“Is this food halal certified?”

or

“This shop sells halal products?”

Perhaps you already been asked these questions or heard them before somewhere. For non-Muslims, the words “halal” or “haram” may seem to be strange, but these words are quite well known among Muslims.

But how many of us know the right meaning of halal?

Here is a brief description of what halal and haram means.

What are Halal and Haram?

The word halal is driven from the Arabic language. It means permissible or lawful, and it has an in-depth description of itself.

Halal refers to things, acts, and foods that are permissible or lawful in Islam. Islam is a complete religion; Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) have described the meaning of halal and haram in the holy Quran and Hadith.

Everything is halal in Islam unless the holy Quran or Hadith prohibits it.

 The opposite word of halal is haram which means unlawful. It refers to the things which are strictly prohibited in Islam. Pork, the blood of dead animals, and alcohol are haram in Islam- among a few other things.

The description of halal and haram can be found in the verses of the holy Quran 2:173, 5:3, 5:90–91.

What is mashbooh?

It is another Arabic word and gives the meaning of either doubtful or suspect. Things that are mashbooh require more investigation and information to mark them as halal or haram. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has advised Muslims to avoid the doubtful matters.

Commonly Consumed haram products

Unfortunately, there is a significant lack of knowledge about halal foods among some Muslims. This results in the accidental consumption of haram.

 Some of the most common haram products that are used widely are:

• Gelatin derived from meat;
• Lard;
• Pepsin;
• Some artificial colouring;
• Products with alcohol or pork derived ingredients.

Halal meat

Have you ever wondered what halal meat is?

What exactly makes meat halal or haram?

The way an animal is slaughtered determines if the meat taken from it is Halal or not. Islam has set specific guidelines and conditions for Muslims to follow while slaughtering animals to make them Halal.

If those simple guidelines are followed, and the conditions are met, the meat from the animal would be considered as Halal. What makes halal meat different from other meat is the procedure of slaughtering and obtaining the meat.

Scientific researchers have proved that halal meats are healthier and halal slaughtering is the most humane method of slaughtering. Islamic butchers make sure that blood is completely drained from the carcass, producing healthier and toxin-free meat.

Islamic slaughter

Muslims are only allowed to consume halal meat obtained from a halal source and halal slaughtering method. The requirements for Halal slaughter can be summarized as follows:

• The animal to be slaughtered must belong to the categories of halal animals.
• Slaughtering must be done by an adult Muslim.
• The animal cannot be slaughtered or cannot be eaten if it is dead before slaughtering.
• The head of an animal should be aligned with the Qiblah.
• Bismillah Allahu Akbar. (In the Name of Allah; Allah is the Greatest, should be recited at the time of slaughtering.
• Sharp knife should be used to slaughter the animal, and it must not kill the animal.
• The throat food-tract and the two jugular veins must be cut.
• Blood must be drained from the veins.
• Skinning or cutting any part of the animal is not allowed before the animal is completely dead.