Daily Living

Islamic Rules Concerning Halal Food

"Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat and blood and the flesh of swine, and that on which has been invoked the name of other than Allah, that which has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a headlong fall or by being gored to death; that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless you are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars);”
[Al-Ma'idah (The Cattle) 5:3]

In examination of these verses we determine the following:
Prohibited is the food of "dead animals", that is, the animal which dies of natural causes, without being slaughtered, or hunted. The reason behind this is as follows: (a) An animal dying of natural causes may have been caused by something harmful, i.e. chronic disease or through eating a poisonous plant etc. Also, it could have died due to old age or starvation. These factors could be harmful to the one who eats them since it maybe unknown as to how the animal died, thus the risk factor lead to it being designated as forbidden. (b) All people who possess divinely revealed scripture have this prohibited unless it is slaughtered. Although the methodology of slaughter may vary.
The prohibition of "flowing blood". One of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Ibn Abbas, was asked about the spleen and he replied, "You can eat it." The questioner said, "But it is blood." [During that time, the spleen was believed to be congealed blood] He answered, "Only flowing blood is prohibited to you." The reason being that the drinking of blood is injurious to health. Also, meat factories in the Western countries deliberately do not drain the blood from the animal after slaughter, so that it will weigh more and they will thus make more money from it. Hence, leaving the blood in the animal after slaughter and not draining it is haraam (forbidden) and not permitted.
Pork is prohibited, i.e. the flesh of swine. Scientific research has shown that not only does pork carry a deadly parasite (trichina), among others, but recent medical research has shown that eating its meat is injurious to health in all climates, especially hot ones. An animal is prohibited if it is slaughtered to any deity or person other than Allah, that is to say, slaughtered with the invocation of a name other than the name of Allah, e.g. name of an idol.

[Following five relate to verse 5:3] The strangled animal, i.e. suffocation, is forbidden. Animal beaten to death is forbidden. Animal that dies as a result of a fall, i.e. from a high place, is forbidden. Animal that dies as a result of being gored, e.g. by the horns of another animal, is forbidden. Animal that has been partly eaten by wild animals and dies as a result of that is forbidden. Forbidden are animals sacrificed to idols. After naming the final 5
categories from verse 5:3, Allah makes an exception of, "...unless you are able to slaughter it (in due form); ..." meaning if one comes across such an animal while it is still alive, then slaughtering it renders it halal permissible/lawful) as food. However, a companion of the Prophet, Ali ibn Abi Talib, said, "If you can slaughter the beaten, the fallen or the gored animal while it (still) moves its hoof or leg, you may eat it." Some jurists have said that there must be clear signs of life in it, such as flow of blood and reflex movements.

Seafood.

All kinds of food from the sea are permissible, whether they are plants or animals, alive or dead.
Allah says: "Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water-game and its use for food - for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel."
[Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread with Food) 5:96].

Again, the companion of the Prophet Ibn 'Abbaas said relating to this
verse: "Sayduhu (lit. hunting, pursuit) refers to whatever is taken from it alive, and ta'aamuhu (lit. its food) means whatever is taken dead."

Also the Prophet Muhammad (Allah’s peace be upon him) said: "Its (sea) water is pure and its dead are halal (permissible)"

There are a few things - certain types of water animals - which some
scholars exclude from the permission outlined above. These are: Crocodiles: The correct view is that eating these is not allowed, because they have fangs and live on land - even though they may spend a lot of time in the water - so precedence should be given to the reason for forbidding it (it is a land animal that has fangs).

Frogs: It is impermissible to eat them because the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade killing them, as is reported in the hadeeth (saying of the Prophet) of 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Uthmaan, who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade the killing of frogs. [Narrated by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Maajah; see also Saheeh al-Jaami, 6970]. The rule is that everything that we are forbidden to kill, we are not allowed to eat; if we are allowed to eat it we are allowed to kill it.

Sea snakes: Some scholars exclude sea snakes, but the correct view is that as they live nowhere except in the water, we are permitted to eat them, because of the general nature of the verse: "Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water-game and its use for food - for the benefit of yourselves ."
[Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread with Food) 5:96].

Otters and turtles: The correct view is that to be on the safe side, it is permissible to eat them after slaughtering them properly, because they live both on land and in the sea. Here the rule is that in the case of animals that live both on land and in the sea, the rules concerning land animals should be given precedence, to be on the safe side, so they must be slaughtered properly, except for crabs which do not need to be slaughtered, even though they live both on land and in the sea, because they do not have blood.

However, everything that can cause harm is forbidden as food, even if it comes from the sea, because Allah says:

"And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is
Most Merciful to you."
[Al-Nisaa (The Women) 4:29]

and:

". and do not throw yourselves into destruction."
[Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:195].

Locusts

Locusts have been made permissible to eat according to the hadeeth (saying of the Prophet):
"We participated with the Prophet in six or seven expeditions, and we used to eat locusts with him." [Sahih Al-Bukhari 7.403 - Narrated by Ibn Abi Aufa]

Gelatin

Gelatin may originate from the skin, muscles and bones of forbidden animals such as pigs. Hence gelatin that is derived from collagen that comes from pigs is haraam. The most correct view is that it is haraam (forbidden) even if it has been changed, so long as it originally came from a pig.

Fats

The fats that are used in foods come either from vegetable sources or animal sources.

If they come from vegetable sources they are permissible, so long as they have not been mixed with anything that is impure or anything that could contaminate them. If they come from animal sources, they are either from animals that are permitted to eat or animals that we are not permitted to eat.

If they come from an animal that we are permitted to eat, then they come under the same ruling as the meat of that animal.

If they come from an animal which it is haraam (impermissible) to eat – such as pigs - then it must be looked at whether they are used in foods or for other purposes. If they are used for non-food purposes, e.g. many fats are used in making soap, then there is a difference of scholarly opinion, but the most correct view is that they are impermissible in order to stay on the safe side. If they are used in foods, e.g., pig fat (lard) is used in making sweets and other foods, this is haraam.

Cheese
With regard to cheese: if it is made from the milk of an animal that is impermissible to eat, then according to scholarly consensus it is not permissible to eat it. Otherwise it is permissible as long as it has not been mixed with anything forbidden.

Vegetables
All vegetables are permissible, but obviously as long as they are not
harmful to health, i.e. poisonous.
Allah says: "O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth."
[Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:168]

Intoxicants

All that intoxicates is Haraam (forbidden).
Allah says: "O you who believe! Truly, intoxicants and gambling and divination (means of seeking luck or decisions) by arrows are an abomination of Satan's handiwork. So avoid it in order that you may be successful. Assuredly Satan desires to sow enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not then desist?"
[Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread With Food) 5:90-91]

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) had finished reciting this verse for the first time, the listeners answered with a fervent cry, "We have desisted, O Lord! We have desisted!"

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), said succinctly: "Every intoxicant is khamr (alcoholic drink), and every khamr is haraam (forbidden)"
[Sahih Muslim: 4891 - Narrated by Anas ibn Malik]

Furthermore, the Prophet said in no uncertain terms: "Of that which intoxicates in a large amount, a small amount is haraam (forbidden)" [Sunan of Abu-Dawood: 3673 - Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah.
Also reported by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi]

And:

"If a bucketful intoxicates, a sip of it is haraam"
[Reported by Ahmad, Abu-Dawood, and At-Tirmidhi]

Food Cooked With Alcohol

It is impermissible to eat dishes cooked with alcohol, as ALL the alcohol is not evaporated with cooking or heat. Refer to the following, quoted from the famous Mayo Clinic:
"Many people believe that because alcohol is sensitive to heat, it is
eliminated with cooking. However, not all the alcohol content of alcoholic drinks is removed with heat; it depends on the type and time of cooking. For instance if you add beer or wine to boiling liquid, then immediately remove it from the heat, 85 per cent of the alcohol content will remain. If you light the alcohol, as in flambé dishes, 75 per cent will remain. Even after simmering the dish for one and a half hours, it will still have 20 per cent of the original alcohol content. "It is only if you simmer the mixture for two or more hours, (as you would with a wine-based beef casserole), that as little as five to 10 per cent of the original alcohol content remains.
Source: Mayo Clinic Health Oasis, http://www.mayohealth.org

Lizard

Although the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) disliked the idea of eating lizard-meat, he did not forbid others to eat it, as is reported in the following story:

"Khaalid ibn al-Waleed reported that some grilled lizard meat was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and put in front of him. He stretched out his hand to take some, but one of the people present said, 'O Messenger of Allah, it is lizard meat,' so he pulled his hand back. Khaalid ibn al-Waleed asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, is lizard haraam (forbidden)?' He said, 'No, but it is not known among my people and I cannot face eating it.' So Khaalid took some of the lizard meat and ate it, whilst the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) looked on."
[Reported by al-Bukhaari: 4981, al-Nisaa'i: 4242, Abu Dawood: 3300].

Uncertainty

In many cases it can be unclear for a Muslim whether something is halal or haraam. Just as I was unsure whether crab was haraam (impermissible) at the restaurant. In this case, it is better to fear Allah and be cautious. Avoiding doubtful things is better and more preferable. This is determined by what is stated in the hadeeth (saying of the Prophet) narrated by al-Nu'maan ibn Basheer who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: 'That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between the two of them there are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it is sound, all the body is sound and which, if it is corrupt, all of it will be corrupt. Truly it is the heart.' "
[Narrated by Muslim, 1599]

If one is unsure then avoid eating it until one finds out for certain. Allah has made many things halal. It is better to avoid one uncertain thing and to eat from the hundreds of things made permissible, than to commit oneself and end up eating that haraam thing, thus sinning.

Neccessity Dictates Exception

All the above prohibitions apply in situations in which one has a choice. However, in case of necessity, a different rule applies. Allah says: "And why should you not eat of that (meat) on which Allah’s name has been pronounced, while He (Allah) has explained to you what He has made haraam (impermissible) for you, except under compulsion of necessity..."
[Al-An'aam (The Cattle) 6:119]

"O you who believe!
Eat of the good things that We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is Him you worship. He has only forbidden you dead meat and blood and the flesh of swine and that on which any other name has been invoked besides that of Allah, but if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful."
[Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:172-173]

"...But if any forced by hunger with no inclination to transgression Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful."
[Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread With Food) 5:3]

In other words, in order to alleviate hunger and the definite risk of death through starvation or some medical necessity, when there is no permissible food or medicine at hand and only impermissible food or medicine is available, then in such a situation a person may eat as much as to satisfy ones hunger and save oneself from death. Imam Maalik said, "The amount of it is what will alleviate his hunger, and he should not eat more than what will keep him alive." This, perhaps, is what Allah means when he says: "...but if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits..."
[Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:172-173].

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