Reason for Unlawfulness

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, why has Allah, most Blessed, most High, made wine, dead animals, blood and the flesh of pigs unlawful?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Allah, who is free of all defects, the most High has not made such things unlawful for His servants and made certain things lawful for them because of His interest in what He has made unlawful and His dislike of what He has made lawful for them. In fact He created the creatures and He, most Majestic, most Glorious, knew what their bodies needed and what was beneficial for them; so He made such things lawful for them as a favor to them from Him, most Blessed, most High, for their well being. He knew what was harmful to them, so He prohibited them and made it unlawful to them but then He made lawful for those compelled and in the times when their bodies could not survive without it so He commanded to use it for the bare necessities and not more.’ “He (the Imam) said, ‘The dead animals are unlawful; no one must use it every now and then because it weakens their bodies, makes it thin and his power goes away, his offspring become cutoff and those who eat dead bodies die suddenly. “Blood is unlawful because eating it causes yellow fluid, bad breath, foul smell, bad moral behavior and causes an illness similar to madness, hardheartedness, lack of kindness and sympathy so much so that one may murder his children, and parents, and he cannot be trusted about his best friends and his companions. “The flesh of pigs is unlawful because Allah, most Blessed, most High, metamorphosed certain people in different shapes such as pigs, apes and bears and others. He then prohibited eating such things, it is a kind of cannibalism, so people must not take advantage of such things and must not take consequent suffering lightly. “Wine is made unlawful because of its bad effects and damages it may cause. He (the Imam) then said, ‘One who often uses wine is like a worshipper of idols, it causes tremors, takes away the light (beauty), abolishes kindness, carries him to excessive boldness against the relatives like bloodshed and fornication. He, when drunk cannot be trusted and he may disregard his sanctity when failing to understand. Drinking wine does not increase anything to one except what is worse and evil.’”