HALAL: Main

HALAL (حلال, ḥalāl, halaal) - an Arabic term meaning "permissible." In the English language, it most frequently refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic law. In the Arabic language, it refers to anything that is permissible under Islam. The term halal is often inaccurately used as a synonym for zabihah (ذبيحة) — the prescribed method of ritual slaughter of all allowable animals (excluding fish and most sea-life) per Islamic law.

Getting a consensus on what is halal, especially with regards to meats, is one of the biggest challenges that diverse Muslim communities in America and the West face. While there are differences in practice between different groups, most Muslims agree that "halal is clear and haram is clear."

[ HALAL in Quran & Hadith ]   

SPOTLIGHT HALAL provides Muslims with practical Information about food from an Islamic perspective. We don't say this food is haram or halal; We say this food contains alcohol and pork or that food is made with chicken. Our flexible approach lets you make informed food decisions, whether or not you observe zabiha.

AMNA's Criteria for HALAL:
The table below describes our criteria for judging a FOOD as HALAL or as HALAL(?). Helpful icons make it easy to judge foods at a glance.

ICON	CLASS	AMNA JUDGING CRITERIA	SOME EXAMPLES...
	HALAL	FOODS that are ALWAYS halal. They do not contain meat or meat products. They do not contain haram substances.	tobiko (飛び子, Japanese), tom yum pla (Thai), taramosalata (Greek), streusel (German), red snapper
	HALAL(?)	FOODS made with meat or other product derived from a halal animal that may not have been zabiha slaughterd. Cheeses prepared using animal rennet.	tekka maki (鉄火巻き, Japanese), arroz español (Spanish); venison, suet, soto ayam (Thai); scamorza cheese (Italian), American cheese.

Related Topics:
List of halal animals
What are the food import regulations for countries like Saudi Arabia?
What's the difference between kosher and halal?

Quran & Hadith: Toxins

TOXINS, INTOXICANTS in the Quran

وانفقوا في سبيل الله ولاتلقوا بايديكم الى التهلكة واحسنوا ان الله يحب المحسنين

Give generously for the cause of Allah and do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands. Be charitable: Allah loves those who are charitable.
— Quran, Surat Al-Baqarah 2:195

Hadith referencing TOXINS, INTOXICANTS

Although not one-and-the-same, many foods identified as TOXINS are also INTOXICANTS, consumed because of the effects they have on a person's state of being. AMNA has differentiates between ALCOHOL products and INTOXICANTS. The reason for this is simply to provide more precision in our judgements.

Much of the hadith prohibiting intoxicants is the same the ahadith prohibiting alcohol. The explanation being that:

1. First the Prophet (s.a.s.) first prohibited khamr (wine), 
2. Then he extended the meaning of khamr to include the prohibition of all alcoholic beverages, regardless of what they are made from.
3. Finally, he further extended the meaning of khamr to include any substance that intoxicates.

Prohibition against drinking / consuming alcohol 
or other intoxicants in any quantity or strength

Narrated by Ahmed bin al-Musnad:
"Whatever intoxicates in large quantities, a small amount of it is haram.”
— al-Musnad, 2/91, 167, 179; 3/343.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
"I heard the Prophet of Allah (s.a.s.) say: 'Every intoxicant is forbidden; if a faraq ('fraction') of anything causes intoxication, a handful of it is forbidden.'"
— Abu Dawoud. Book 26, Number 3679

Prohibition against khamr as medicine
and recognition of it as a disease

Narrated Tariq ibn Suwayd:
"Wa'il said: 'Tariq ibn Suwayd asked the Prophet about wine, but he forbade it. He again asked him, but he forbade him. He said to him: "Prophet of Allah, it is a medicine." The Prophet said: "No it is a disease."'"
— Abu Dawoud

Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet reports that he once said:
"Allah has not placed a cure for your diseases in things that He has forbidden for you.''
— Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud.

Abu ad-Darda reported that the Prophet said:
"Allah has sent down both the malady and its remedy. For every disease He has created a cure. So seek medical treatment, but never with something the use of which Allah has prohibited.''
— Abu Dawoud; Sahih Bukhari

Prohibition against buying, selling, transporting, producing alcohol

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar:
"The Prophet (s.a.s.) said: 'Allah has cursed wine, its drinker, its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one for whom it is pressed, the one who conveys it, and the one to whom it is conveyed.'"
— Abu Dawoud. Book 26, Number 3666

Defining word khamr ('wine') to extend to all alcoholic beverages, 
beyond those produced by grapes

Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir:
"The Prophet (s.a.s.) said: 'From grapes wine is made, from dried dates wine is made, from honey wine is made, from wheat wine is made, from barley wine is made.'"
— Abu Dawoud. Book 26, Number 3668

Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir: 

"I heard the Prophet of Allah (s.a.s.) say: 'Wine is made from grape-syrup, raisins, dried dates, wheat, barley, millet, and I forbid you from every intoxicant.'"
— Abu Dawoud. Book 26, Number 3669

Narrated AbdurRahman ibn Ghanam:
"Malik ibn AbuMaryam said: 'AbdurRahman ibn Ghanam entered upon us and we discussed tila' and he said: "AbuMalik al-Ash'ari told me that he heard the Prophet of Allah (s.a.s.) say: 'Some of my people will assuredly drink wine calling it by another name.'"'"
— Abu Dawoud. Book 26, Number 3680

Extending prohibition of khamr (alcoholic beverages) to all intoxicants

Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin:
"The Prophet of Allah (s.a.s.) forbade every intoxicant and everything which produces languidness."
— Abu Dawoud. Book 26, Number 3672

Islamic Schools of Thought

"It is prohibited to have any kind of food or drink that causes harm to the body, such as poison, intoxicants, hashish or tobacco... [the] Quranic verse [above] indicates the prohibition of eating or drinking anything that may cause harm. In addition, there are many other legal proofs that emphasize the prohibition of any kind of food or drink that may be harmful either to one's mind or body."
— Al Fawzan, Dr. Salih (Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence. Member, The Permanent Committee on Fatwa and Research). "A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence, Vol. 2," Section XI: Food, Chapter 1, p. 652.

HARAM: Toxins

TOXINS - A poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low concentrations. Toxins are capable of causing disease, paralysis or death on contact or absorption with body tissues by interacting with the body.

AMNA identifies foods containing substances that contain toxins that can do harm to the body, whether slowly in small amounts and over a long term, or immediately. Although not one-and-the-same, many foods identified as TOXINS are also INTOXICANTS, consumed because of the effects they have on a person's state of being. Much of the hadith prohibiting intoxicants is the same the ahadith prohibiting alcohol.

Islamic Prohibition against TOXINS

Islam forbids intentionally harming oneself. Foods which contain toxic substances which can do harm to the body's cells or nervous system, whether slowly in small amounts over a long term, or immediately, are then included under this prohibition.

[ TOXINS in Quran & Hadith ]

AMNA's Criteria for TOXINS

The table below describes our criteria for judging a FOOD as TOXIN. Helpful icons make it easy to judge foods at a glance.

ICON	CLASS	AMNA JUDGING CRITERIA	SOME EXAMPLES...
	TOXIN	Any food or ingredient containing TOXINS that cause damage to the body's systems, paralysis or death.	bromated flour, fugu (blowfish), ephedrine

Quran & Hadith: Halal

HALAL 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

“Today the good things are permitted you, and the food of those who were given the Book is permitted to you, and permitted to them is your food; Likewise believing women in wedlock, and in wedlock women of them who were given the Book before you if you give them their wages, in wedlock and not in licence, or as taking lovers. Whoso disbelieves in the faith, his work has failed, and in the world to come he shall be among the losers."
— Quran. Surat al-Ma'idah 5:5

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. Surat al-Baqarah 2:172

والانعام خلقها لكم فيها دفء ومنافع ومنها تاكلو ٥ ولكم فيها جمال حين تريحون وحين تسرحون ٦

"And cattle He has created for you (men): from them you derive warmth, and numerous benefits, and of their (meat) you eat. And you have a sense of pride and beauty in them as you drive them home in the evening, and as you lead them forth to pasture in the morning."
— Quran. Surah an-Nahl 16:5-6

Hadith referencing HALAL

“Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.”
— Collected by At-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’I and ad-Darimi; authenticated by Sheikh al-Albaani in Sahih al-Jami as-Saghir, Vol. 1, p. 637, Number 3378

Food of the People of the Book (Christians & Jews)

Narrated Abu Tha'laba Al-Khushani: "I said, 'O Allah's Prophet! We are living in a land ruled by the people of the Scripture; Can we take our meals in their utensils? In that land there is plenty of game and I hunt the game with my bow and with my hound that is not trained and with my trained hound. Then what is lawful for me to eat?' He said, 'As for what you have mentioned about the people of the Scripture, if you can get utensils other than theirs, do not eat out of theirs, but if you cannot get other than theirs, wash their utensils and eat out of it. If you hunt an animal with your bow after mentioning Allah's Name, eat of it. and if you hunt something with your trained hound after mentioning Allah's Name, eat of it, and if you hunt something with your untrained hound (and get it before it dies) and slaughter it, eat of it.'"
— Sahih Bukhari. 67: 387

CHICKEN
Narrated Abu Musa al-Ashari (r.a.a.):

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (r.a.a.) consuming (the meat of) chicken."
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Number 5198

CHEESE
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

"The Prophet (s.a.s.) was brought a piece of cheese in Tabuk. He called for a knife, mentioned Allah's Name and cut it."
— Abu Dawoud. Book 27, Number 3810

Jallalah of halal animals 

Narrated by Ibn 'Umar and 'Amr Ibn Shu'ayb:

"The Messenger of Allah (s.a.s.) forbade the eating (of) jallalah or (drinking) its milk."
— Imam Ahmad. Abu Dawud.

[AMNA Note:] The jallalah of otherwise halal animals (chicken, cows, camel, etc.) are excluded from being lawful food. Jallalah are those otherwise halal animals which eat impurities, such as animal feed 'enriched' with animal protein, (sometimes from the same species, making them cannibalistic) or with bone meal [pig-derived].)

In this regard, Ibnul-Qayyim says:

"Muslim scholars have unanimously agreed that if the animal is fed on imure fodder (animal feed), then detained and fed on pure food, its meat and milk became lawful. Likewise, if plants and fruits are watered with impure water, ten watered with pure water, they are deemed lawful. Thus, they are no longer deemed impure food because they have been converted to good and lawful food by means of pure water."
— I'lam Al-Muwaqqi'in 1:40

Quran & Hadith: Food of Shirk (شرك)

FOOD of SHIRK in the Quran

حرمت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير ومااهل لغير الله به والمنخنقة والموقوذة والمتردية والنطيحة ومااكل السبع الا ماذكيتم وماذبح على النصب وان تستقسموا بالازلام ذلك فسق اليوم يئس الذين كفروا من دينكم فلا تخشوهم واخشون اليوم اكملت لكم دينكم واتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الاسلام دينا فمن اضطر في مخمصة غير متجانف لاثم فان الله غفور رحيم

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: … meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or on which Allâh's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering,…”
— Quran, Surat Al-Ma'idah 5:3

The food of Christians and Jews has been made lawful for Muslims to eat (so long as it doesn't contain a prohibited substance). Conversely, the food of pagans, polytheists, athiests or those who divert is forbidden. This prohibition is not limited to only meat, but to 'food' in the broadest sense (at-T3am).

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

“Today the good things are permitted you, and the food of those who were given the Book is permitted to you, and permitted to them is your food; Likewise believing women in wedlock, and in wedlock women of them who were given the Book before you if you give them their wages, in wedlock and not in licence, or as taking lovers. Whoso disbelieves in the faith, his work has failed, and in the world to come he shall be among the losers."
— Quran. Surat al-Ma'idah 5:5

Hadith referencing FOOD of SHIRK

Though it is impermissible to eat the food of those who are not People of the Book, pagans, athiests, etc., it is incumbant on Muslims to not reject feeding them.

Prophet Ibrahim had the habit of sharing breakfast with another person. So one day, an old man, a traveler appeared before him, ending his wait for a guest to share his meals. The Prophet invited the old man to breakfast with him. While they were introducing each other, he found that his guest was an idol worhipper. Ibrahim was fiercely opposed to idol worship; he had revolted against his own father earlier. Ibrahim told the man to leave. He waited for another person to share his meal with. According to the tradtion, the Archangel Gabriel appeared and asked Ibrahim why he would not share breakfast with the man. Ibrahim replied that it was because he was an idol worshipper. Gabriel then asked Ibrahim to tell him how old the man was. Then Gabriel asked Ibrahim: "If God can tolerate and provide a man who's been an idolator for his whole long life with food and other things for his survival, then why can’t Ibrahim tolerate him for just one meal? Ibrahim went out to call the traveler back to breakfast with him and apologized to the man.

HARAM: Food of Shirk (شرك)

SHIRK (شرك‎) — the Islamic concept of the sin of polytheism specifically, but in a more general way refers to worshipping other than Allah, associating partners with Him, giving His characteristics to other than Him, or not believing in His characteristics.

Islamic Prohibition against FOOD of SHIRK

Associating others with Allah is known as shirk, and is an unforgivable sin. Muslims are prohibited from eating the food (some Schools of Jurisprudence say meat) of those who are mushriqeen (polytheists), as well as any food sacrificed to a diety or offered in a religious rite that conflicts with tawheed (the Oneness of Allah).

[ FOOD of SHIRK in Quran & Hadith ]

AMNA's Criteria for FOOD of SHIRK

The table below describes our criteria for judging a FOOD as SHIRK. Helpful icons make it easy to judge foods at a glance.

ICON	CLASS	AMNA JUDGING CRITERIA	SOME EXAMPLES...
	SHIRK	Animals or foods ritually sacrificed in the name of anyone but Allah. [Quran 2:173]; Food created in remembrance of, or as an offering to, a deity: Jesus, Buddha, etc.; Food that symbolically represents non-monotheistic belief elements such as the trinity.	Eucharist (communion bread or wine); magiritsa (Greek), christopsomo (Christmas bread) (Greek); lambropsomo (Easter bread) (Greek)

Related Topics:
What's the difference between kosher and halal?
Where can I find verses from the Quran, or hadith about FOOD of SHIRK?

SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Supermarket Meat

Supermarket Meat. Is it halal?
Is the meat — chicken, turkey, beef or lamb — found in your supermarket up to Islamic standards of halal?

This article discusses Islamic concerns of animal welfare, jallalah and the potential for contamination with haram substances, when considering supermarket-bought meat as halal or not. Zabiha (Islamic slaughter) is outside of the scope of this article.

Overview of Meats Found in Supermarkets

Factory Farmed Meat
If you've ever bought meat from your local supermarket, chances are it was raised in dense confinement with many other animals 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] Factory farmed animals are reported to suffer a variety of health and emotional problems.

Organic Meat
Organic meat is meat from animals that have been raised without the use of hormones or antibiotics. Unlike most supermarket meat, organically raised chickens, cows, sheep and swine (yes, there are even organic pigs!) are given freedom of movement and allowed to roam freely in wide fields. Although preferable over standard supermarket meat, organic meat is not automatically halal.[2]

Butchering, Packaging of Supermarket Meats

If you buy chicken, beef or lamb at the supermarket, you should know where it was before it was packaged in plastic. Here are some important questions Muslim shoppers should ask their supermarket meat department, and the reasons why.

Question: Is the meat packaged at the store, or at the farm?
Most name-brand meat products specialize in one type of meat. One type of animal. Turkey farmers don't raise cows, for example. When a chicken company sells its product to supermarkets all over the country, then the equipment it uses to produce and package that chicken will be in demand 24/7, processing ONLY chicken.

If your meat is the store brand, butchered on your food store's butcher's table, then you have another question to ask to know if that chicken, beef or lamb is clean.

Question: How many butchering tables does the store's butcher have?
Many of today's supermarkets are equipt with two to three butcher tables. Typically, there is one dedicated to pork, and one to beef. Other meats such as rabbit, lamb or chicken can be cut on either, depending on store policy.

Organic stores tend to have a relatively small butcher shop, but typically offer their high-end consumers a wide range of meats, from buffalo to beef, pork, wild boar, ostrich, pheasant and chicken. Because of the low volume, and high variety of meats organic butchers typically offer, the butcher shops in organic and whole foods stores tend to have one butcher table for cutting and trimming these meats.

Bottom Line: You should ask the meat department of your supermarket or whole foods store what their butchering policies are.

Question: Does the butcher shop meat grinder grind both pork and beef?
Some supermarkets that we're familiar with purchase all of their ground pork, lamb, turkey and chicken pre-ground from their suppliers, but grind beef in-house. These suppliers, especially poultry processors, typically specialize in processing meats from one type of animal.

Bottom line: Ask which of the meats are ground using supermarket meat grinders, and if they have more than one machine to grind each type of meat.

Recommended Topics:
Jallalah of halal animals
Factory Farming
Zabiha, Islamic slaughter
Organic Meats

[1] State of the World 2006. Special Focus: China & India. "Chapter 2: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry." Danielle Nierenberg. Worldwatch Institute, p. 26. Online Summary found at: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3993
[2] SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Organic Meat
[3] "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]