical consequences.
✅ God’s laws are not meant to burden humanity but to protect it.
Dietary Laws as Tests of Obedience
In various traditions, dietary laws serve as a means of self-control and discipline. Even in non-religious settings, fasting is seen as a way to sharpen the mind and strengthen willpower.
The Zohar teaches that food is a conduit of spiritual energy:
> "Through food, man either binds himself to the lower world or elevates himself to the divine." (Zohar, Bereshit 30a)
Consuming impure food can lead to spiritual darkness, whereas eating in purity aligns the soul with divine wisdom.
2. The First Dietary Prohibitions in the Qur'an – Basic Regulation
In the beginning, Muhammad received a basic dietary prohibition in Qur’an 6:145:
> "Say: I find not in that which has been revealed to me any food forbidden for one that eats it, except it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine – for that is indeed unclean – or that which has been sacrificed to other than Allah."
These prohibitions are logical and expected, as they refer to the most impure and spiritually corrupting foods:
✅ Carrion (Dead Meat) – It represents spiritual death and physical contamination.
✅ Blood – A symbol of life; consuming it connects one with animal instincts rather than divine energy.
✅ Swine – A representation of impurity and material excess in all Semitic traditions.
✅ Idolatrous sacrifices – Food dedicated to false gods carries spiritual corruption.
This was the first step in restoring dietary purity—a return to the fundamentals of divine law.
3. Expansion of the Law – Returning to Leviticus 11
Later, the Qur’an expands dietary regulations in Qur’an 5:5:
> "Today, lawful (ṭayyibāt) things are permitted to you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them."
This does not abolish the laws of clean and unclean food. Instead, it reinforces the dietary system found in Leviticus 11, which permits:
✅ Animals with split hooves that chew the cud (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats).
✅ Birds that are not predators.
✅ Fish with fins and scales.
Thus, the Qur'an does not establish a new dietary system—it returns to the divine laws given in earlier scripture.
"Tayyibat" can mean good, tasty and spiritually pure, and if this word only refers to good or tasty, it would create a contradiction with the Qur'anic text which says that the pig is forbidden, and if according to Qur'an the food what is allowed is only "tayyibat" that same translation translate it to mean tasty or good, then the pig cannot be both forbidden and tasty at the same time, which means that the context points to spiritual impurity, which is what Leviticus 11 is actually talking about.
4. The Issue of Inventing Prohibitions or Permissions
In Qur’an 6:143-144, Allah criticizes false prohibitions that people imposed on themselves regarding certain livestock:
> "Eight pairs: two of sheep, and two of goats – Say: Has He forbidden the males or the females, or that which is in the wombs of the females? Inform me with knowledge, if you speak the truth."
"And two of camels and two of cattle. Say: Has He forbidden the males or the females, or that which is in the wombs of the females? Or were you witnesses when Allah prescribed this for you? Then who is more unjust than one who invents lies about Allah without knowledge to mislead people? Surely, Allah does not guide the unjust people."
These verses criticize the pre-Islamic Arabs who imposed their own dietary prohibitions without divine sanction. God questions them: Did they witness when He supposedly issued these prohibitions? This highlights the baseless nature of their claims.
Key takeaways:
✅ The Qur'an does not abolish Levitical dietary laws but corrects false prohibitions made by people.
✅ It does not allow everything – it simply reinforces the original dietary law, rejecting man-made alterations.
✅ It calls people back to God's law, not to their own inventions.
5. The Spiritual and Physical Effects of Unclean Animals
The Zohar teaches that food affects the divine spark within a person:
> "The souls of impure creatures carry the vibration of the Other Side (Sitra Achra), which distances man from divine wisdom." (Zohar, Shemot 23b)
In Kabbalah, consuming impure food brings one into alignment with lower, animalistic instincts.
Science confirms that diet affects neurotransmitters—certain foods promote mental clarity, while others increase stress and aggression.
Science confirms what ancient texts already knew:
✅ Predatory animals are aggressive and territorial.
✅ Consuming scavengers and carnivores can affect stress hormones in the human body.
✅ Pigs, due to their genetic similarity to humans, may transfer harmful biological compounds.
Does Eating the Meat of Aggressive Animals Affect Human Behavior?
Scientific studies suggest that diet affects hormone levels and neurotransmitters, which can impact mood and behavior:
✅ Herbivores are peaceful and social, while carnivores are often aggressive and territorial.
✅ Eating predatory animals may increase adrenaline and cortisol levels, leading to stress and aggression.
✅ Pigs have biological similarities to humans, which means their meat could affect the human body in ways not fully understood.
6. The Connection Between Manna and the Desire for Meat
In Numbers 11:4-34, the Israelites complained because they were tired of manna and craved meat:
> "Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we ate in Egypt freely, and the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. But now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!" (Numbers 11:5-6)
God gave them quails but with a punishment – many died because they demanded meat out of greed:
> "And while the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote them with a very great plague." (Numbers 11:33)
7. The Logic of God’s Plan: Returning to Edenic Food
1. The Original Diet in Eden
In Eden, humans were given a plant-based diet (Genesis 1:29-30).
There was no death, and thus, no need for meat.
2. Meat Was Allowed After the Flood (Genesis 9:3-4)
After the flood, God permitted meat, but with restrictions.
However, this was not an ideal state—just a concession.
Some interpretations suggest that post-Flood, the Earth’s environment changed, leading to a shorter human lifespan.
Meat may have been allowed as a concession because plant life was not as abundant.
3. The Israelites' Test with Manna (Exodus 16:14-15)
God provided manna, a perfect, divine food.
Yet, they rejected it and desired meat.
4. The Messianic Future – A Return to a Pure Diet
Isaiah 11:6-9 describes a future where animals do not eat each other, hinting at a return to a non-violent diet.
> "The righteous do not eat for the flesh, but for the soul." (Zohar, Vayikra 35b)
This suggests that God’s plan has always been a return to pure, plant-based food.
8. Christian Misinterpretations About Food
Some Christians believe that Jesus abolished dietary laws. However, their arguments are based on misinterpretations:
Jesus’ Statement in Matthew 15:11
> "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth."
📌 Context: This refers to a Jewish tradition about washing hands, not dietary laws.
2. Peter’s Vision in Acts 10
> "Peter saw heaven opened and a sheet with unclean animals... And a voice said, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat.'"
📌 Context: Peter himself explains that the vision was not about food, but about accepting Gentiles into faith (Acts 10:28).
3. Mark 7:19 – Did Jesus Declare All Foods Clean?
> Many Christians cite Mark 7:19 to claim Jesus abolished dietary laws. However, this verse is a mistranslation.
The original Greek text does not say 'Jesus declared all foods clean.'
Instead, the phrase was added by later interpreters to fit a specific theology.
📌 Conclusion: Jesus never abolished dietary laws—Christians misunderstood the texts.
Conclusion
✅ God’s dietary laws serve spiritual, moral, and physical purposes.
✅ Meat is permitted but was never the ideal food.
✅ The original divine plan was a plant-based diet.
✅ Unclean animals carry both biological and spiritual impurity.
✅ Levitical laws align with science and psychological well-being.
✅ Christian claims that Jesus "abolished" dietary laws are misinterpretations.
✅ A return to dietary purity enhances one’s spiritual connection with the Divine.
Thus, food is more than nutrition—it is a path to divine harmony.
