Bias Against Jews and Women in Islam

Allah and the Prophet Muhammad did not know why fish and meat rot — Islam’s habitual hostility toward Jews and women

For those of us abroad who cannot afford the very high-priced sweets from Bengali stores, these Indian canned sweets are our only reliance. A bit cheaper. Food in cans stays good for several years. Even when I lived in Bangladesh, I used to buy gulab jamun — Aarong makes it.

Canned food is very popular here. Many companies sell cooked fish and meat in cans. Some Bangladeshi entrepreneurs could, if they wished, process canned food targeting expatriates and export it. Mustard hilsa, steamed pitha, pātshāk, kala bhuna, mezban — it wouldn’t be bad if these were available in cans.

You know, bacteria are responsible for the rotting of fish, meat, or other perishable items. If they do not come into contact with bacteria, they will not rot even if kept forever; although due to chemical reactions, some or many changes will occur over time.

During canned food processing, usually the food and the can are first freed from bacteria, then the food is placed inside and sealed — job done. Now its quality remains more or less the same for several years. Although they give a 2/3-year expiry, because of chemical factors.

It doesn’t end there. The science behind food spoilage is now clear. Meat, fish, or other organic matter rot because bacteria (mainly Clostridium, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Listeria, etc.) and fungi act on them. These microorganisms break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, organic acids, and other substances — resulting in bad odor, color changes, and toxicity. Temperature, humidity, oxygen, and pH control this process. In frozen or dried conditions, bacterial growth almost stops; in canning, heat and pressure (autoclave or retort processes) kill bacteria and their spores, then airtight sealing is done. As a result, no new bacteria can enter the can. This technology began with the work of Nicolas Appert in the early 19th century and has now reached industrial standards.

No nation’s “habit” or any woman’s “nature” plays a role here — only biology and physics explain everything. You may wonder why the mention of nation or women here? The almighty creator of the universe, known as Allah, who will burn you in fire forever if you do not acknowledge him, and the supposedly greatest wise, knowledgeable, purest man of all time, Rasul Muhammad, did not know why food — especially meat — rots. The two of them together blamed the Jews for meat spoilage. Without Bani Isra’il or the Jews, meat would supposedly never rot. Along with that, they gave women a thin bamboo stick — the “nature” of wives being disobedient to husbands.

Now let’s look at the hadith. In Sahih Bukhari (3399/3330) and Sahih Muslim, narrated by Abu Huraira:
“If it were not for the Children of Israel, meat would not decay; and if it were not for Hawwa (Eve), no woman would ever betray her husband.” (Arabic: لَوْلَا بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لَمْ يَخْنَزِ اللَّحْمُ، وَلَوْلَا حَوَّاءُ لَمْ تَخُنْ أُنْثَى زَوْجَهَا الدَّهْرَ).

This statement is divided into two parts, and both directly conflict with modern knowledge. Completely ignorant and filled with malice.

The first part — blaming Bani Isra’il/Jews for meat spoilage. Traditional explanations say that during Moses’ time, when manna and salwa descended, they were forbidden to store it; they disobeyed and stored it, so as punishment meat began to rot, or they were the first to start the habit of storing food. This explanation is scientifically unacceptable. Meat spoilage is a universal biological process. It has existed since the emergence of bacteria in Earth’s history — thousands of years before humans appeared. Prehistoric fossils, archaeological evidence from ancient Egyptians and other civilizations, and modern laboratory observations show that meat rots without any “disobedience” from any particular nation. Even if one claims that bacteria were created by Allah or any creator, that creator seems to have forgotten that he himself created these microorganisms — and then blamed an entire nation for spoilage. This is a science-denying myth. More seriously, it places a permanent stigma on an entire group (Jews/Bani Isra’il). Portraying a universal natural phenomenon like food spoilage as their “fault” is hateful and malicious. Such descriptions align with other historical forms of anti‑Jewish prejudice and are unacceptable by modern ethical standards.

The second part — attributing women’s “nature” of betraying husbands to Hawwa (Eve). The explanation says Hawwa persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, so women inherited that “betrayal.” This portrays women as inherently morally weak, prone to betrayal, and disobedient to husbands. Modern psychology, sociology, and gender studies show that betrayal or disobedience is not a gender-specific “nature” — it results from personal, social, economic, and psychological factors. Both men and women can equally engage in such behavior. This part of the hadith insults women collectively and provides justification for patriarchal control. It is against women’s dignity and equality.

Overall, this hadith (which is recognized as sahih) creates a dual problem: on one hand, it presents natural phenomena as supernatural punishment or national fault, which is completely inconsistent with modern knowledge of bacteria, canning, and food preservation; on the other hand, it spreads hatred against Jews and derogatory generalizations against women. “All the world’s faults lie with Jews and women” — such ideas cannot be reconciled with any knowledge‑based or justice‑based worldview.

The success of canned food itself proves that spoilage is controllable — remove bacteria, seal it. No nation’s habit or any woman’s ancestor’s “sin” is relevant here. Science has shown us that natural processes can be understood and controlled; religious texts making such claims obstruct that understanding and fuel social prejudice. Criticizing this hadith — and thus Islam, its Allah, and Muhammad — is therefore not only in favor of scientific truth but also in favor of human dignity and reason.