Pork & Sin

My beloved mother reacted angrily at me after I decline her pork cooking on one fine dinner: "You have already eaten pork for 20 years plus, so what's wrong with you now?!"

Yes, no doubt that very meat has been swallowed, digested, and already part of my flesh, my skin, my blood, my body for the past 25 years. By today's standard in this society, I am darkened by sin, too sinful to recite my first Shahadah and be a Muslim.

But how many of us know that, with our first Shahadah declaration, all our previous sins are thus forgiven?
How many of us know that Allah will not punish us for things we didn't realize in the first place?

To put the facts straightforward, it is no big deal if you have already eaten chocolates that may contain Haram substance, because you didn't eat it with the awareness of the pork inside. There is no need to be so dead-shocked as if you have committed Syirik (worshiping other gods besides One God). Just repent, and stay away from that. Full stop.

Alerting others about other food that contain hidden Haram ingredients is a good act. However, please, please, please. Don't write it as something alarming as if you have just found a devil in the bottle. Do not even go too far as to think that these companies may have "agenda jahat". You are not God who knows what is in their hearts.

You should not be dead-shocked by the pork found in the tasty chocolate. But you should have been looonnggg dead-shocked by the smoking habits of our Muslim brothers and sisters since ages ago. Smoking is Haram, ok?

But if you found a pearl inside oyster sauce, Keep Calm & Keep It :)