The Arabic word Haram means unlawful. The following
items have been categorically spelled out as being Haram
by jurists in light of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of
the Prophet Mohammad :
1. Pig
2. Blood
3. Carnivorous animals
4. Almost all reptiles and insects
5. The bodies of dead animals
6. Halal animals which are not slaughtered according to
the Islamic Law.
7. Wine, Ethyl Alcohol, and Spirits.
The above mentioned items are Haram and should be
avoided by all Muslims.
Apart from these the following activities are also
Haram:
1. Gambling
2. Riba - Interest giving and taking
3. Hoarding up of goods to gain profit by influence
market price
4. Cheating in business by weighing less or by deception
5. Fornication - Sex outside of wedlock
6. Adultery
7. Murder
8. Incest
9. Homosexuality
What is Halal?
The Arabic word Halal means lawful. In the Holy Quran,
Allah commands Muslims and all of mankind to eat of the
Halal things. Among the many verses of the Quran that
convey this message, here are a few:
Al-Quran, Chapter 2
Al-Baqara, Verse 188
In
the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful
O
mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the earth, and
follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an open enemy for
you.
~~~~~~~~
Al-Quran, Chapter 2
Al-Baqara, Verse 172
In
the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful
O ye
who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you,
and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom ye worship.
~~~~~~~~
Al-Quran, Chapter 5
Al-Maida, Verse 88
In
the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful
Eat of
that which Allah hath bestowed on you as food lawful and good, and
keep your duty to Allah in Whom ye are believers.
The following products are definitely Halal:
1. Milk (from cows, sheep, camels, and goats)
2. Honey
3. Fish
4. Plants which are not intoxicant
5. Fresh or naturally frozen vegetables
6. Fresh or dried fruits
7. Legumes and nuts like peanuts, cashew nuts, hazel
nuts, walnuts, etc.
8. Grains such as wheat, rice, rye, barley, oat, etc.
Animals such as cows, sheep, goats, deer, moose,
chickens, ducks, game birds, etc., are also Halal, but
they must be Zabihah (slaughtered according to Islamic
Rites) in order to be suitable for consumption. The
procedure is as follows: the animal must be slaughtered
by a Muslim (or a Jew or Christian). The animal should be put down on the ground (or
held it if it is small) and its throat should be slit
with a very sharp knife to make sure that the 3 main
blood vessels are cut. While cutting the throat of the
animal (without severing it), the person must pronounce
the name of Allah or recite a blessing which contains
the name of Allah, such as "Bismillah Allah-u-Akbar".
As for activities which are Halal: All things which are
not specifically deemed as Haram are Halal. Islam
encourages moderation, honesty, decency, peace and
productivity, so as long as the actions do not fall
outside of the limits set by God or go in access all
things are Halal except those specifically stated as
being Haram.
What is Zabihah?
Animals such as cows, sheep, goats, deer, moose,
chickens, ducks, game birds, etc., are also Halal, but
they must be Zabihah (slaughtered according to Islamic
Rites) in order to be suitable for consumption. The
procedure is as follows: the animal must be slaughtered
by a Muslim. The animal should be put down on the ground
(or held it if it is small) and its throat should be
slit with a very sharp knife to make sure that the 3
main blood vessels are cut. While cutting the throat of
the animal (without severing it), the person must
pronounce the name of Allah or recite a blessing which
contains the name of Allah, such as "Bismillah
Allah-u-Akbar".
Why does the animal have to be slaughtered by a Muslim?
Can't we eat the meat of animals slaughtered by the
People of the Book?
Allah says in the Noble Quran:
Al-Quran, Chapter 5
Al-Maida, Verse 4
In
the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful
Today
I have made permissible for you pure things and the food of those
who were given the Book (Ahlul-Kitaab) is also Halal for you
Overtly the above Aayat reads that the Zabihah of the
Ahlul-Kitaab is permissible, but the fundamental
principle must be understood in order to understand the
Quran i.e. 'One part of the Quran explains the other'.
Therefore, this verse should be understood in the light
of another verse relating to the same matter:
Al-Quran,
Chapter 6 Al-An'am, Verse 121
In
the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful
'Do not eat unless Allah's name has been taken and this
(not taking Allah's name) practice is transgression'
While the former verse explicitly states that the
Zabihah of the Ahlul-Kitaab is permissible and the
latter says, 'Do not eat unless Allah's name has been
taken', in the light of both these verses, it is
understood that the Zabihah of the Ahlul-kitaab is
permissible only if the name of Allah is taken at the
time of slaughtering. The Ahlul-kitaab used to take
Allah's name when slaughtering an animal, therefore,
their Zabihah was also Halal for Muslims. It is for this
same reason that an animal slaughtered by the Mushrikeen
(those who join in worship other deities with God), etc.
is not permissible. The Ahlul-kitaab of today are
recognized by name, less faith. There is no guarantee
that they take the name of Allah when slaughtering an
animal. Furthermore, they cannot be anymore trusted in
matters pertaining to Halal/Haram.
Since there is uncertainty in the above slaughter
manner, the Jurists are unanimous that it is not
permissible to consume meat which is doubtful. Unless
there is certainty that the Ahlul-kitaab read the 'Tasmiyah'
i.e. take the name of God when slaughtering an animal
then only will the meat be permissible. We suggest that
the Muslims in the U.S.A. and U.K. slaughter the animals
themselves. A committee be appointed and look into ways
to facilitate for Halal meat slaughtered by Muslims.
This will make them independent from Christian/Jewish
sources.
Another proposition may be that the meat sold on the
market are packed, sealed and stamped by a Muslim
organization consisting of reliable scholars who have
proper Islamic knowledge of the principles pertaining to
Halal/Haram of the Shariáh (Islamic Law).
