HALAL

What is Halal

  • Halal is an Islamic term which means lawful, permissible or legal. The opposite of Halal is Haram which means unlawful or prohibited.
  • lIn the Holy Quran, Allah has commanded Muslims and all Mankind to eat and live on Halal and Tayyib (pure, clean, wholesome, nourishing and pleasing to the taste) things. Among the many verses of the Quran that convey this message, here are a few:
  • O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the Evil One, for he is to you an avowed enemy." (Al-Baqarah: 168)
  • "O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah)! Eat of the good things that We have provided you, and be grateful to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom you worship". (Al-Baqarah: 172)
  • l"Eat of that which Allah hath provided for you lawful and good; but fear Allah, in Whom ye believe." (Al Maidah: 88)

 

It is well known in the meat trade that Muslims consume halal meat. However, at times questions are asked, what is halal? In Arabic it simply means permissible or allowed. Opposite to it is haram, which means forbidden or not allowed. Arabic is the language of the Qur`an, a scripture revealed to the Holy Prophet of Islam by the Almighty Allah to be followed in its entirety by the Muslims.

  • Zabihahrequire poultryto be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, individual bird whence we now have poultry being slaughtered at a rate of six to nine thousand per hour, has already been addressed. A Muslim is commanded to commence all his deeds in the name of Allah.
  • All the flowing blood (al- An`am 6:145) must be drained out of the carcass, as blood is forbidden
  • Swine flesh is also forbidden, and it is repeated in few other places in the Qur`an
  • Forbidden is an animal that has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall

What now becomes abundantly clear for halal purposes is that:

 

What now becomes abundantly clear for halal purposes is that:

  1. A poultry birds should not be dead prior to slaughter
  2. A Muslim should perform slaughter