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What is Ḥalāl?
{حلال}
The word ‘Ḥalāl’ linguistically means ‘permissible’ or ‘lawful.’ In Islāmic terminology, it refers to all that has been deemed permissible in Islām. It has been used in the Qur’ān, in Sūrah al-Baqarah:
“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is Ḥalāl] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.” [1]
Ḥalāl is a comprehensive term including any object or an action that is permissible to use, engage in or consume, according to the Sharīʿah (Islāmic law). The term covers and designates not only food and drink but also all matters of daily life. Allāh tells us in Sūrah al-‘Āʿrāf:
“.. He enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful (Ḥalāl) for them the good things and prohibits (Ḥarām) for them the evil..” [2]
What is Dhabīḥah?
{ذَبِيْحَة}
In order for meat to be Ḥalāl, all land animals and birds (that are permissible for consumption) must go through the Dhabīḥah process. Allāh has ordered us in the Sūrah al-Mā'idah:
“Forbidden to you are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals not slaughtered in accordance with Islāmic law), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allāh, or has been slaughtered for idols, or on which Allāh's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns….” [3]
Therefore meat has to be slaughtered (Dhabḥa) in accordance with Islāmic law in order to be Ḥalāl. Meat that is not permissible to eat to begin with, such as pork, cannot be made Ḥalāl with the Dhabīḥah process since it is forbidden to begin with. All creatures from the ocean are exempt from the Dhabīḥah process due to the clear and authentic Ḥadīth of Rasūlullāh ﷺ where He said about the sea:
هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ ، الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ
"Its water is a purifier and its dead are Ḥalāl (lawful)." [4]
What is Ḥarām?
{حَرَام}
Ḥarām is the opposite of Ḥalāl. Linguistically it can be translated as ‘prohibited.’ In Islāmic terminology, it refers to everything that has been strictly prohibited in Islāmic law.
Why Eat Ḥalāl?
It is a command of Allāh, as stated in the above mentioned verses of the Qur’ān.
Eating Ḥarām prevents duʿā from being answered. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said about a man supplicating to Allāh:
وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ ، وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ ، وَمَلْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ ، وَغُذِّيَ بِالْحَرَامِ ، فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذَلِكَ ؟
“…while his food is Ḥarām, his drink is Ḥarām, his clothing is Ḥarām, and he is nourished with Ḥarām; how can (his supplication) be answered?" [5]
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Conditions of Dhabīḥah
{شروط الذبح}
The Conditions of Dhabīḥah are the following:
The animal must be from the category of animals permissible to consume for Muslims. Allāh tells us in the Qur’ān:
“Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods, which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, etc., milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.). [6]
And Allāh has also ordered us in the Qur’ān:
“Forbidden to you are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals not slaughtered in accordance with Islāmic law), blood, the flesh of swine.” [7]
It is reported in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْ كُلِّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ ، وَعَنْ كُلِّ ذِي مِخْلَبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ. [Prophet ﷺ forbade the eating of every animal that has fangs and every bird that has talons. [8
Hence the meat of swine and the meat of predatory land animals is unlawful for Muslims. It can never be Ḥalāl, even if it goes the Dhabīḥah process.
The windpipe (trachea), the gullet (esophagus) and the two jugular veins in the neck should be cut with a knife or a tool that is sharp and has a cutting edge. If the windpipe (trachea), the gullet (esophagus) and only one of the jugular veins is cut this is acceptable, as it is authentically reported from Umar bin al-Khattaab and ʿAbdullaah bin ʿAbbaas رضي الله عنهم:
الذَّكَاةُ فِي الْحَلْقِ وَاللَّبَّةِ
“The slaughtering is at the neck and throat.” [9]
And Ibn ʿAbbaas added:
إِذَا أُهْرِيقَ الدَّمُ وَقُطِعَ الْوَدَجُ فَكُلْ
“If blood flows due to cutting the jugular vein, then eat (the slaughtered animal).” [10]
The name of Allah must be taken at the time of slaughtering. Allāh has ordered us in the Qur’ān:
“Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah's Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allah). [11]
And Allāh has also ordered us in the Qur’ān:
“Forbidden to you are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals not slaughtered in accordance with Islāmic law), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allāh, or has been slaughtered for idols, or on which Allāh's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns...” [12]
The slaughterer must be either a Muslim or from the People of the Book. As it is stated clearly in the Qur’ān:
“The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them.” [13]
[1] Qur’ān [2:168] Sūrah al-Baqarah āyah # 168
[2] Qur’ān [7:157] Sūrah al-‘Aʿrāf āyah # 157
[3] Qur’ān [5:3] Sūrah al-Mā'idah āyah # 3
[4] Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī Ḥadīth # 377. Al-Bukhārī, Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Ḥākim, Ibn Ḥazm and ad-Daraquṭnī all graded as Ṣaḥīḥ.
[5] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Ḥadīth # 1692
[6] Qur’ān [5:5] Sūrah al-Mā'idah āyah # 5
[7] Qur’ān [5:3] Sūrah al-Mā'idah āyah # 3
[8] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Ḥadīth # 3574
[9] Irwā’ al-Ghalīl Volume # 8 Page # 177 graded as Ṣaḥīḥ.
[10] Al-Mubdiʿ Sharh al-Muqniʿ Volume # 8 Page # 26 graded as Ḥasan.
[11] Qur’ān [6:121] Sūrah al-'An`ām āyah # 121
[12] Qur’ān [5:3] Sūrah al-Mā'idah āyah # 3
[13] Qur’ān [5:5] Sūrah al-Mā'idah āyah # 5
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