SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Organic Meat

Is Organic Meat halal?
For the most part, the conditions under which organically raised animals are kept are more in line with Islamic ethical and cleanliness standards than with the typical practices and conditions of Factory Farming. However, the method of slaughter is a factor as to whether organic meat remains permissible. Also of importance is the cleanliness of the butchering space, specifically whether the knives or the butcher table are contaminated with the meat of a haram animal such as the pig.

Some important questions Muslim shoppers should ask
If you buy organic meat at a supermarket or organic food store...

Question: Is the meat packaged at the store, or at the farm?
Why?: If you are buying meat packaged by the producer, chances are that that producer specializes in one type of meat, one type of animal. Organic cattle farms don't often raise pork, for example. When an organic chicken farm sells its product to supermarkets all over the country, then the equipment it uses to produce and package chicken will be in demand 24/7, processing ONLY chicken.

If your organic chicken meat is butchered and packaged at the store...

Question: How many butchering tables does the store's butcher have?
Many organic stores have a relatively small butcher shop. Organic butchers tend to offer a wide range of meats, from buffalo to beef, pork, wild boar, ostrich, pheasant and chicken in low volume amounts. More-so than with supermarket butchers, organic butchers use the same table for cutting beef, lamb and buffalo as for cutting wild boar and pork. Ask the butcher at your whole foods store if they use the same butchering table and meat grinder for pork and wild boar as for beef, lamb, buffalo or venison. If they do, choose prepackaged organic meats.

If you buy zabiha slaughtered organic meat...

You are truly in the best possible situation. Your meat is in no-doubt halal, from the food that animal ate, the way it was treated, its death and the butchering conditions.

If you buy zabiha, but don't know about the farming conditions that the cow, goat or lamb was raised under, ask your halal butcher to carry organically-raised zabiha slaughtered meats.

Recommended Topics:

Factory Farming

Zabiha, Islamic slaughter
Supermarket Meat

HARAM: Animals

Categories of haram Animals

Listed below, the basic Islamic principles of permissibility and impermissibility, within the Hanafi School of Thought, with regards to animal consumption. Muslim scholars[1] have classified prohibited (haram) land and air animals into six categories. These are:

1. Animals specifically stated in the Quran and Sunnah as haram, such as domestic donkeys and pigs.
2. Animals restricted by certain characteristics and criteria, like fanged beasts of prey (predators) and birds with talons.
3. Scavengers that feed on carrion (dead animals), like vultures, crow, insects.
4. Whatever is pernicious and causes harm, injury, ruin, like rats, snakes, scorpions, raccoon, and the kite hawk.
5. Whatever is born as a result of copulation between two animal species, one of which is lawful to be eaten and the other which is prohibited, like the mule.
6. Whatever the Shari'ah has ordered us to kill, like the five pernicious animals, and what Allah has forbidden us from killing, like the frog, the hoopoe (a crested bird) and the shrike (a bird with a hooked, jagged bill).

All other animals and birds are considered lawful, according to the rule stating that anything is deemed halal (lawful)[2, 3] until proved otherwise.

Things to Keep in Mind

1. Each of the four Sunni (Shafa'i, Maliki, Hanbali & Hanafi) and the Shi'a (Jafari) Schools of Thought developed principles of permissibility with regards to which animals are lawful (halal) and which are unlawful (haram) for consumption. That being said, the basis for their jurisprudence (fiqh) is the common source of guidance for all Muslims—the Quran & Sunnah. While the principles above are representative of the whole, variations may exist.
2. There are separate rules with regards to slaughtering and hunting halal animals. Failure to comply with these rules may render the meat of a halal animal haram.
3. The jallalah of halal animals (cows, chicken, camels, etc.) are temporarily excluded from the lawful foods until they can be cleansed.

A list haram animals

ANIMAL	HALAL	COMMENTS
Boar	No
Cephalopods octopus, squid, cuttlefish	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other sunni Schools of Thought. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Crustaceans crab, lobster, crawfish	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other sunni Schools of Thought. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Donkey	No
Frog	No
Horse	Yes*	While permitted, eating horse meat is hated (makrouh).
Insects carmine, shellac, cheese mites	No*	The Arabian locust is the only insect that is allowed by both halal and kosher dietary laws.
Pig swine, boar	No
Predators, Air hawk, owl, falcon	No
Predators, Land bear, dog, alligator, snake	No
Scavengers, Carrion Eaters buzzards, raccoon, worms	No*	Scavenging sea creatures are permitted.
Shellfish mussels, clams, oysters	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other sunni Schools of Thought. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Snails	No
Zebra	Yes*	A wild donkey, zebra meat is permissible.

SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Factory Farming

This article is an important read for all Muslims concerned with adhering to Islamic law which mandates the humane treatment of animals. There is no guarantee that zabiha-slaughtered cattle did not also live under the questionable conditions imposed by large-scale agro-business.

If you've ever bought meat from your local supermarket, chances are it was raised in the environment of a large-scale agrobusiness, known as Factory Farming. In fact, according to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the world's poultry, 43 percent of beef, and 68 percent of eggs are produced this way.[1]

What is it?

Cows in a U.S. factory farm

Factory farming is the practice of raising farm animals in confinement and 'high stocking density'. Factory Farming is the practice of operating a farm as a factory, as is typical in industrial farming by agribusiness.

Factory farms hold large numbers of animals, typically cows, pigs, turkeys, or chickens, often indoors, typically in crowded conditions. The aim is to produce as much meat, eggs, or milk at the lowest possible cost. A wide variety of artificial methods are employed to maintain animal health and improve production, such as the use of antimicrobial agents, vitamin supplements, and growth hormones. Animals are physically restrained to control movement or actions regarded as undesirable.

There is a continuing debate over the benefits and risks of factory farming. The issues include food production; animal welfare; the environmental impact and health risks.

Is the Meat halal?
As pertains to the feeding, raising and care of animals meant for food, some of the basic Islamic requirements for halal meat are:

Islamic Requirement: Cleanliness of feed.
Under Islamic Law, animals fed unclean food or garbage are called Jallalah. Muslims are temporarily forbidden from eating or drinking meat or milk from jallalah animals until that animal's diet can be cleaned. This cleansing period is commonly around 3 months.

Practice: Feed
The main ingredients used in commercially prepared cattle feed are: corn, soybeans, sorghum, oats, and barley. Up until the spread of BSE (mad cow disease), cattle feed contained meat and bone meal (MBM). MBM is the product of bones and waste tissue from the meat processing industry. Having a formula of about 50% protein, 35% ash, 8-12% fat, and 4-7% moisture, it was used in animal feed to increase the protein content. In most parts of the world, including America, MBM is no longer allowed in feed for ruminant animals such as cows and sheep, however it is still used in pig feed.[2, 3]

Practice: Cleanliness of Environment
One of the main features of densely populated factory farms is that waste, feces and urine, from animals is constantly being produced. Perpetually caged animals such as chickens are often urinated on by chickens in cages above them.

Islamic Requirement: Ease and Well-being of the Animal
In both Quran and Hadith, Islam mandates humane treatment towards animals. The Prophet Muhammad forbade people to capture and cage birds, burn anthills, and whip or brand animals. Muslims are forbidden from eating the meat of al-mujathama (مجثمة)—animals penned in and killed under duress for sport.

Muslims are responsible for the care of animals. So much so that an ill-treated animal will testify against the one who abused it on the Day of Judgment. It is such a serious matter that in Islam, one could gain Heaven or Hell due to one’s treatment of animals. Even in slaughtering animals for food, Islam requires that the slaughtering be done according to Islamic procedure, which aims to cause the animals as little suffering as possible.[4]

Practice: Animal Welfare

Breeding sows in gestation crates

The large concentration of animals, animal waste, and the potential for dead animals in a small space poses ethical issues. It is recognised that some techniques used in industrial agriculture can be cruel to animals.[5]

Raising a large number of animals under confinement in crowded conditions often requires that certain animals, such as veal calves, and pregnant cows or pigs be confined in cages where they cannot move or change position.[6]

In factory poultry farming, particularly for eggs, birds are kept in rows of cages, and their environment, ventilation, heating and lighting are dictated automatically.[7] The small confining cages reduce stimulation of the poultry, which often results in chickens pecking each other or themselves.[8] A study by the Agricultural and Food Research Council in 1992 also found that 50% of battery farmed poultry had bone disorders such as osteoporosis[7] or breakages. In some farms, chickens are debeaked, their beaks removed so they will not be tempted to fight each other or to resort to cannibalism.[5, 9]

Because the aim of factory farming is high-output at low cost, animals are unfortuntely regarded as a commodity to be optimized. This objectification of animals can lead to mistreatment, abuse or neglect. There have been several documented cases of such animals being mistreated, even when using the industry's guidelines as a standard.

It is AMNA's stand that meat, eggs and milk from animals coming from such an environment cannot be considered halal. The challenge, then, facing the Muslim consumer is knowing if the meat they are purchasing, whether supermarket meat, or zabiha slaughtered, is from one such animal. The growth of free-range and organic cattle farming practices, and the availability of organic and free range meat, whether at the supermarket or the local halal butcher, has made it easier for Muslims to buy meat that is truely in-line with Islamic law, from birth-through-slaughter.

References:
[1] "State of the World 2006," Worldwatch Institute, p. 26.
[2] Wikipedia: Meat and Bone Meal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_and_bone_meal
[3] Adedokun, S. A. and L. Adeola. 2005. "Metabolizable energy value of meat and bone meal for pigs." J. Anim. Sci. 83(11): 2519-2526.
[4] "The Love of Animals." Hediyah Al-Amin, Islam-Online.net. http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/Environment/article04.shtml
[5] UK DEFRA comment on de-beaking recognising it as cruel. http://www.kt.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/FACT%20sheet%20PDF%20files/kt32.pdf
[6] Wikipedia: Factory Farming. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming
[7] Animal Liberation NSW Battery Hens
[8] VEGA Laying hens, free range and bird flu
[9] Wikipedia: Poultry Farming. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_farming
[10] "Best Practices for Beef Slaughter," 2003. Edited by: National Meat Association, Southwest Meat Association, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. http://haccpalliance.org/sub/food-safety/BestPracslaught1103.pdf [PDF]

Quran & Hadith: Zabiha (ذبيحة)

Zabihah in the Quran

اليوم احل لكم الطيبات وطعام الذين اوتوا الكتاب حل لكم وطعامكم حل لهم والمحصنات من المؤمنات والمحصنات من الذين اوتوا الكتاب من قبلكم اذا اتيتموهن اجورهن محصنين غير مسافحين ولامتخذي اخدان ومن يكفر بالايمان فقد حبط عمله وهو في الاخرة من الخاسرين

"This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time,- when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues if any one rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)."
— Quran, Surat Al-Ma'idah 5:5

ولاتاكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه وانه لفسق وان الشياطين ليوحون الى اوليائهم ليجادلوكم وان اطعتموهم انكم لمشركون

"Do not eat that which the name of Allah has not been mentioned."
— Quran. Surat al-Ana'm. 6:121

Hadith referencing Zabihah

Prohibition Against Cruelty to Animals
Narrated by Abu Darda: "
The Prophet (s.a.s.) prevented the eating of khatafah (خطفة) [creatures that snatch (monkeys, raccoons, etc.)], nahabah (نهبه) [creatures that plunder (mice, rats, etc.)] and mujathama (مجثمة) [animals which are tied down, restricted or penned in for target shooting], and every predator possessing canine teeth / fangs."
— Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja and Nisaa'i

“When you will show mercy on an animal, God will show mercy on you.”
—Al-Hakim

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
"Allah's Apostle said, 'A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger.' Allah's Apostle further said, '(Allah knows better) Allah said (to the woman), "You neither fed it nor watered when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the insects of the earth."' "
— Bukhari 3:553. Also in Muslim, Narrated Abu Huraira

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (r.a.a.):
"The Prophet (s.a.s.) said: 'Do not take anything in which there is a soul as a target.' "

Narrated by Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (r.a.a.):
"The Messenger of Allah (s.a.s.) forbade tormenting any kind of animal to death."
— Muslim

... In Slaughter
“If one wishes to slaughter an animal, let him prepare for it”
— Ibn Majah

On the authority of Abu Ya’la Shahddad ibn Aus, the Messenger of Allah said:
“Verily Allah has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill well; and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters”
— Muslim

lbn `Abbas once recorded that the Prophet (s.a.s.) saw a man who was sharpening his knife after laying down a sheep to be slaughtered. He rebuked him saying, “Did you intend to make it die two deaths? Why did you not sharpen your knife before laying it down?”
— Al-Hakim

"Allah has ordained kindness (or excellence) in everything. If killing is to be done, do it in the best manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner by first sharpening the knife and putting the animal at ease."
— Muslim

In an incident narrated by Rafi’ bin Khadij, the Prophet told Muslims who wanted to slaughter some animals using reeds: “Use whatever causes blood to flow, and eat the animals if the Name of Allah has been mentioned on slaughtering them...”
— Bukhari

Islamic Schools of Thought

Regarding the Mentioning of bismillah 
... at the Time of Slaughter
Between the Islamic Schools of Thought, there are differences of opinion as to the mentioning of the Name of Allah at the time of slaughter, which would render the same meat either permissible or impermissible by different Schools.

The Hanafi School of fiqh states:
"If the slaughterer intentionally does not mention Allah's name (at the time of slaughter), then the slaughtered animal is 'dead meat' (maytah) and is not allowable. If the slaughterer leaves off the name of Allah forgetfully (but with intention), then it is allowable."
— Al-Hidayah. Kitab al-Dhabaha.

The Hanafi School of fiqh allows the meat to be eaten when the mentioning has been left off, forgetfully, to allow for the forgetfulness of mankind and to ease hardship on the people. For the Hanafis, the action is what is sanctified, not the animal (meat) to be slaughtered, citing the hadith below. The slaughterer's intention is voiced by his saying bismillah, but the forgetting of saying bismillah does not nullify the intention of the sincere slaughterer. Therefore, by the same rites, it is not sufficient to say bismillah only on the meat while it is on your plate because the action has already occured.

Narrated Aadee bin Hatem:
"I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, I send my (hunting) dog and mention the Name of Allah.’ The Prophet (s.a.s.) told me: ‘If you send your dog mentioning the Name of Allah and he killed, you eat; but if he eats from it, do not eat. He has caught it for himself.’ I said: ‘I send my dog, and then I find another dog with him, and I do not know which one caught for me.’ The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Do not eat, because you only invoked the Name on your dog, and not on the other.’"
— Al-Bukhari and Muslim

With regards to the requirement that the slaughterer must mention the Name of Allah, the Hanafi School does not make a distinction as to whether the slaughterer is Muslim, Christian or Jew. All must mention His Name, since all are regarded as worshipping Allah, the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

The Maliki School of fiqh states:
"The meat is not allowable from both angles (whether or not the Name of Allah was left off intentionally, or non-intentionally)."

Imam Malik takes the literal meaning of the ayyah [6:121], to allow only those meats over which the Name of Allah has been mentioned at the time of slaughter. Period.

The Shafi'i School of fiqh states: 
The Shafi'i School of fiqh is of the opinion that the meat of halal animals is edible regardless of whether the Name of Allah has been pronounced on it at the time of slaughter, so long as the conditions of slaughter are met. The Shafi'i School cites the following ahadith for its position:

Narrated Hadrat Sayyidah A’isha:
"A group of people said to the Nabi (s.a.s.), 'Some people brought us meat and we do not know whether or not they have mentioned Allah’s name on it (while slaughtering the animal) or not.' He (s.a.s.) said, 'Mention the Name of Allah over it and then eat it.'”
— Sahih al-Bukhari

"The Muslim slaughters in the Name of Allah, whether it is mentioned or not mentioned."
— Dar al-Qutni and Baihaqi

Regarding Food (Meat) of the People of the Book
The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa (http://www.fatwa-online.com), an Islamic organization consisting of the most senior Sunni scholars of fiqh in Saudi Arabia says:

"[At the time of the Prophet (s.a.s.)], the Jews and Christians were disbelievers in many of the fundamentals of faith which were brought in the Torah and Injeel: the Jews disbelieved in the prophethood of some prophets, such as ‘Isa and Muhammad (p.b.u.t.), and they killed the prophets unlawfully and corrupted many of the laws of the Torah. A number of them said ‘Uzair was the son of Allah, etc. [Also at that time] the Christians used to [and still] say that Allah is the Third of Three (in a trinity), and that Isa is the son of Allah, and they disbelieve in the prophethood of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).

"In spite of this, Allah called them the People of the Scripture and He made it permissible for the Muslims (to eat) their slaughtered animals and to marry their chaste women. Their disbelief, their polytheism and their corruption of their Scriptures did not prevent the ruling of the People of the Scripture being implemented regarding them during the time of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). So it does not prevent them from being implemented regarding them until the Day of Resurrection.”
— Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 6, p. 247

AMNA Note: It is AMNA's position that (strictly speaking) it is not haram to eat meat that the name of Allah was not spoken over during slaughter, so long as it is said before the food has been consumed AND so long as it can be reasonably established that the animal was slaughtered in an 'Islamic manner'— not shocked, maltreated, stunned or otherwise rendered unconscious before death.

However, AMNA acknowledges that given the prevailing conditions found in Factory Farming, particularly the well publicized mistreatment of some animals in certain slaughterhouses, buying supermarket meat is problematic and raises more questions than answers, and as such is best to avoid.

Therefore, AMNA believes where halal butchers exist, Muslims should buy zabihah so that they may avoid problematic or questionable foods.

Regarding Stunning before Slaughter
In slaughterhouses, it is common to give large animals such as cows a blow to the forehead using a retractable bolt gun. Because a small fraction of these animals die from the blow, instead of just being knocked unconscious, and because of issues of animal cruelty, there has been an ongoing debate as to whether this practice is halal. Here, we provide a brief overview of positions from both sides.

"If it is not easy to slaughter animals unless they have been stunned by a method that will not kill them before they are slaughtered, then it is permissible to stun them and slaughter them whilst they are still alive, in cases of necessity. "
— Fataawa al-Lajnah al-‘Daa’imah, 22/456-457

"Cattle that have been exposed to a fatal blow are permissible so long as they are slaughtered properly before they die, otherwise it is not permissible to eat them."
— Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 22/455

According to the ruling on animals which are slaughtered after suffering a violent blow (but before dying), these scholars take the position that if the butcher slaughters the cattle as soon as it is struck, then it is permissible to eat it. But if it is 'slaughtered' after it has died then it is not permissible to eat.

The problem for Muslims is that U.S. Meat Industry regulations do not prohibit meat from animals that have died from the blow. Muslims have no way of knowing if supermarket meat came from an animal who died before slaughter or not.

Reference:
"Best Practices for Beef Slaughter," 2003. Edited by: National Meat Association, Southwest Meat Association, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.  http://haccpalliance.org/sub/food-safety/BestPracslaught1103.pdf [PDF]
SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Factory Farming

ZABIHA (ذبيحة): Slaughter

What is Zabiha (ذبيحة)?
Zabiha is the Islamic method of slaughtering halal (permissible) land animals and birds for food. In the Arabic language, zhebH means "to slay (by drawing blood)". For zhebH to be religiously correct, a few other conditions must be met:

• The animal must be in good physical and emotional health.
• The animal must be made to be comfortable (not anxious). 
• The animal cannot see other animals being killed, nor see their bodies.
• The animal must not see the slaughtering knife.
• The animal cannot be rendered unconscious, electrocuted or stunned by a blow to the head. 
• The knife must be sharp enough to sever the major arteries of the neck with one sure swipe.
• The slaughterer should be a Muslim. (Muslims are permitted to eat the food of People of the Book [Christians and Jews], however; Some Islamic Schools of Thought hold that only a Muslim of good piety can perform zabiha.)
• Recitation of "in the name of Allah" (bismillah) should be performed before slaughter.
• The slaughter must be swiftly completed in one swipe.
• The animal must be exsanguinated - drained of all flowing blood.

[ Zabiha in Quran & Hadith ]

Should Muslims buy only Zabiha meat?
This is a complex and personal question. The answer to which is determined by many factors, some of which are:


Availability -

There are many Muslims living in places where it is difficult to find fresh, unprocessed Zabiha meat.


Diversity of Islamic Tradition -

The diverse American Islamic Community brings together people from varying Islamic traditions (Schools of Thought). This diversity creates a situation where Muslims can hold sometimes conflicting opinions on the acceptability of meat from Ahl al-Kitaab (Christians and Jews), supermarket meat and the necessity of zabiha meat.


Regulations -

Some countries, like Great Britain legally require an animal to be stunned before slaughter.


Industry Practices -

Muslims in America and other Western countries may find that it is common practice to electrocute certain animals before slaughter, or that some animals die from blows to the head that were meant to only render them unconscious. In these case, that animal becomes "dead meat" -- forbidden for Muslims to eat. Because it is impossible to discern how the animal who provided the meat in your grocer's butcher died, it is advisable for Muslims to stay away from all meat where that type of animal commonly is stunned before slaughter.

Related topics:
What are the halal animals?
What are the haram animals?
What are the differences and similarities between kosher and halal animals?
What is Factory Farming?
What about Supermarket Meat?
Organic Meat
Does Islam prohibit cruelty to animals?
The jallalah (impure) of halal animals.
How does AMNA judge foods containing meat?

Quran & Hadith: Index

ياايها الذين امنوا كلوا من طيبات مارزقناكم واشكروا لله ان كنتم اياه تعبدون

"O ye who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him ye worship."
— Quran. 2:172

ALCOHOL

• ALCOHOL in the Quran
• Hadith referencing ALCOHOL
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

BLOOD

• BLOOD in the Quran
• Hadith referencing BLOOD
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

CARRION (DEAD) الميتة

• CARRION in the Quran
• Hadith referencing CARRION
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

DONKEY & HORSE

• DONKEY & HORSE in the Quran
• Hadith referencing DONKEY & HORSE
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

HALAL

• HALAL in the Quran
• Hadith referencing HALAL
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

HAWWAM
(Insects, Reptiles, Amphibians & Rodents)

• HAWWAM in the Quran
• Hadith referencing HAWWAM
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

HUMAN, PRIMATE

• HUMANS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing HUMANS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

PORK

• PIGS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing PIGS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

PREDATORS

• PREDATORS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing PREDATORS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

SHIRK شرك

• SHIRK in the Quran
• Hadith referencing SHIRK
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

TOXIC / INTOXICANT

• INTOXICANTS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing INTOXICANTS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

Zabihah ذبيحة

• Zabihah in the Quran
• Hadith referencing Zabihah
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

KOSHER, HALAL Comparison

Jewish dietary law, kashruth, has differences and similarities to Islamic dietary law. Understanding when kosher helps us and when it hinders us from keeping halal is key to raising awareness with manufacturers, distinguishing ourselves as a market of our own, and driving the demand for halal food products.

Alcohol
In Islam, alcohol and alcohol-derived products including (most) wine vinegars are prohibited—even when used in cooking. 

Alcohol is kosher, however, all grape products, including wines, brandies and other grape-based alcohols must be prepared under Orthodox Rabbinic supervision. For a wine to be kosher, it cannot be produced by non-Jews. All other (non-grape) alcoholic drinks can be certified kosher, so long as it contains no non-kosher ingredients and the equipment used to prepare it is inspected under the supervision of a rabbi.

Pig
In Islam, the eating or application (cosmetics, for example) of pig products (pork, gelatin, etc.) is forbidden.

In Judaism, the eating of pig products is forbidden. However, the injection (injectable collagen) or application of pig derived products is largely not forbidden. There have been recent rabbinical rulings that suggest a trend away from the religious permissibility of topical and injectable pig-derived products, however.

Blood
In Islam, the eating or drinking of blood that has flowed from flesh is prohibited. A slaughtered animal must be thoroughy exsanguinated (drained of all flowing blood). Accordingly, while preparing meat for cooking, Muslims routinely wash raw meat, soaking it in a solution of vinegar and water, or water and salt, to further draw out surface blood from the meat.

For meat to be kosher, all blood and large blood vessels must be removed from the meat. This is most commonly done by soaking and salting, but also can be done by a special broiling process. The hindquarters of a mammal are not kosher unless the sciatic nerve and the fat surrounding it are removed. 

Cheeses
Islam has no prohibition against mixing meat and dairy products. Cheese is allowed in the Muslim diet. However, Muslims concerned with the slaughter of the calf from which the rennet came may choose to eat kosher or vegetarian cheeses to avoid doubtful areas.

For any cheese to be kosher, whether or not it is made with GM, microbial or animal rennet, it must be "Jewish cheese" (gevinat Yisrael) – cheese produced by a Jew or by a Jewish owned company.
1) Contrary to common knowledge, the use of animal rennet in cheesemaking does not go against the kashrut prohibition against eating meat and dairy together.
2) Rabbinical opinions differ as to whether animal rennet must come from a kosher-slaughtered calf.[1, 3]

Dead Meat
Islamic and Jewish both prohibit the eating of dead meat. It is forbidden to eat the meat from an animal that died of illness, a blow, by trapping, or a natural death, or any animal killed in any manner other than by slaughter or the hunt (not permissible in Judaism).[4] 

Insects
Islam prohibits eating insects, except for the Arabian locust. Vegetables must be washed to remove insects. 

Eating insects violates 3-6 laws of the Torah; so it is a greater sin than the consumption of pork in Jewish law.[5] However, as in Islam, certain sub-species of locust are kosher. To be kosher, vegetables, especially leafy vegetables must be checked for insect infestation.

Mixing Meat and Milk Products
Islam does not forbid the eating of meat and dairy in the same meal. 

Jewish dietary law forbids: 1) cooking meat and milk together in any form; 2) eating such cooked products, or 3) deriving benefit from them. As a safeguard, the Rabbis extended this prohibition to disallow the eating of meat and dairy products at the same meal or preparing them with the same utensils. Milk products cannot be consumed after eating meat, for a period of time. Most customs say to wait six hours. Prior to eating meat after dairy, one must eat a solid food, either drink a liquid or thoroughly rinse one’s mouth, and check the cleanliness of ones hands.

Slaughter
In both zabiha and shechita, the Islamic and Jewish methods of slaughter, the animal must be in good health and fully conscious. Before either zabiha or shechita occurs, the slaughterer recites a blessing, saying: 

Islamic zabiha: "Bismillah, hal raHmaan ar-raHeem (In the Name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful)."

Jewish shechita: "Blessed are You... Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning slaughtering."[6]

Both must use an extremely sharp knife and swiftly, and with enough depth, cut through the major veins of the neck. Lastly, for the meat to be halal or kosher, the animal must be drained of all flowing blood. 

Utensils
Islam does not mandate seperate utensils. Utensils previously used to prepare pork or another haram substance must be thoroughly washed while the Islamic statement of faith (shehadah) spoken.

A kosher kitchen must have two different sets of utensils, one for meat and poultry and the other for dairy foods. There must be separate, distinct sets of pots, pans, plates and silverware.

A comparative list of kosher and halal animals

ANIMAL	KOSHER7	HALAL	NOTES
Antelope	Yes	Yes
Boar	No	No
Buffalo	Yes	Yes
Camel	No	Yes
Cephalopods octopus, squid, cuttlefish	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Cow	Yes	Yes
Crustaceans crab, lobster, crawfish	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Deer	Yes	Yes
Donkey	No	No
Frog	No	No
Goat	Yes	Yes
Horse	No	Yes*	Horse meat is considered makrouh tanzih (Shafa'i) and makrouh tahreem (Malaki, Hanbali, Hanafi).
Insects carmine, shellac, cheese mites	No*	No*	The Arabian locust is both halal and kosher.
Ostrich	No	Yes
Pig swine, boar	No	No
Predators, Air hawk, owl, falcon	No	No
Predators, Land bear, dog, alligator, snake	No	No
Predators, Sea	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Scavengers, Carrion Eaters buzzards, raccoon, worms	No	No*	Scavenging sea creatures are permitted.
Sheep	Yes	Yes
Shellfish mussels, clams, oysters	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Snails	No	No
Zebra	No	Yes

Related Topics:
What is the size of the U.S. Market for halal products
Kosher: Under-serving Muslim Consumers
What are the advantages to producing halal foods for companies already producing kosher foods?
What are the halal animals?
What are the haram animals?
What is zabiha?
How does AMNA judge foods containing meat?
BLOOD: In Islam, it's Haram

References:
[1] Gordimer, Rabbi A. "How is Cheese Made Kosher?" AskMoses.com reprinted from OUKosher.org. (Retrieved: March 26, 2009)
http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/555,2097191/How-is-cheese-made-kosher.html
[2] Wikipedia: Kashruth : Vegetarianism. (Retrieved March 26, 2009) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashruth#Vegetarianism
[3] "Wikipedia: Kashruth : How Kashrut is viewed by contemporary Judaism. (Retrieved March 26, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashruth#How_kashrut_is_viewed_by_contemporary_Judaism
[4] Luban, Rabbi Yaakov "The Kosher Primer," The OU website: http://oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/the_kosher_primer/P1/
[5] Positive Mitzvah #151: Searching for the prescribed signs in grasshoppers. Leviticus 11.21
[6] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What is kosher meat?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/553,2193106/What-is-kosher-meat.html
[7] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What are kosher animals?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/277,180/What-are-kosher-animals.html

KOSHER: Meats

Kosher Animals
Kosher animals are creatures that meet the Torah's criteria for what's permissible for Jews to consume. Kosher means 'fit', and kosher animals are animals that are fit for Jews to eat. Kashruth prohibits all predators, whether land, air or sea as well as all insects except for certain sub-species of locust.

Kosher mammals and birds must be slaughtered according to shechita (שחיטה), or 'the slaughter'.[1] 

Land Animals
Kosher land animals must have completely split hooves and they must chew their cud, like the goat, sheep, deer and cow. They cannot be predators or otherwise eat meat. Pawed animals like the dog, cat and rodents and all round hooved animal like the horse and the donkey are not kosher.[2, 3]

Birds
Kosher laws applying to birds are the same as those for land animals—if a bird kills other animals regularly for its own food, eats meat, or is known to be dangerous, it's not kosher. Raptors, eagles, hawks, owls and other hunting birds, vultures and other carrion-eating birds, and storks, kingfishers, penguins and other fish-eating birds are not kosher. Ostriches and other giant fowl, which are capable of killing you or otherwise ruining your day, are also forbidden. Ducks, geese, turkeys, and chicken are kosher.[2, 4]

Fish
For aquatic creatures, the Torah lays down two simple laws: the creature must have fins, and the creature must have scales. Crustaceans, shellfish, squid and octopi have neither. Sharks, whales, and dolphins have fins but not scales.[5]

Meat & Dairy
The mixing of meat and dairy in the same meal period is forbidden under kosher law. This means that cheeseburgers and chicken pizza are not kosher.

Kosher Slaughter[6] (שחיטה) 
Jewish method of slaughter, shechita, has similar requirements to Islamic zabiha; kosher meat is acceptable for Muslims to eat. This section describes several aspects of the shechita process against requirements for zabiha.

As in Islam, Jewish law states that kosher mammals and birds must be slaughtered according to a strict set of guidelines, known as 'the slaughter' or shechita (שחיטה). This necessarily eliminates the practice of hunting wild game for food, unless it can be captured alive and then ritually slaughtered; this is not the case in Islamic law.

The Slaughter
As with zabiha, a professional slaughterer, or shochet (שוחט), using a large razor-sharp knife with absolutely no irregularities, nicks or dents, and checked carefully between killing each animal, makes a single cut across the throat to a precise depth, severing both carotid arteries, both jugular veins, the vagus nerve, the trachea and the esophagus, no higher than the epiglottis and no lower than where cilia begin inside the trachea, causing the animal to bleed to death. Islamic law dictates that the slaughterer not allow the animal to see the knife.

Any variation from this exact procedure invalidates the process, rendering the carcass not kosher (nevela). It is sold as regular meat to the general public.

The Slaughterer
Similar to Islamic requirements, the shochet must not only be rigorously trained in this procedure, but also a pious Jew of good character who observes the Sabbath, and who remains cognizant that these are God's creatures who are sacrificing their lives for the good of himself and his community and should not be allowed to suffer in any way shape or form. In smaller communities, the shochet was often the town rabbi or the rabbi of one of the local synagogues; large factories which produce Kosher meat have professional full time shochtim on staff. 

Physical Inspection (bedika)
As with zabiha, before slaughter, the shochet inspects the animal for illness, lesions, evidence of bruising or broken bones. Ill or maimed animals are not fit to be kosher. 

After the animal has been properly slaughtered, a trained inspector (bodek) inspects the internal organs for any abnormalities that may render the animal non-kosher (treif). There are seventy different irregularities or growths on an animal's internal organs, which would render the animal non-kosher. The lungs, in particular, must be examined in order to determine that they are smooth (glatt). If scarring is found, the bodek must further examine it carefully to determine its kashrus status.

Stunning
As with zabiha, the animal must be in good health and fully conscious at the time of shechita, however, compromises in countries (such as the U.K.) with animal cruelty laws that prohibit such practices involve stunning the animal to lessen the suffering that occurs while the animal bleeds to death. However, the use of electric shocks to daze the animal is often not accepted by some markets as producing meat which is Kosher.

Removing Blood
As does the Quran, the Torah forbids the consumption of the blood of an animal. The two Torah accepted methods of extracting blood from meat, a process referred to as “koshering”, are either salting or broiling.[7]

Unlike in Islam, kosher law requires that meat be koshered (soaked in salt) within 72 hours after slaughter so as not to allow the blood to congeal. If meat has been thoroughly soaked prior to the 72 hours limit, an additional seventy-two hours time stay is granted to complete the first step of the salting process.

Unlike in Islam, the hindquarters of a mammal are not kosher unless the sciatic nerve and the fat surrounding it are removed.[8] This is a very time-consuming process demanding a great deal of special training, and is rarely done outside Israel where there is a greater demand for kosher meat. When it is not done the hindquarters of the animal are sold for non-kosher meat.

Related Topics:
Kosher v. Halal: What are the differences and similarities of kosher and halal?
A comparison of kosher and halal animals
What are the halal animals?
What are the haram animals?
What is zabiha?
How does AMNA judge foods containing meat?
BLOOD: In Islam, it's Haram

References:
[1] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What is kosher meat?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/553,2193106/What-is-kosher-meat.html
[2] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What are kosher animals?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/277,180/What-are-kosher-animals.html
[3] Positive Mitzvah #149: Searching for the prescribed signs in cattle and animals. Leviticus 11.2
[4] Positive Mitzvah #150: Searching for the prescribed signs in birds. Deuteronomy 14.11
[5] Positive Mitzvah #152: Searching for the prescribed signs in fish. Leviticus 11.9
[6] Luban, Rabbi Yaakov "The Kosher Primer," The OU website: http://oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/the_kosher_primer/P1/
[7] Kumer, Dinka. "Why is it so important to drain all the blood from kosher meat?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/146,88523/Why-is-it-so-important-to-drain-all-the-blood-from-kosher-meat.html
[8] Genesis 32, last verse