Muslims, can I get your help with questions about halal food?

Question

I'm having a couple of Muslim friends over for dinner next week. On previous occasions, I've cooked vegetarian, becuase I know that's halal. I'd like to be able to cook something non-vegetarian this time, though. My questions are these;

1. Is all fish halal?
2. What, if any, seafood (shrimp, crab, clams, etc) is halal?
3. If there is no place locally that I can get halal meats, will meat from a Kosher market be OK?
4. Is there any prohibition aobut dairy and meat at the same meal, as there is in Judiasm?

Answer 1

1. No....only some fish is halal. Stay away from predatory fish (shark swordfish etc).
2. Most other seafood is usually okay.
3. No. The animals are slaughtered in a different fashion. But Kosher is better than nothing.
4. No. But nothing can contain anything alcoholic or that once contained alcohol.

Answer 2

You can stock up on Halal meats from more distant Halal sources. (Go like once a month and buy a month's supply) If you don't want to do that, you still have fish and vegetables. The only time when Haram meat will be permissible is if there is absolutely NOTHING left that is Halal. Alhamdulillah you still have alternatives if Halal meat is not available in your immediate area. EDIT: Hassan has a point, but that does not mean that you can eat all meat of the People of the Book. Two verses before that verse, which is 5:3, it states all the restrictions of the types of meat that we cannot eat, which includes meat not slaughtered in the name of one God. We are also not permitted to eat any meat that was dead already, or if it was shot or tased to death. The chances are very slim that the supermarket means were slaughtered in the name of God. Even if they were slaughtered at all, they probably were not slaughtered in the name of God. And then, consider the fact that there are a LOT of non-people of the book, like Atheists and Hindus, etc. How do we know that they weren't the ones slaughtering? This is why we cannot eat from supermarket meats, ESPECIALLY when Halal is available. Since you live in a small town, I would suggest that you go with the option of stocking up in advance, or eat more fish and vegetables.

Answer 3

Fish surely is halal. Regarding other seafood it depends what school of 'fiqh' (Islamic jurisprudence) your guests are following. If they are from different countries it is perhaps safer to avoid serving other seafood than fish, otherwise you can perhaps ask them, whether they eat such food; in any case, it is not haram (forbidden) as such, but some schools consider it 'disliked'. Kosher meat is also definitely halal. Lastly there is no restriction on having dairy products and meat simultaneously.
I hope this helps - enjoy your meal!

Answer 4

hiya
nice of u to be considerate! i'm impressed
the answers to ur Q's
Majority of fish is halal although u may find ur muslim friends will not be very big fish eating fans as i may guess they're from either indian subcontinent or arabians. we tend to stick to things like tuna, cod, salmon, prawns r ok too as geographically it's not much in our kind of food.
halaal meat means meat from any animal that is vegetarian like (cows, goat, rabbit) muslims do not eat meat of animals that are carnivores.
u might want to work that out for urself!
there r plenty of halaal meat shops around depending on where u live.
meat from kosher market for muslims is NOT OK as muslims only eat meat that will have alot of blood taken out of it so it almost looks pale and meat that has TAKBEER read on it. Meaning "GOD IS GREAT" at knife point if u know what i mean.
lastly there is no prohibition about dairy and meat at same meal. this does not apply in Islam.
GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

Great question, and my commendation to you for being willing to make a meal that would be proper for Muslims.

1) Yes, all fish is halal
2) All seafood is halal
3) Kosher meat is allowed, but make sure it hasn't been marinated in any alcohol (Jews can consume alcohol, Muslims can't, even in cooking processes that have the "alcohol burn off")
4) No prohibition for mixing foods.

EDIT: I'm a little embarrassed by the number of muslims that are incorrectly answering this question. (carnivore fish would be darn near any kind of fish. Many fish actually eat their own young. According to an earlier poster that would make most seafood haram, which it isn't).

Also, the way an animal is slaughtered halal, has the slaughterer saying Bismillah, or, in the name of God. The Takbir has nothing to do with it.

Kosher meat is always acceptable to a muslim, as even all non-pork Christian slaughtered meat is as well. They are "People of the Book." We are not allowed to eat that which has been slaughtered by polytheists.

People, quit trying to make our religion complex. It's a simple faith. These different medhabs and divisions are silly. Let's refer to the Prophet SAW, and eat what he ate, and eat that which Allah has told us in the Qur'an we can eat.

Answer 6

Fish and sea food id Halal.
U can find Halal meat from ur local Arab or Pakistani grocery stores.
Yes personally I go for Kosher if Halal is not available.
Avoid pig, pork and ham.

Answer 7

Hi,
God bless you always.

Though the questions are very simple and can be answered by any muslim but I will request you to visit the under given site and find yourself answers and many many other usefull and interesting issues.
www.sultan.org

Answer 8

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. No
4. No

Answer 9

This should help:

http://islam.about.com/cs/dietarylaw/a/halalfood.htm


As-Salamu Alaykum - Peace be upon you

Answer 10

i thought it was just the name brand of the product.... cause i've bought halal chicken....