Question :What is Halal? Please, Muslims only?

Question

Call me an ignorant Christian, but i'm really curious about Halal? What is it specifically I saw a question similar to this, but it had a really dumb answer. What do you have to do to make meat halal?

Answer 1

Meaning of the word "Halal": It means "permissible". In the Arabic language it refers to anything that is permissible under Islam.

Adherents of Islam maintain that in order for food to be considered halal, it must not be a forbidden substance and any meat must have been slaughtered according to traditional guidelines set forth by the Sunnah, known as dhabiĥa or Zabihah. This is the strictest definition of halal.

The slaughtering process, known as dhabiĥa, is as follows.

■ Pre-slaughter

Prior to the slaughter, the animal's eyes and ears are checked to ensure that the animal is healthy and suitable for slaughter. If the animal is deemed to be healthy, it is first given water to drink (in order to quench its thirst).

■ Standard recitation

The act of slaughtering an animal is an act that, according to the Quran, should be preceded by the mention of God (see Islamic Concept of God). Invoking the name of God at the moment of sacrifice is believed by some to serve as acknowledgement of God's right over all things. Furthermore, this invocation gives permission to the one performing the sacrifice to continue and endows the slaughterer with a sense of gratitude for God's creation, even prior to partaking in the meat of the animal.

Thus, the slaugther itself is preceded by the words "In the name of God, God is the Greatest Bismillah, Allahu Akbar. The common phrase "Bismillah al Raĥman Al Raĥim" (In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful) is not used here, because the act is one of subduement, not of mercy. Rather, the words Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest) are used. This is to reiterate that the animal was only subdued for consumption by God's divine design and command, and is being slaughtered according to the guidelines prescribed.

■ Slaughter

According to Islamic tradition, the conventional method used to slaughter the animal involves cutting the large arteries in the neck along with the esophagus and trachea with one swipe of an unserrated blade. This method of slaughter serves a dual function: it provides for a relatively painless death and also helps to effectively drain blood from the animal. The latter is important because the consumption of blood itself is forbidden in Islam. Muslims consider this method of killing the animal to be cleaner and more merciful to the animal. During the blood draining process, the animal is not handled until it has died.

■ Meat offered by Jews and Christians: Permissible for Muslims?
Please refer to my answer here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkpjqQs4H1NiKHONHPC5.6Psy6IX?qid=20061025160225AAqwI4D

Answer 2

It is not a ignorant questions...Halal means permissible....if it is not permissible it would be haram....i am Christian and my husband is Muslim and we both eat halal meat only....if it is not halal we do not eat it....it pretty much taste the same but it is hard to find a halal meat market so we usually order from an online place called midimar...actually we just had halal turkey last week for a family/friends gathering last tuesday

Answer 3

Yes, halal is the Islamic equivalent of Kosher. That is why Muslims are told it's perfectly lawful for us to eat Kosher meat as well as halal. The only difference between halal and kosher is the halal meat is slaughtered by a Muslim, while invoking the name of Allah. And the kosher meat is slaughtered the same way by a jew. Basically after that, there is a special procedure done where they hang it so the blood drains completely. Muslims and Jews are both forbidden to eat bloody meat. Also, anything lawful as is described in the Quran is halal. Fish and anything from the sea is halal. We are not forbidden to eat anything except flesh of swine, animals that eat other animals, anything that dies before slaughter, anything that is killed by a headlong fall, or gored to death, basically, anything that dies in an unclean way is forbidden to us. Animals that have a split hoof are halal, except for pigs. Peace and blessings.

Actually, I must correct the last lady who answered. Animals killed the Islamic way do not suffer a slow death. They are killed in a very humane way. It is usually instantaneous for the animal to be at peace when it is killed in the Islamic way. We are forbidden to cause suffering and pain to animals, and that is why there are so many guidelines for when you are preparing to kill an animal for food in Islam.

Answer 4

no muslim would call u ignorant but would answer u with a smile. im glad u asked instead of saying wrong stuff. anyhow..... their are only some animals actually a bit more than some that muslims can eat such as- cow, goats, sheep, chicken, camel, deers, etc..... but definitely no pig and some others. and the way u make an animal halal is by saying allahs name and cutting the animals neck half way with a sharp knife and just let the blood flow. and after it sort of stops cut the entire animal the way u want. thats halal. email me if u have more questions.

Answer 5

Permissible; Lawful, legitimate, legal etc.

It covers everything; food, dietary practice, actions, sex, marriage, business transaction, etc. But it is apparently more associated with food because people do it more outwardly on a regular basis.

To make meat halal the animal has to be slaughtered with the invocation in Arabic; "In the name of God, God is Great" in a single-strike cut with a sharp knife across the throat by a sane, muslim adult on a halal-to-be-eaten animal.

So that pretty much rule out pigs, frog, snakes, wild boars, primates and carnivores and birds of prey.

Read about it in the Wikipedia below. They are quite accurate depiction and read the following website to know that the zabiha method inflicts less pain compared to the electrical stunt method.

Happy reading.

Answer 6

Halal is a word used to describe meat; it's the same as Kosher.

In modern society, a cow/chicken/sheep etc... is killed by shooting a bolt at a special place on it's forehead. Death is instantaneous and painless. The meat is then cut away frm the carcass of the animal.

In Muslim society, they believe that blood is dirty and is not to be consumed. So, someone will get the animal and tie it up. Then they will make either a small incision or punture the corotid artery in the animals throat; so that the animal essentially bleeds to death. The meat is then cut away from the dead animal and sold as Halal Meat.

This method, regardless of what muslims think, does not remove all the blood from the animal's body. It'll remove 80%...so it is pointless and cruel.

P.S, I'm not muslim.

Answer 7

I am not muslim but was married to one years ago. Halal is kinda like Kosher is to Jewish people. Halas meat is meat taken from an animal that is butchered according to islamic law. I think the animal has to be killed slowly (very cruel) so that the heart continues to beat and the blood drains out of the body before it starts to clot because I don't think muslims are supposed to eat anything with blood on it.

Answer 8

halal is not interested in eating directly......its general term about religion....Mean is lawful , permissible to eat, to do , to act etc.....

For example Pig meat is unlawful for muslim...its one of rules of Islam....

Answer 9

halal means permisable it does not only mean food, it goes for everything