{"id":4002,"date":"2018-08-08T04:12:16","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T09:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/?p=4002"},"modified":"2018-08-09T05:20:19","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T10:20:19","slug":"why-halal-food-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/why-halal-food-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Why ‘Halal’ Food Matters?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Does \u2018Halal\u2019 Really Mean?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nowadays, many of us are in search of the healthiest foods. We want to ensure what we eat is grown, raised, or prepared with care for the highest level of nutrition. A good way to achieve that is to eat \u201cHalal.\u201d Have you ever seen labels reading \u2018Halal\u2019 and wondered what it meant?<\/p>\n

Halal simply means \u201clawful\u201d or \u201cpermitted\u201d in Arabic and, as it pertains to food, refers to what Muslims can eat, what ingredients are allowed in meals, and how animals must be slaughtered to guarantee lawful consumption.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In short, everyone can eat Halal food. Because of the care involved in the raising and killing of animals to be used for Muslim meals, even your health could benefit from eating Halal meat. Another way to achieve healthy eating is by avoiding what God commands us not to eat.<\/p>\n

Food: Halal & Haram<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Under Islamic guidelines, you are free to eat any food except those which are deemed haram, which means \u201cforbidden\u201d in Arabic. Haram foods<\/a> include any type of pork, including bacon, ham, or any pork by-products. Also to be avoided are all types of alcohol, non-Halal animal shortening, animal blood, and blood by-products. Fish and seafood can be enjoyed with the exception of alligators, frogs, and crocodiles. Carnivorous animals, animals that were dead before they were slaughtered, and birds of prey are also off limits.<\/p>\n

If you would like to adopt a Halal diet, pay attention to common recipe ingredients when cooking. For example, did you know gelatin, which is found in some foods and candies, is made of pork? Lard, which is pig fat, is also on some recipe lists. To be safe, check labels. Those listing kosher ingredients signal pork-free products and can be eaten. Also, many restaurants will identify foods cooked in alcohol, wine or beer. If in doubt, ask your server or avoid the food completely.<\/p>\n

What Determines Halal Slaughter?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Though the term Halal food refers to any and all food which you are allowed to eat, it is most closely associated with meat and how the slaughtered animal is raised and killed. As a result, there are several clear guidelines which must be followed for meat to be considered Halal. All of these requirements concern the health of the animal, the humanity with which it is raised, and the mercy it\u2019s shown when it is killed.<\/p>\n

Etiquette of Slaughter<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here are both the recommended and the required essentials to qualify meat as Halal. The emphasized points are requirements that must be met.<\/p>\n

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