ISLAMIC DIETARY LAWS

JAMES D. HARRITOS II

“O believers, eat what is good of the foodWe have given you, and be grateful to

God,If indeed you are obedient to Him.”

(2:172)

HALAL & HARAM

TERMINOLOGY

• Halal – permissible, lawful• Dhabiha – meat

slaughtered by Muslims

• Haram – prohibited• Mashbooh – questionable,

or doubtful

THE FOUR IMPURITIES WITH MEAT

“Forbidden to you are carrion and blood,

and the flesh of the swine,and that which has been consecratedin the name of any other than God.”

(Quran 2:172-173)

CARRION

• If the animal was dead, not slaughtered

• Rotting meat not fit for human consumption

• Decaying process causes formation of harmful chemicals in meat

“Forbidden unto you are carrion …and the strangled,

and the dead through beating,and the dead through falling from a

height,and that which has been killed by

horns…”(Quran 5:3)

SWINE

• Food made from pig is forbidden• Pathogenic worms can enter humans• Fatty acids are incompatible with

human

UNBLESSED MEAT

“Eat only that over which the name

of God has been pronounced,if you truly believe in his

commands.”(Quran 6:118)

UNBLESSED MEAT

• Strict Interpretation:– A prayer must be recited by the butcher

• Loose interpretation:– A long as it’s not slaughtered in

anyone’s name– Short prayer before eating– Bismillah: in the name of God

UNBLESSED MEAT

“This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those

who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for

them.”(Quran 5:5)

BLOOD

• Flowing or congealed blood is forbidden

• Must be slaughtered in a particular manner

• Blood contains harmful bacteria, products of metabolism, toxins

SLAUGHTERING

• Throat is split• Jugular veins, carotid arteries,

trachea, and esophagus are drained completely

• Allows blood to drain from carcass• Must use sharpened knife• Must not detach head – spinal cord

untouched

“Verily, Allah has prescribed excellence in everything; so if you kill, then kill

well, and if you slaughter, then slaughter well. Let one of you sharpen his knife so his animal feels no pain”

(Sahih Muslim 1955)

DHABIHA SLAUGHTERING

• Sane• Muslim• Proper age• Utmost care to the

animal being slaughtered

OTHER GUIDELINES

• Hanafi Sunnis (majority) – only fish with scales are halal

• Shiites make an exception with some crustaceans (shrimp, prawns)

• Rules of slaughtering do not apply

FISH

• Carnivorous animals with fangs– Lions, dogs, wolves, tigers, etc.

• Birds of prey– Falcons, eagles, owls, vultures

• Land animals– Frogs, snakes

• Domestic asses (donkeys)– Prophet Muhammad called them

“loathsome and impure”

FORBIDDEN ANIMALS

• Insects are haram except for locusts• Animals must survive on grass and

leaves to be food– Cow, lamb, camel– Thus, not swine

FORBIDDEN ANIMALS

• Muslims cannot do any of the following with haram products:– Buy– Sell– Raise– Transport– Slaughter– Benefit in any way

PROFIT FROM HARAM

“Oh ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance, and idols and

divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in

order that ye may succeed.”(5:90)

ALCOHOL

• Intoxicants are considered harmful• Affects senses and human judgement• Can lead to social & family problems• Can lead to loss of lives• Quran recognizes good and bad of

alcohol, but states the bad outweighs the good

ALCOHOL

• Food with alcohol prohibited– Food becomes impure

• “Of whatever thing a large quantity intoxicates, even a small quantity is prohibited”

ALCOHOL

HALAL IN BUSINESS

• Roughly 2.6 million Muslims in U.S.• About $20 billion/year industry• Sales of halal meat up 70% in 5

years• Previously mostly for export• Many small/medium halal

manufacturers springing up

MARKET FOR HALAL IN U.S.

• Globally – 1.6 billion Muslims– 1.9 billion by 2020

• ¼ of world’s population• Global market - $2.1 trillion– Growing $500 billion/year

• Malaysia is leader in halal certification– Up $54 billion in sales from 2004-2010

• Singapore, U.S., and Brunei Indonesia investing

MARKET FOR HALAL WORLDWIDE

• Nestle–Makes more on halal food than organic food

• Markets selling halal meat growing more popular in Europe– France – Casino supermarkets– Britain – several of its main supermarkets

• Huge growth in Germany– Halal sausage manufacturer sells 100

tons/week

MARKET FOR HALAL WORLDWIDE

• Shortage of guidelines combining halal regulations and food regulations for manufacturers

• Chance of animals dying from shock before slaughtering

• Difference in law among different groups

• German laws require meat from abroad

ISSUES IN PRODUCTION