What are halal foods?

During the month of Ramadan, for 30 days,Muslims who choose to fast will neither eat nor drink during daylight hours. Atnight, when they break their fast, many will only choose foods that areconsidered permissible under Islamic law. The Arabic word for such food is“halal.”

The halal food industry in the UnitedStates is expanding rapidly. A growing Muslim population, along with youngernon-Muslim customers who consume these foods for non-religious reasons, droveoverall sales to a whopping US$20 billion in 2016, a 15 percent increase since2012.

To clarify, most foods do come under thecategory of halal for Muslims. However, under Islamic law, the following arenot considered permissible: blood, alcohol and other intoxicants, pork, meat ofcarnivorous animals like wolves or coyotes, birds of prey such as vultures,amphibians, snakes, and animals that live on land and water like frogs. Meatand poultry are considered halal only if the animals are conscious whenslaughtered and bleed out before they die.

To determine which foods are halal, Islamicjurisprudence draws on three religious sources: passages in the Quran, thesayings and customs of the Prophet Muhammad, which were written down by hisfollowers and are called “Hadith” and rulings by recognized religious scholars.

One verse in the Quran says, “He [Allah]has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and thatwhich has been dedicated to other than Allah.”

This Quranic verse merely states thatanimals are unfit to eat if slaughtered in the name of deities other thanAllah, but jurists have further ruled that animals must be slaughtered in thename of Allah and by a faithful Muslim. Jurists don’t always agree however. Forexample, most jurists have ruled that shellfish is halal. Others disagree.

Though no federal laws regulate the use ofthe label “halal” on food products, states such as California, Illinois,Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and Texas restrict the use of this label tofoods that meet Islamic religious requirements. Various private Muslimorganizations also oversee the production and certification of halal products.

Ramadan is a time set aside to celebrateand reflect on one’s relationship with Allah. For many Muslims, this includesrespecting Islamic law by making sure that halal foods await them at the end ofeach day’s fast.

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