When is food considered halal?

Allah says in the Quran:

This verse from the Holy Quran makes it clear that in Islam, certain foods are permitted (halal; What does halal mean?) and forbidden (haram). What to consider when following an Islamically compliant diet will now be described.

Is a food halal or haram?

Providing a precise list of which foods are permitted (halal) and forbidden (haram) would, firstly, result in a massive halal database and, secondly, be misleading and ultimately inaccurate, as food products, their ingredients, and production methods are constantly evolving. It is far more important to understand the concepts behind what is permitted (halal) and forbidden (haram) and to consider them as a practicing Muslim, restaurant owner, or food manufacturer when consuming, distributing, or producing food. It is crucial to note that the assessment of permitted and forbidden foods is only possible by incorporating the ^Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in addition to the Quran as the primary source. The information from the Quran is supplemented by the Prophet's traditions (hadith).

But first of all: What does the Koran say?

Some attempts to translate the necessary verses into German are not sufficiently clear. Therefore, we would like to present two versions of Surah Al-Baqarah/The Cow, verse 173, which complement each other well:

1. "He has only forbidden you (the consumption of) carrion, blood, pork, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced to eat it, without desiring it and without exceeding the limit, then there is no blame upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."

2. “He has forbidden you to eat dead animals, as well as blood, pork, and animals dedicated to other deities besides God. But whoever eats these things in times of need, without excess or ill intent, incurs no guilt. God is full of forgiveness and mercy.”

This statement appears repeatedly in similar forms at various points in the Quran. The information we receive can be broken down as follows: The consumption of

• pork
• blood
• animals that have died naturally or were stillborn

It is expressly forbidden. Furthermore, it is not permitted to consume meat from animals whose slaughter was not carried out in the name of Allah, but rather, for example, dedicated to idols or slaughtered arbitrarily without prayer or dedication. These parts of the verse stem from a pre-Islamic practice during the time of idolatry, in which animals were slaughtered and dedicated to idols. These abuses were remedied with the revelation of the aforementioned Quranic verse by categorizing it as "haram." Finally, this verse contains another important lesson: Under certain conditions, foods categorized as "haram" may be temporarily classified as "halal." An important point to note: Cravings, appetite, interest in the taste, or general hunger are not situations that would fulfill these conditions. Legal scholars explain this connection as follows: If one is facing death by starvation, and there is absolutely nothing else to eat, then only enough pork may be consumed to avert the danger of death. No more!

What's next in our series of articles on the topic of "halal"?

The preceding explanations do not yet cover everything regarding what is permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram) in the diet of Muslims. Next, we will examine the traditions, various Quranic verses, and geographical conditions, the combination of which has allowed Islamic jurisprudence to make pronouncements about further permissible and forbidden foods.

Notes

^1. We already discussed the Sunnah in the previous article. What is the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? Simply put, the Sunnah can be summarized as everything the Prophet explicitly said, did, permitted, and forbade, but also everything he tacitly accepted or tolerated. From the sum of these traditions, a picture of his life and work can be drawn, which, in addition to the Quran, is used as a source to find fundamental answers to Islamic questions, such as, in this case, diet.