Why are music, pork and wine not Halal? Can I have photo of my family and friends?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Making things lawful or forbidding them is an exclusive right of Allah without any associates. Allah Says (what means): {And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, “This is lawful and this is unlawful,” to invent falsehood about Allah. Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allah will not succeed.} [Quran 16: 116]

And for the Hadeeth reported from At-Tirmithi, Abu Daawood and Ibn Maajah that the Prophet said: “The lawful is what Allah has made lawful in His Book and the unlawful is what Allah has made unlawful in His Book and what He did not mention is among the things He has Pardoned.” What the Prophet stated as unlawful has the same ruling as what Allah has made unlawful as proved by the authentic Hadeeth since the Prophet does not speak of his own desire; it is only an inspiration that is inspired to him. Allah Says (what means): {Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed.} [Quran 53:3-4]

So, the believer should avoid all forbidden things and hate them regardless of whether or not he knows the reason for their prohibition, although it is certain that the Sharee’ah does not forbid anything except if it contains a pure blight or a more likely one such as dead meat, alcohol, gambling, bingo and the like.

Knowing the cause of forbidding something is important for the scholar to make legal comparison between a thing that is forbidden and another thing that has the same effect. For example, the Mufti determining that the cause of forbidding alcohol is drunkenness, gives the ruling that anything that causes drunkenness is forbidden (drink, food, even if it is not alcohol).

There are reasons for the prohibition of some of the foods like alcohol and swine. Allah Says (what means): {…and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them.} [Quran 7: 157]

Allah, The Great and Almighty, has forbidden pork and stated its impurity! He Says (what means): {Say, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure - or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."} [Quran 6:145]

The Sharee'ah gives no specific justification for such prohibition except the Quranic term "Rijs", which means impurity and dirt from the linguistic point of view. But in Islamic terminology, it means dirt, abomination and taboo. It also means each and every action that is refused by sound predisposition. Allah Says (what means): {… and forbids them what is wrong.} [Quran 7:157]

So, everything that Allah has prohibited is noxious and repulsive. Furthermore, noxious things indicate everything that spoils man's life: in his health, property or morals.

In the past, Muslims had no detailed information concerning the noxiousness of the pig or the cause of its prohibition. Then, modern scientific studies provide us with important information concerning diseases and harmful germs that originate in and are spread by the pig. Among these harms are germs and a tapeworm called “Trichine” (trichina) which grows in the flesh of swine and occupies human intestines resisting all medicines used to discharge it. Also, such an armed tapeworm may cling within one's muscles, resisting medicine to remove it. Thus, science gives a clear-cut justification for the prohibition of the flesh of swine and the wisdom becomes evident.

According to Larousse, a French encyclopedia, the noxious worm "Trichine" (trichine) passes along the human body heading for the heart, and then, settles in one's muscles, especially in the chest, eye, throat and midriff, where its embryos remain alive for years.

In addition, science may give much more information about diseases caused by swine.

Here, it is very important to state that Islam does not endorse the claim of those who think that modern technical supervision over breeding, feeding and housing of pigs can kill such germs.

Since scientific research is continuous and developing, this leads us to believe that more harms from eating pork will be discovered. Herein lies the ultimate prohibition of the Sharee'ah, whether we know or do not know the reasons and wisdom behind it.

As a final word, even if it is possible to raise pigs free from such defects and harms in some or many places in modern world, it is impossible to have such a state worldwide. Even so, the everlasting Sharee'ah rulings are suitable for all times and all places. Thus, the prohibition was general and comprehensive.

As for wine, Allah mentioned it along with gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows (see verse 90 Surah 5) and considered it as an abomination of Satan's handiwork. Satan's handiwork is only evil and sin.

Allah also mentioned other religious harms in using wine such as driving one away from religious obligations and remembrance of Allah. Wine also severs relations and excites enmity and hatred between people.

Some researchers wrote highlighting the harms caused by wine: Studies were carried out concerning those who are afflicted by insanity, or afflicted by chronic incurable diseases, or those who commit suicide, or kill others or those who are suffering from many severe diseases and those who were bankrupted, or those who lost their properly, etc., if one gathers statistics of the above matters it will reveal that the harm of wine is much greater than expected.

For more benefit on the ruling of pictures, please refer to Fatwa 83896.

Allah knows best.