Are You Eating Right? A Simple Guide to Halal Vs. Haram Food

Everyone loves to explore new places and try different foods, but for non-Muslims, understanding what Muslims can and cannot eat according to Islamic law is crucial. Why? Because not everything available is allowed for Muslims to consume! Islamic dietary rules are unique because they derive from religious teachings that dictate what is halal (permissible) and what is haram (forbidden). This article will help anyone, especially those not familiar with Muslim dietary practices, understand these dietary laws better.

**In this article, the abbreviation PBUH means “Peace Be Upon Him.” It is used by the Muslims to show respect to the Holy Prophet by either reciting it/writing it after his name is mentioned.

So, What is Halal and Haram?

“Halal” is an Arabic word that means lawful or permitted, according to Islamic laws. When it comes to food, it refers to what Muslims are allowed to eat. Keep in mind that “halal” doesn’t just apply to foods, it can also very well be applied to actions and lifestyle choices too!¹ For Muslims, eating halal food isn’t just about following the laws of Islam, it’s also about nourishing the body with what is pure and permissible. Not any food can just be labeled as halal. The food item(s) must meet a certain criteria which includes how it is sourced, prepared, and consumed.

According to an article by the American Halal Foundation, “for Muslims, eating halal simply isn’t about health benefits or even following rules but eating food that will nourish their bodies. Halal is a way of life that encompasses all aspects of behavior and choices.”

The importance of what is halal is mentioned within the Quran. Here are some verses that testify to its importance:

“O believers! Eat from the good things We have provided for you. And give thanks to God if you ˹truly˺ worship Him ˹alone.˺” – The Clear Quran®, 2:172
“O believers! Honour your obligations. All grazing livestock has been made lawful to you—except what is hereby announced to you and hunting while on pilgrimage. Indeed, God commands what He wills.” – The Clear Quran®, 5:1
“So eat only of what is slaughtered in God’s Name if you truly believe in His revelations.” – The Clear Quran®, 6:118
They ask you, ˹O Prophet,˺ what is permissible for them ˹to eat˺. Say, ‘What is good and lawful. Also what is caught by your hunting animals and birds of prey which you have trained as instructed by God. So eat what they catch for you, but mention the Name of God over it ˹first˺.’ And be mindful of God. Surely God is swift in reckoning.” – The Clear Quran®, 5:4

To further stress the importance of halal, we can also refer to the beneficial ahadith (narrations) below stated by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

In Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Abu Huraira who was one of the prominent companions of the Prophet (PBUH), narrates, “The Messenger of God said: ‘God the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. God has commanded the Faithful to do what He commanded the Messengers, and the Almighty has said: ‘O messengers! Eat from what is good and lawful, and act righteously. Indeed, I fully know what you do (The Clear Quran®, 23:51).’ And God the Almighty has said: ‘O believers! Eat from the good things We have provided for you. And give thanks to God if you ˹truly˺ worship Him ˹alone˺ (The Clear Quran®, 2:172).’ Then he mentioned [the case of] a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying]: ‘O Lord! O Lord – while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered!’”
In Sahih Bukhari, on the authority of Rafi’ bin Khadij who was a companion of the Prophet (PBUH), “The Messenger of God said, ‘Use whatever causes blood to flow, and eat the animals if the Name of God has been mentioned on slaughtering them.”

“Haram” on the other hand, means unlawful or prohibited, and it refers to what Muslims cannot eat or are forbidden to do. If Muslims consume haram or engage in actions/lifestyle choices that are haram, God has promised grave consequences for such individuals.

Here are some verses from the Quran that speak on the forbiddance of haram foods:

“He has only forbidden you ˹to eat˺ carrion, blood, swine², and what is slaughtered in the name of any other than God. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—they will not be sinful. Surely God is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” – The Clear Quran®, 2:173.
“Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, and swine; what is slaughtered in the name of any other than God; what is killed by strangling, beating, a fall, or by being gored to death; what is partly eaten by a predator unless you slaughter it; and what is sacrificed on altars. You are also forbidden to draw lots for decisions.³ This is all evil. Today the disbelievers have given up all hope of ˹undermining˺ your faith. So do not fear them; fear Me! Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way. But whoever is compelled by extreme hunger—not intending to sin—then surely God is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” – The Clear Quran®, 5:3
“Do not eat of what is not slaughtered in God’s Name. For that would certainly be ˹an act of˺ disobedience. Surely the devils whisper to their ˹human˺ associates to argue with you.⁴ If you were to obey them, then you ˹too˺ would be polytheists.” – The Clear Quran®, 6:121

To further stress the forbiddance of haram, we can also refer to the beneficial ahadith (narrations) below stated by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

In Sahih Bukhari, on the authority of Aisha who was the wife of the Prophet (PBUH) and the daughter of his companion Abu Bakr, she says, “The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘All drinks that produce intoxication are Haram (forbidden to drink).’”
In Sunan ibn Majah, on the authority of Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib al-Kindi who was a companion of the Prophet (PBUH) from the Kinda tribe in Yemen, he says, “The Messenger of God said, ‘Soon there will come a time that a man will be reclining on his pillow, and when one of my ahadith is narrated he will say: ‘The Book of God is (sufficient) between us and you. Whatever it states is permissible, we will take as permissible, and whatever it states is forbidden, we will take as forbidden.’ Verily, whatever the Messenger of God (ﷺ) has forbidden is like that which Allah has forbidden.”

When beginning to purchase or consume halal foods, one must always make sure that the food follows the proper Islamic guidelines. Here are some points below that one can use as a checklist for halal foods:

Intention and Prayer: For meat to be considered halal, the individual performing the slaughter must be a sane adult Muslim, Jew, or Christian (the “People of the Book”) and must invoke the name of God before making the cut. This act of mentioning God’s name is meant to show gratitude to God’s blessings and serves as a reminder that life should only be taken for a justifiable reason.
Humane Treatment: The Islamic method of slaughtering animals involves using a sharp knife to ensure that the cut is clean and not painful. The animal must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter and should not see another animal being slaughtered or the blade being sharpened. The aim is to respect the creature and minimize its suffering, reflecting the Quranic principle that all creatures are like communities, just as how we humans have communities, and they are deserving of their happiness and our kindness. The animal must also be cut from the jugular vein in the neck to ensure complete removal of blood.
Blood Drainage: After the cut, the blood must be completely drained from the animal. Blood in meat can be a medium for bacteria and toxins, and its removal is considered essential for the meat to be pure or clean.
No Contamination: Halal food must not be contaminated with haram substances during preparation, processing, or storage. This includes ensuring that utensils,equipment and preparation areas have not been used to handle non-halal items without thorough cleansing. This segregation helps maintain the purity of halal food, in line with Islamic dietary laws.
Halal Ingredients: All ingredients used in the preparation of food must be halal. For example, gelatin used in desserts and candies must be derived from halal sources. Many global manufacturers and restaurants are now using halal-certified ingredients to cater to Muslim customers.

To defend point #5, a recent literature review by Imran Ahmed Khan for the Journal of Clinical and Basic Research, The advantages of halal food for health and well-being, discovered that, “halal meat, obtained from animals raised following halal standards, yielded higher levels of certain essential amino acids compared to non-halal meat. This shows that halal meat has greater nutritional value.”

Further, several studies have been conducted to highlight the advantage and importance of introducing more halal food items in the global food market because more and more non-Muslims are now becoming accepting of, and even prefer, foods with halal ingredients. This market has been studied for years as a 2012 study for the International Halal Conference, Acceptance on Halal Food among Non-Muslim Consumers, emphasized that “with the raising concern on health, a halal food business today has huge potential in capturing non-Muslim as target market. The halal concept on food today is beyond the understanding of religious values alone. It represents hygiene, cleanliness and the quality of the food consumed.”

This study was conducted in Malaysia and the researchers explain that food is something we all enjoy and there is much success when we enter a market where “people from different cultural backgrounds and religion have different perceptions and experiences to food.” With more and more people becoming concerned with healthy eating, they tend to accept halal food more because it is clean consumption and hygienic food. Nowadays, halal isn’t just a religious preference/concern anymore because “the concept of being healthy means being watchful over what is taken into the body, on the cleanliness of the food, the source of the food and also the method of handling and preparing the food.”

For context, in 2012, 61.3% of the Malaysian population are made up of Muslims, and 38.7% of the population are made up of non-Muslims. So, when this study was conducted amongst non-Muslims between the ages of 21-30 years, “food safety” was the most selected reason as to why they accepted halal food. In the end, researchers advised at this conference for food businesses to tap into this market, and concluded by saying, “non-Muslim consumers on the other hand, value halal because of health benefits it provides which is purely voluntary on an individual decision rather than because to obey religion requirement.”

Here also some points below for a checklist for haram foods so you are aware of what not to get:

**Checklist for Identifying Haram Foods**

Prohibited Animals: Consumption of pork and its by-products is strictly forbidden in Islam, as is the consumption of animals that die naturally, are strangled, beaten, or killed by a fall (The Clear Quran®, 5:3).⁵
Improper Slaughter: Meat that has not been slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, including the absence of invoking God’s name during the process, is considered haram. This includes animals slaughtered by those who are not Muslim, Jewish, or Christian.
Intoxicants: Alcohol and all other intoxicants are haram. This includes foods or beverages containing even small amounts of alcohol, such as certain sauces or desserts.
Blood: The consumption of blood or food products containing blood is haram. This includes blood sausages and any dish where blood has not been properly drained.
Contamination: Any halal food that has come into contact with haram substances, such as utensils or storage areas used for non-halal foods, becomes haram. This cross-contamination renders the food impure.
Improper Ingredients: Foods containing ingredients derived from haram sources, such as gelatin from non-halal animals or enzymes from non-halal sources, are considered haram. Always check for halal certification on processed foods.
Carrion: The consumption of dead animals, which were not slaughtered but died due to other reasons (carrion), is haram (The Clear Quran®, 5:3).

The Sources of These Rules

The rules about what is halal and haram come from the Quran, which is the holy book of Islam, and from the ahadith and Sunnah, which are records of the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

In one hadith narrated from Abu Huraira, a companion of the Prophet (PBUH), the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said, “A time will come upon the people wherein a man will not bother with what he consumes; whether from halal source or haram.” – Sahih Bukhari

In another hadith reported on the authority of Abu Bakr, a companion of the Prophet (PBUH), the Messenger of God has said, “That body will not enter Paradise which has been nourished with haram.” – Bayhaqi

Another companion, Jabir, reported that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said, “That flesh will not enter Paradise which has grown from haram, and all that flesh which has grown from haram, the fire (of hell) is more worthy of it.” – Sahih Tirmidhi

Examples of Halal Foods

Meat and Poultry

Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Turkey, Duck, and Goat: These are permissible if slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, where the name of God is invoked during the process. This ensures the meat is spiritually and physically pure.

Dairy Products

Milk (from cows, goats, sheep), Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt: These are halal as long as they come from halal animals. Cheese must be made with halal rennet or enzymes, ensuring no contamination from haram sources.

Fruits and Vegetables

Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Leafy Greens, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Garlic: All fruits and vegetables are inherently halal, making them a staple in a halal diet. They are naturally permissible and free from impurities.

Grains

Rice, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Corn, Rye: Grains are naturally halal and form the basis of many dishes in a halal diet. They are unprocessed and do not contain any haram additives.

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds, Walnuts, Peanuts, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds: Nuts and seeds are halal when they are raw and unprocessed. They provide essential nutrients and are free from any haram processing.

Oils

Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Canola Oil, Coconut Oil: These oils are halal and are commonly used in cooking. They must be pure and free from any additives or cross-contamination with haram substances.

Examples of Haram Foods

Meat From Forbidden Animals

Pork (including bacon, ham, and any pork by-products): This is one of the most strictly forbidden foods in Islam.
Carnivorous animals and birds of prey: Animals that primarily prey/consume meat and birds that hunt and eat other animals, such as lions, eagles and hawks.
Animals improperly slaughtered: Any animal that is not slaughtered according to Islamic laws, which includes being slaughtered by a non-Muslim or without the name of God being pronounced before the slaughter.

By-products of Forbidden Animals

Gelatin (from non-halal sources): Often found in gummy candies, marshmallows, and various desserts and medications.
Enzymes (from non-halal sources): Commonly used in cheese-making and other food processing, which may be derived from animals not slaughtered in a halal way.
Rennet (from non-halal slaughtered animals): A set of enzymes commonly used to make cheese.

Alcoholic Beverages and Substances

Alcohol: Any drink containing ethanol, including beers, wines, spirits, and liquors.
Foods cooked with or containing alcohol: Dishes that include alcohol in their preparation or cooking process.

In The Clear Signs, an exegesis of the Quran written using evidence from modern science, the author Hameed Siddiqui highlights that pork makes up approximately 38% of global meat production. Within the Quran, the holy book of Islam, God says, “He has only forbidden you ˹to eat˺ carrion, blood, swine, and what is slaughtered in the name of any other than God. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—they will not be sinful. Surely God is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” The Clear Quran, 2:173.

Eating pork has significant detrimental effects to the health of the human body because of its nature. According to Siddiqui, “it often plays in and even eats its excrement. Due to this and its biological structure, the pig produces much higher antibody levels than other animals.” It also is an animal whose meat contains high levels of cholesterol and lipids. Further, it has the “trichina” worm. “This worm is frequently found in pork, and when it enters the human body, it settles directly in the heart’s muscles and represents a possibly fatal threat.” Finally, pigs also are the hosts of several parasites and microorganisms.

Conclusion

For non-Muslims, understanding halal and haram provides insight into Islamic culture and religious practices. It shows how deeply food and faith are intertwined in Muslim communities and how ethical considerations shape daily choices. Whether you’re dining with Muslim friends, doing business with a Muslim company, or simply exploring different cultures, knowing these dietary rules can help build bridges of understanding and respect.

This guide is just a start, and there’s much more to learn about the rich traditions of Islam. By appreciating these nuances, we can all enjoy a more informed and interconnected world!

Are You Eating Right? A Simple Guide to Halal Vs. Haram Food

Checklist for Identifying Haram Foods

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**Checklist for Identifying Haram Foods**