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Accepting under this tweet your theories about why Islam bothered to prohibit the consumption of pork given that Arabs did not eat pork or keep pigs anyway (you can't herd them, and you need permanent water to raise them anyway). I have my own theories but curious to hear yours.
So thanks for all the very interesting answers - here's what I think:
So first off, the Qur'an (e.g. in 6:145) describes the خنزير as unclean (رجس). But also, the Arabic word خنز literally means "gone rancid". So the word خنزير could mean not only pork but also any meat that is quick to spoil/stink
Also note from the context of the verses, the Arabs of Quraysh had invented their own class-based dietary restrictions (Qu'ran 6:138 etc). The Qur'an was removing old food restrictions, more than introducing arbitrary new ones
In fact 6:145 literally says: No food is prohibited except if it's unclean رجس or if it involved depravity فسق (such as being sacrificed to pagan idols). In other words the impetus of the verse isn't "stop eating this" but "stop unnecessarily prohibiting these other things"
But also, the Qur'an says clearly and repeatedly that it's a successor message in the same tradition as the prophets of the Israelites. If you read the Qu'ran from start, you encounter "Oh, people of Israel" (2:40) before "Oh, ye who believe" (2:104)
At the time, the Romans (Byzantines), who were not originally from the Near East, were big on eating pigs. The Greeks long before them were, too - Jews even endured persecution, forced to eat pork and assimilate into Greek customs. Antiochus IV, Maccabean revolt, etc
And so my understanding is that prohibiting خنزير is (1) a prohibition on all meat that is quick to go rancid, including pork, explained as a matter of cleanliness; and (2) a signal that this message is a successor message in the same line as that of the Israelites والله أعلم
Honestly the more interesting question is why did the early Israelites make the prohibition on pig-eating so central to their identity given that nobody around them ate pigs anyway
