Halal food?

[Seeker_2601]

Right, so I've seen things about muslim food having to be slaughtered a certain way or prepared a certain way in order for them to be Halal. What happens if the nearest store that sells halal food is over 3 hours away? Is there any way to make food that has not been prepared Islamically halal? I know there are basic rules like no blood and no pork etc, but what if you've got some, say, chicken nuggets or steak?

 

[mhamzah]

Guidelines for Halal

Guidelines for Halal:

The abattoir or factory must be under the close and constant supervision of a Halal certifier.

The premises, machinery and equipment must be cleansed according to Islamic Sharia (law) before any production takes place.

If the slaughtering equipment has ever been in contact or used in the slaughtering of pigs or dogs, a ritual cleansing, called Dibagh, has to be performed in order to render the equipment clean for Halal handling and processing.

The slaughterer must be a mature pious Muslim of sound mind who understands fully the fundamentals and conditions relating to Halal slaughter, and be approved by the religious authorities.

The slaughtering is done by a Muslim facing the Qibla (direction of Mecca).

Only acceptable live animals and birds can be slaughtered (no pork).

Prior to slaughtering or before confirming its death, no body part of the animals shall be cut or mutilated. The animals shall be free from diseases and anabolic hormones such as the female sex hormone, and diethyl-stylbesterol (DES) treatment. Halal Nullification prior to Islamic Slaughter.

Animal has to be fed as normal and given water prior to slaughter, one animal must not see the other being slaughtered, knife should be four times the size of the neck and razor sharp, and as far as possible the slaughterer and the animal should face

The slaughter must be done manually using a sharp steel knife. Facilities must be available for rinsing the knife after each kill.

The operator shall wash the area and surfaces with clay water (appropriate mixture of clay and water) once. The operator shall wash and rinse the clay water from the area and surfaces with clean water for an additional 5 times.

The slaughterer must sever the respiratory tract, esophagus and jugular vein.

Slaughtering is to be done from the front of the neck, between the throat and the head of the breast bone (Libba). The throat/oesophagus (Mirree), windpipe/trachea (Halkoom) and the two jugular veins (Wadijan) are cut in the neck without severing the spinal cord. This cut severes the arteries to the brain of the animal, thus depriving the brain of blood supply. As a result, the brain loses consciousness due to insufficient oxygen. This renders the animal unconscious, causing the animal the least amount of pain.

The animal must be completely dead before skinning takes place.

Animals must not captive bold stunned bodies. This assures the consumer of getting completely healthy Halal Fresh Meat processed in accordance with highest standars of cleanliness, purity, and healthiness.

The goal is to slaughter the animal, limiting the amount of pain the animal will endure.

When an animal is slaughtered, the jugular vein is cut and the blood is allowed to drain from the animal. Remember, Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood thus enjoy complete healthy Halal Fresh Meat with highest standards of cleanliness, purity, and healthiness.

Additionally, Muslims are enjoined to slaughter their livestock by slitting the animal's throat in a swift and merciful manner, saying, “ Bismillah Allah-u-Akbar” "In the name of God, God is Most Great." This is in acknowledgement that the life of this creature if taken by God's permission to meet one's lawful need for food. The animal is then bled completely.

Islam prohibits the meat of animals that are slaughtered without reciting the name of Allah and those that are slaughtered whilst pronouncing a name other than Allah. Mentioning the name of Allah during slaughter is actually a way of seeking permission from God for taking the life of the animal for the sole purpose of sustenance. The prohibition to recite a name other than Allah during slaughter acts as a safeguard to a Muslim’s faith. Islam is a religion which promotes monotheism and rejects any form of polytheism. Mentioning a name other than Allah is regarded as a polytheistic act, thus such act is not permissible during slaughter.

 

[mhamzah]

What happens if the nearest store that sells halal food is over 3 hours away? Is there any way to make food that has not been prepared Islamically halal? I know there are basic rules like no blood and no pork etc, but what if you've got some, say, chicken nuggets or steak?

:salam2:

Maybe this might help you find Halal food near your area;

http://www.zabihah.com/

The above guidelines have to be met else the food is Haram (forbidden), expect under two condition (a) one is forced to eat it (b) starvation that could be life threatning. Even under these conditions one cannot trangress the limts.

 

[mhamzah]

Article on this issue by Dr SM Bleher

Do Animal Rights activists protect the sheep or the Butcher? ​

Islamic Halal slaughter has increasingly come under attack from animal rights activists telling tales of barbaric blood-thirsty ritual slaughter. There are two distinct issues: there is the vegetarian agenda which wants to ban all consumption of animal products, and there is the animal rights lobby which argues for a humane method of slaughter.


Do animals have rights?

The vegetarian argument is that killing animals for the benefit of humans is cruel and an infringement of their rights. They put both on the same level without conceding any superiority to humans over animals. This argument is seriously flawed, because if animals had rights comparable to those of humans, they must also have equivalent duties. In other words, we must be able to blame them and punish them if they violate the rights of others. It is absurd that it should be considered a crime for humans to kill a sheep, but natural for a lion to do so. The problem stems from a misconception of the role of human life within the animal kingdom: a denial of purposeful creation within a clearly defined hierarchy degrades humans to the level of any other creature. Yet even then, the argument is illogical: Why should plants, for example, be denied the same protection from a violation of the sanctity of their life?


Is Islamic slaughter cruel?

The question of how an animal should be slaughtered to avoid cruelty is a different one. It is true that when the blood flows from the throat of an animal it looks violent, but just because meat is now bought neatly and hygienically packaged on supermarket shelves does not mean the animal didn’t have to die? Non-Islamic slaughter methods dictate that the animal should be rendered unconscious before slaughter. This is usually achieved by stunning or electrocution. Is it less painful to shoot a bolt into a sheep’s brain or to ring a chicken’s neck than to slit its throat? To watch the procedure does not objectively tell us what the animal feels.


The scientific facts

A team at the university of Hannover in Germany examined these claims through the use of EEG and ECG records during slaughter. Several electrodes were surgically implanted at various points of the skull of all the animals used in the experiment and they were then allowed to recover for several weeks. Some of the animals were subsequently slaughtered the halal way by making a swift, deep incision with a sharp knife on the neck, cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries of both sides together with the trachea and esophagus but leaving the spinal cord intact. The remainder were stunned before slaughter using a captive bolt pistol method as is customary in Western slaughterhouses. The EEG and ECG recordings allowed to monitor the condition of the brain and heart throughout.


The Halal method

With the halal method of slaughter, there was not change in the EEG graph for the first three seconds after the incision was made, indicating that the animal did not feel any pain from the cut itself. This is not surprising. Often, if we cut ourselves with a sharp implement, we do not notice until some time later. The following three seconds were characterised by a condition of deep sleep-like unconciousness brought about by the draining of large quantities of blood from the body. Thereafter the EEG recorded a zero reading, indicating no pain at all, yet at that time the heart was still beating and the body convulsing vigorously as a reflex reaction of the spinal cord. It is this phase which is most unpleasant to onlookers who are falsely convinced that the animal suffers whilst its brain does actually no longer record any sensual messages.


The Western method

Using the Western method, the animals were apparently unconscious after stunning, and this method of dispatch would appear to be much more peaceful for the onlooker. However, the EEG readings indicated severe pain immediately after stunning. Whereas in the first example, the animal ceases to feel pain due to the brain starvation of blood and oxygen – a brain death, to put it in laymen’s terms – the second example first causes a stoppage of the heart whilst the animal still feels pain. However, there are no unsightly convulsions, which not only means that there is more blood retention in the meat, but also that this method lends itself much more conveniently to the efficiency demands of modern mass slaughter procedures. It is so much easier to dispatch an animal on the conveyor belt, if it does not move.


Appearances can deceive

Not all is what it seems, then. Those who want to outlaw Islamic slaughter, arguing for a humane method of killing animals for food, are actually more concerned about the feelings of people than those of the animals on whose behalf they appear to speak. The stunning method makes mass butchery easier and looks more palatable for the consumer who can deceive himself that the animal did not feel any pain when he goes to buy his cleanly wrapped parcel of meat from the supermarket. Islamic slaughter, on the other hand, does not try to deny that meat consumption means that animals have to die, but is designed to ensure that their loss of life is achieved with a minimum amount of pain.


The holistic view

Islam is a balanced way of life. For Muslims, the privilege of supplementing their diet with animal protein implies a duty to animal welfare, both during the rearing of the animal and during the slaughter. Modern Western farming and slaughter, on the other hand, aims at the mass consumer market and treats the animal as a commodity. Just as battery hens are easier for large-scale egg production, Western slaughter methods are easier for the meat industry, but they do neither the animal nor the end consumer any favours. The Islamic way guarantees a healthier life for the animal and a healthier meat for the consumer.

 

[Seeker_2601]

:salam2:

Maybe this might help you find Halal food near your area;

http://www.zabihah.com/

The above guidelines have to be met else the food is Haram (forbidden), expect under two condition (a) one is forced to eat it (b) starvation that could be life threatning. Even under these conditions one cannot trangress the limts.

I went to that site, only to find that the nearest Halal store is, in fact, 3 hours away from me and it is to be honest, quite impossible for me to get their. Would Allah allow for any food to be eaten, out of neccesity, so long as it is not pig or blood or killed in another god's name etc. If I got a turkey sandwhich, but the turkey wasnt slaughtered by means of a halal slaughter house, could I eat it? If saying bismillah before I eat it then counter the fact that it was slaughterd, not in the name of anything, but simply for food?

 

[sazk]

the turkey was created by Allah for food and it is Allah's right that the slaughterer should acknowledge this fact at that time.

 

[a_stranger]

Question :



I have read several articles on what foods are halal and what foods are haraam. But when I go to a restaurant I still [doubt] if what I am eating is halal. I know that the meat needs to be slaughtered in the name of Allah, and it shall be done by the people of the book. Currently in the United States, the Christians and the Jews don't follow the true Bible and the Torah. The Christians call Isa (may Allah be pleased with him) the son of God. Is the meat cut by these people halal, can it be eaten?


Answer :


Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah).al-hamdu lillah (all praise be to Allah). The Christians and the Jews of the People of the Book in our times are indeed those People of the Book that are mentioned in the texts of shari'ah in the Qur'an and sunnah, and they are the kuffar (unbelievers) of the Jews and Christians that existed at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They are the people of the corrupted Torah and corrputed Injeel, as evidenced by the fact that Allah (swt) addressed them and named them "People of the Book" despite their being kuffar and their books being corrupted, as indicated in the following interpretations of the meanings of the aayaat:

Aala 'imran: 70:

O People of the Book! why do you reject the Signs of Allah, of which you are (yourselves) witnesses?

Al-maa'ida: 15:

O People of the Book! there has come to you Our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary): There has come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book.

Al-hashr: 2: (in regards to the Battle of Bani al-Nadeer):

It is He Who got out the Unbelievers among the People of the Book from their homes at the first gathering (of the forces)…

These kuffar among the People of the Book have certain abrogating qualities distinguishing them from the rest of the kuffar, by virtue of the fact that they are recipients of heavenly guidance and are people of previously revealed divine books—even though they corrupted them—unlike the remainder of the kuffar who have neither a previous book nor messenger, such as the Hindus, the Sikhs, the Buddhists, the communists, and others.

Because of this distinguishing quality, the shari'ah has specified special rulings particular to the People of the Book, and exceptions specific to them in some rulings, such as allowing marriage to the the chaste and virtuous (whether virgins or previously married) among their women and the permissibility of eating their slaughtered meat, as indicated in the following ayah (interpretation of the meaning):

Maa'ida: 5

This day are (all) things Good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time, when you give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues…

The preceding discussion is in regards to the general ruling with respect to slaughtered meat of the People of the Book; as for the specifics, the slaughtered meat of People of the Book can be one of several cases:

That he slaughters it via the known way specified by shari'ah and he speaks the name of Allah upon it. In this case there is no problem in the permissibility of eating it.

That he does not slaughter it by the way specified by shari'ah as is the case if he chokes it or electrocutes it until it dies or drowns it in water until it dies or kills it by a bullet, etc. In this case there is no doubt that eating it is forbidden since it is maita (meat of an animal that has died without properly being slaughtered) and Allah has forbidden it in the Qur'an (interpretation of the meaning): "… and forbidden unto you is maita…" (al-Maa'ida:3)

That he mentions the name of someone or something other than Allah upon it as he is slaughtering, such as the Messiah or otherwise. Likewise there is no doubt that the meat in this case is haraam, since it is among what has been dedicated to other than Allah, which is specifically forbidden in the ayah in surat al-Maa'ida: 3 (interpretation of the meaning): "Forbidden to you (for food) are: maita, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has ben invoked the name of other than Allah; that which has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow…"

That we receive their meat and we don't know if it has been slaughtered properly or not. In this case the rule of thumb is that if we don't know the way of slaughter, the default is that it is permitted if it has been slaughtered by Muslims or Ahl il-Kitaab (Fatawa Islamiyya, Sheikh Abdel-Aziz Bin Baz, 3/404), as per the generally encompassing ayah (interpretation of the meaning) "and the food of the people to whom have been revealed the Book is permitted for you." (al-Maa'ida:5) If it becomes evident to us that they have not slaughtered it properly then it would not be permisible.

That we receive their meat and we don't know what they have mentioned upon it, and in this case likewise the preferrable and recommended opinion is the permissibility of eating it, as per the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari via Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people said to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that a people come to them with meat which they do not know whether they have mentioned the name of Allah upon it or not. The Prophet replied "Mention the name of Allah upon it and eat it."


taken from:

http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/food_of_people_of_book.htm

 

[a_stranger]

Slaughtering by the People of the Book
The basic rule regarding the food and meat of the People of the Book is that it if Halal. A Muslim can eat their food and marry their women, as stated in the following Ayat:

"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..). 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. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time, when you have given their due Mahr (bridal-money given by the husband to his wife) desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl friends. And whosoever disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and in all the other Articles of Faith [i.e. His (Allah’s), Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers." (Al-Ma’idah 5:5)

People of the Book specifically means Christians and Jews. Scholars have discussed in great detail exactly what is meant by the expression "People of the Book" and whether or not that meaning would change with time. The majority of scholars say that the meaning of People of the Book has not changed and should not change with time, even if the Christians and Jews deviate more in their path from the True Path and regardless of how much they practice of their religion. The reasons for this understanding are very simple. Firstly, all or most of these deviations existed even before the revelation of the Quran to our Prophet (SAW), yet Allah (SWT) called them the People of the Book. Second, Allah (SWT) did not mention in the Quran - and He surely knows that they are going to change. We should not, therefore, pay attention to these changes, and should treat them, in every way in which we deal with them, as who they are - People of the Book.

Rasheed Ridhaa, a respected scholar who lived at the turn of the century, said in his book of Tafseer: "Allah (SWT) prohibited us from marrying Mushrik women, yet He (SWT) also permitted us - in a clear and direct manner in the same Ayat - to marry the women of the People of the Book. Since marriage is more important than eating, we should not, therefore, put any restrictions on the rulings derived from the Ayat regarding their food or who they are." (Tafseer al-Manar, B1 / P353)

taken from:

http://www.themuslimwoman.com/hertongue/SlaughteringPeopleofBook.htm

 

[mhamzah]

I went to that site, only to find that the nearest Halal store is, in fact, 3 hours away from me and it is to be honest, quite impossible for me to get their. Would Allah allow for any food to be eaten, out of neccesity, so long as it is not pig or blood or killed in another god's name etc. If I got a turkey sandwhich, but the turkey wasnt slaughtered by means of a halal slaughter house, could I eat it? If saying bismillah before I eat it then counter the fact that it was slaughterd, not in the name of anything, but simply for food?

:salam2:

First of all, if you buy a chicken sandwhich from grocery store, how would you know it is not killed in our gods name. Animal slaugheterd in non-halal methods have blood in it, dont take my word for it. Just check it for yourself next time, it will be chicken meat would be reddish in complexion and Halal meat would be whitish in colour. I am sure you can have a vegetarian sandwhich (provided it doesnt have anyone haram ingredients).

Muslim have to say 'Bismillah' before eating any food, so saying Bismillah does not counter anything.

 

[mhamzah]

My thoughts on this subject!!

I went to that site, only to find that the nearest Halal store is, in fact, 3 hours away from me and it is to be honest, quite impossible for me to get their. Would Allah allow for any food to be eaten, out of neccesity, so long as it is not pig or blood or killed in another god's name etc. If I got a turkey sandwhich, but the turkey wasnt slaughtered by means of a halal slaughter house, could I eat it? If saying bismillah before I eat it then counter the fact that it was slaughterd, not in the name of anything, but simply for food?

[[/url][/QUOTE]

:salam2:


Couple of issues I'll like to highlight;

1. How do we know that the meat we buy from a grocery store, or even a butcher is indeed slaughtered by People of the Book.

2. This is indeed a minority view. There are several others guidelines (mentioned above), which should be taken into account. It could very well be, that Jews and Christians at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) used to slaughter in the same manner as Muslims do (indeed the slaughtering method in jewish law is similar to that of the Muslims, even today some orthodox Jews follow those guidelines). However majority of them don't.

It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muْammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.


3. As far as marriage is concerned that to involves guidelines, i.e. you cannot marry adulterous women from the people of the book.

I don't know how the situation is in our city, here in London, Hamduallah, Halal food is easily available. Infact in certains areas there are more Halal shops.

And Allah Knows best!

 

[Sanaa01]

:salam2:

I live far away from halal store about 2hours driving I still go shopping for halal meat, chicken and turkey, salami for sandwiches once every 2 to 3 weeks I buy a lot of halal meat and store it in the freezer so when I need to cook for the family I find it handy and when we dine out I usually order fish or vegetarian meals
I have this fatwa was sent to me by email from scholars of The Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America I hope you will find it useful.



Question :


Assalamo alaikom,



Many food products nowadays have e-numbers (colors, preservatives, etc.) as a part of their ingredients. These e-numbers can be from an animal source, pork, insects or plants. Different sites on the Web indicate different e-numbers as being Halal, Haram or Mashbooh; it's so confusing. My questions are:



- Do I have to consider these e-numbers when buying my food? I read a comment somewhere on the Web that it is okay once the material is transformed chemically.



- If these numbers matter, is there an authentic list of the haram e-numbers? Some lists on the Internet say halal for many e-numbers if they are from a plant source. But most of the products do not indicate the source of the e-numbers. Should I consider them as mashbooh and avoid them? I live in Europe and by avoiding products with these e-numbers, pork and beef which is not slaughtered according Islamic rules, I have nothing left to eat. I heard that I can say, "Bismillah" (In the Name of Allah), and eat beef or chicken. Is that true? I sometimes buy a vegetarian pizza, but it is baked in the same place as another pizza with pork. Maybe it has touched it or something. Can I eat a pizza like this? This pizza is vegetarian, but it has sauces and such. These sauces may have some of the e-numbers. What should I do? What I am looking for is a guide for me and my brothers with me here all over the western world.



Thanks for your efforts.

Answer :


All praise be to Allah, and may His peace and blessings be on His final and greatest messenger, Muhammad.



Dear Enquirer,



Thank you for your trust in us, as well as your keenness to follow the guidance of Allah and His Messenger. May Allah give us and you consistency and steadfastness on His path.



Let me first tell you that there will always be halal alternatives. Many people choose to be vegetarian or even vegan for their health and many do so for religious reasons, such as certain types of Buddhists and Hindus. Therefore, if it comes down to becoming vegetarian for the sake of Allah, out of compliance with His true deen, I don't think that would be a price any sane person would hesitate to pay. Also, many people avoid eating out all together, because it is unhealthy.



Thanks be to Allah, this is not the case. You will always have fish to eat. Also, you may eat all halal and kosher foods.



As for meat, I would choose to abstain from all meat, except halal or kosher products. That is because there is enough data out there to make us doubt whether or not the meat is slaughtered and whether or not it was slaughtered by someone whose meat we can eat.



As for other food ingredients, I would recommend you also avoid:



1- Lard (which is almost obsolete).

2- Animal shortening (which is almost obsolete).

3- Gelatin (except in medicines if there are no alternatives).

4- Glycerin (except in medicines if there are no alternatives).

5- Liquor, when not otherwise defined. That is different from chocolate liquor, since the word, "liquor," just means "liquid," but when mentioned alone, it refers to alcoholic beverages.



As for the other products, such as lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, and the various enzymes, I would consider them permissible for consumption for the following reasons:



1- It has been authentically reported by Abu Dawood and others that the Companions, after opening al-Mada'en, ate from the cheese of the Zoroastrians. It is made by the enzymes extracted from their animals which are not permissible for us, even if they slaughtered them.

2- Many of the ingredients that are controversial get transformed and the transformation changes their ruling according to the majority.

3- Najasah (impurity) of the "dead" and non-halal animals usually pertains to the animate body parts that have tissue life, not the parts that have vegetable-like life such as the hair, teeth, bones, and fluids aside from the known excrements.

4- Najsaat (impurities) are of varying grades, with najasah by proximity being a weaker one. Many times the najasah of enzymes is because they have been touching the dead tissues of the dead animal.

5- Trivial amounts are usually exempt in Sharia, and that may apply to the emulsifiers and enzymes which are used in very small amounts to accelerate certain chemical pathways.



May Allah purify your heart and stomach, and the rest of your organs from all evil and every spiritual or physical filth.

Sheikh Hatem Mohammad Al-Haj Aly

 

[Tabassum07]

Verily, with difficulty comes ease.

You will have to face a big change in dietary habits, especially if you live in the West, and in a city where you can't get halal food.

Is there a mosque in your city? Check it out, because maybe there is a small shop where you can get halal meat, but its just not registered online or something.

My family was in America for quite a number of years. Way back in the 80s when I was really little, we lived in a mid sized town in Minnesota, and there was no mosque and just a handful of muslim families then. My dad and some friends used to go to a farm on the weekends, and slaughter properly a few animals and then hire a freezer locker for some time and store their meat in there. That was then, but things have changed now. Last time I was in the US around 2001, same town, there's quite a big mosque, halal meat shops everything.

If you can't find any halal food, you'll have to switch to vegetarian or eat seafood. Do read all the ingredients of everything you buy from now on. Because we can't have anything with animal origin gelatin, marshmallow etc. Actually cheddar cheese used to be a no-no as well, but now almost all cheddar cheese is made from culture, and you'll usually find it says "cheddar cheese (cheese cultures)" on the packets so its okay now. I was in college there then, and I do know how hard it is not to find anything vegetarian in the college cafetaria. I lived on fries and cheese pizza and vegetarian subs for ages, and I got sick of ordering fish everytime I went out somewhere.