Halal (حلال, ḥalāl, halaal) is an Arabic term meaning "permissible". Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language In the English language it most frequently refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic law. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. In the Arabic language it refers to anything that is permissible under Islam. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language It is estimated that 70% of Muslims worldwide follow Halal standards^[1] and that the Global Halal Market is currently a USD 580 billion industry^[2]. Its antonym is haraam. In Lexical semantics, opposites are words that lie in an inherently incompatible binary relationship as in the opposite pairs male: female, long: short Haraam (حرام is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden"

"Halal" the word

Malaysian halal certificate for a coffee brand

The use of the term varies between Arabic-speaking communities and non-Arabic-speaking ones. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language

In Arabic-speaking countries, the term is used to describe anything permissible under Islamic law, in contrast to haraam, that which is forbidden. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Haraam (حرام is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden" This includes human behavior, speech communication, clothing, conduct, manner and dietary laws. For the Björk song see Human Behaviour Human behavior is the collection of Behaviors exhibited by Human beings and influenced by Speech refers to the processes associated with the production and perception of Sounds used in Spoken language. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather

In non-Arabic-speaking countries, the term is most commonly used in the narrower context of just Muslim dietary laws, especially where meat and poultry are concerned, though it can be used for the more general meaning, as well. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language This is a sub-article to Hygiene in Islam, Healthy diet and Food and cooking hygiene. This dichotomy of usage is similar to the Hebrew term kosher.

Varying forms of Halal

Halal food

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 (Alternatively spelled "zabiha"). Sunnah ar (سنة plural سنن Sunan literally means “trodden path” and therefore the sunnah of the prophet means “the way and the manners of the prophet” Dhabīḥah (ar ذَبِيْحَة is the prescribed method of Ritual slaughter of all animals excluding fish and most sea-life per Islamic law This is the strictest definition of Halal.

Halal and dhabiha are two different concepts

Main article: Difference between Halal and Dhabiha

However, adhering to this philosophy can lead to the error of not separating the premise of halal and dhabiha. Halal and zabiha are two different concepts Halal and Dhabiha are strictly two different concepts and can be very clearly differentiated on the basis of There is a very strict difference between Halal and Dhabiha, and this difference is made clear on the basis of Quranic scriptures. Halal and zabiha are two different concepts Halal and Dhabiha are strictly two different concepts and can be very clearly differentiated on the basis of The difference between Halal and Dhabiha is that Halal is simply everything which is not specified as Haraam in the Quran and Dhabiha is simply a ritual based not on Quranic mandate but only on Islamic tradition. Halal and zabiha are two different concepts Halal and Dhabiha are strictly two different concepts and can be very clearly differentiated on the basis of In most cases they are being taken as to mean the same when they are not the same.

Permissibility of Halal meat

Main article: Difference between Halal and Dhabiha

It is permissible for Muslims to consume the meat of an animal, that has been defined as Halal according to the relevant references from Quran, but has not been slaughtered by the ritual of Dhabiha, by simply invoking the name of Allah right before consuming it. Halal and zabiha are two different concepts Halal and Dhabiha are strictly two different concepts and can be very clearly differentiated on the basis of This assertion is supported by Hadith (Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 67, Number 415)(See Main Article)

Kosher and Halal

Main article: Islamic and Jewish dietary laws compared

There is a great deal of similarity between the laws of Dhabiĥa halal and kashrut, and there are also various differences. The Islamic dietary laws ( Dhabiha Halaal) and the Jewish dietary laws ( Kashrut) are both quite detailed and contain both points of similarity and 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. [1] However, most Muslim authorities believe the terms are not interchangeable. [2].

A package of halal-certified (see green label on the package) frozen food (steamed cabbage buns) from Jiangsu province, China

Explicitly forbidden substances

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

• Pork meat (i. ( Postal map spelling: Kiangsu) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country e. flesh of swine)^{[Qur'an 2:173]}
• Blood^{[Qur'an 2:173]}
• Animals slaughtered in the name of anyone but Allah (God) (there are debates regarding the permissibility of meat slaughtered by Jews, i. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran e. , kosher meat). See also Kashrut Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of Jewish religion ^{[Qur'an 2:173]}
• Carrion^{[Qur'an 5:3]}
• "Fanged beasts of prey" as per the Sunnah, usually simplified to all carnivorous animals, with the exception of most fish and sea animals

Everything apart from these forbidden (Haraam) items is permitted or halal for all muslims. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Carrion (from the Latin caro, meaning meat refers to the carcass of a dead animal The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting

• Verses in the Quran say that intoxicants (and games of chance) contain some good and some evil, but the evil is greater than the good ^{[Qur'an 2:219]}; most Muslims interpret these verses to forbid any intoxicating substance which may make one forgetful of God and prayer. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran

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:^[3]

• All are in agreement that fish with scales are halal
• Sunnis consider all fish to be halal, while some Shias consider only shrimp and fish with scales to be halal^[4] Within mostly the Hanafi School of thought, there is a strong position that shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, etc. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic ) are prohibited.

• 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

Halal certificate issued for dairy products by a German registered merchant

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. Dearborn is a city in the US state of Michigan. It is located in the Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, and is the tenth largest Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A Chicken nugget is either whole or composed from a paste of finely minced chicken and sometimes purposefully added chicken skin which is then coated in batter or [3] In the UK, American-style fried chicken is becoming increasingly popular with the Muslim population, and hundreds of outlets serving Halal fried chicken such as Chicken Cottage have sprung up. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Chicken Cottage International is a Halal Fast food chain It was founded in 1994 by Mohammed Khalid

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 ^[5]. Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus, he כַּשְׁרוּת refers to Jewish dietary laws. Some were struck down by the courts as an unconstitutional sanction of religious provisions, but others were upheld as consumer protection regulations. See Kashrut. Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus, he כַּשְׁרוּת refers to Jewish dietary laws.

McDonald's is intending to offer Halal meals in the United States and some parts of the United Kingdom with two of its franchises currently on trial, offering this service. All McDonald's Restaurants in Australia (two outlets in Melbourne and one in Sydney have Halal meals since 2006), India, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia and South Africa are Halal certified. ^[6]

Australian halal certificate for chocolate.

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. Dhabīḥah (ar ذَبِيْحَة is the prescribed method of Ritual slaughter of all animals excluding fish and most sea-life per Islamic law

• 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. Haraam (حرام is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden"

• Many apparently meat-free dishes, and even some desserts, contain pork, gelatin, or other non-conforming substances. Gelatin (also gelatine, from French gélatine) is a translucent colourless brittle nearly tasteless solid substance, extracted from the 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. Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a Sodium salt of the non-essential Amino acid Glutamic acid 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 21st century, there have been efforts to create organizations such as the Muslim Consumer Group that certify food products as halal for Muslim consumers. The Muslim Consumer Group ( MCG) is a US Non-profit organization founded in November 1993 by Syed Rasheeduddin Ahmed based in Rolling Meadows Illinois

• In 1993 Ahsan Mohyuddin founded the facility of Halal Meat & Food Corporation in Bladenboro, NC as the only meat plant in existence of its time in the United States under the USDA inspection, operating under the principles of the Islamic Faith. Owner of Midwest Halal Meats, Inc. in Perryville, Missouri.

See also

• Harām
• Difference between Halal and Dhabiha
• Islamic dietary laws
• Istihlal
• Ḏabīḥah
• Kashrut
• Unclean animals
• Taboo food and drink

References

External links

• Muslim method of slaughtering
• Answering criticism of the concept
• Answering criticism
• What Is Halal?
• Halal and Haram research
• Consumers increasingly perceive kosher and halal food as safer Scientist Live