Halal

Halal (حلال, alāl, halaal) is 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.

General Dietary Prescriptions
In determining whether a food is halal or haraam (forbidden), various verses of the Quran (ayat) are frequently referenced:
 * "He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits - then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful"''


 * "Forbidden to you (your food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which the name of other than Allah hath been invoked; that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject Faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination of transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"''


 * “This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for you) when ye give them their marriage portions and live with them in honour, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denieth the faith, his work is vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter”''


 * "Say: I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine, for it is an abomination or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah's. But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, thy Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"''


 * "He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"''

Drugs and alcohol
The following verses are oft-cited when referring to alcohol and Islam:
 * "Shaitân (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allâh and from As-Salât (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?"


 * "They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: "That which is beyond your needs." Thus Allâh makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought."

Varying forms of Halal
Muslims vary on what is required for food to be considered "halal".

Dhabiĥa Halal
Adherents to this philosophy maintain that in order for food to be considered halal, it must not be a forbidden substance and any meat must have been slaughtered according to traditional guidelines set forth by the Sunnah, known as dhabiĥa. This is the strictest definition of Halal.

Critics, most notably some animal rights groups, claim that this method of slaughter causes unnecessary pain and suffering to the animal when compared to modern methods, which involve stunning the animal prior to slaughter. Others contend that this method actually minimizes pain felt by the animal and also provides maximal blood drainage.

Kosher and Halal
There is a great deal of similarity between the laws of Dhabiĥa halal and kashrut, and there are also various differences. Whether or not Muslims can use kashrut standards as a replacement for halal standards is an ongoing debate, and the answer depends largely on the individual being asked. However, most Muslim authorities believe the terms are not interchangeable..

More information can be found at Comparison of Dhabiĥa Halal and kashrut.

Explicitly forbidden substances
A variety of substances are considered forbidden (haraam) as per various Quranic verses:


 * Pork, or any pig-based products (e.g. gelatine)
 * Blood
 * Animals slaughtered in the name of anyone but God (there are debates regarding the permissibility of meat slaughtered by Jews ie. kosher meat).
 * Carrion
 * "Fanged beasts of prey" as per the Sunnah, usually simplified to all carnivorous animals, with the exception of most fish and sea animals
 * All intoxicants (especially alcohol).

There is some disagreement among Muslims regarding seafood, especially predatory sea creatures. IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America) states, regarding the opinion of Islamic scholars:


 * All are in agreement that fish with scales are halal
 * Sunnis consider all fish to be halal, while some Shias consider some fish haraam. Within mostly the Hanafi School of thought, there is a strong position that shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, etc.) are prohibited, although there is no mention of it being prohibited in Hadith and Quran.


 * Most agree that frogs are haraam due to the prohibition of killing them in hadith. In fact it is common belief among Southeast Asian Muslims that animals who live on both land and sea (such as amphibians, some reptiles, and some species of bird) are off limits.

Halal in non-Islamic countries
In Dearborn, Michigan, United States, home to one of the largest Muslim and Arab populations in the United States, a number of fast food chains like McDonald's introduced halal chicken nuggets. 

Recent laws passed in the United States have made it illegal to sell, distribute, and/or produce food that has been mislabeled "halal," when it is determined that the food does not meet Islamic dietary standards. Similar laws protect kosher foods. Some were struck down by the courts as an unconstitutional sanction of religious provisions, but others were upheld as consumer protection regulations. See Kashrut.

McDonald's is intending to offer Halal meals in the United Kingdom with two of its franchises currently on trial, offering this service. This comes after success in Australia, where sales doubled as a result of McDonald's changing a restaurant to cater to the needs of Muslims. All McDonald's Restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia are Halal certified.



Depending on which definition of halal a Muslim chooses to adhere to, and the strictness with which the person chooses to adhere to it, living in a non-Muslim country can pose minimal or great difficulty.

Dhabiĥa Halal
Dhabiĥa halal is relatively difficult to adhere to in a non-Muslim country:


 * Depending on the presence or absence of a significant Muslim population in the area, finding grocery stores, meat stores, and restaurants which serve/sell dhabiĥa halal foods can be extremely difficult.


 * The abundance of pork and non-dhabiha meats at restaurants presents a rather difficult problem to overcome. While a Muslim will not order a non-dhabiĥa halal dish, there is a concern about cross-contamination. This is likely to occur when the dhabiĥa halal dish is prepared with the same cooking tools as other non-dhabiĥa halal dishes. Food and juices from the two dishes are likely to be exchanged, technically rendering the dhabiĥa halal dish as haraam.


 * Many apparently meat-free dishes, and even some desserts, contain pork, gelatin, or other non-conforming substances. There is also a concern in the Muslim community about food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) that may use enzymes derived from pig fat in the production process. It is very difficult to avoid such food additives as they are widely used and are not declared on restaurant menus.


 * Alcohol, especially wine, is frequently used in cooking. It is largely used in sauces and cakes, and is also present as an ingredient in vanilla and other extracts. Some contend that this is not a concern, so long as the alcohol has been thoroughly burned off in the cooking process.

Since the turn of the century, there have been efforts to create organizations such as the Muslim Consumer Group that certify food products as halal for Muslim consumers.