Muslims and Jews: What are the similarities and differences between halal and kosher foods?

Question

I know that one difference is that kosher meats do not include the hindquarters of the animal, but as far as I know, muslims consider these parts halal. Also, alcohol is always forbidden for muslims, but its permissable for jews.

As far as the animal itself, as I understand it, to be halal to eat, an animal must be healthy before it is slaughtered. Do kosher animals have health standards?

In Islam, it is required that the animal be treated with dignity during its slaughter, including not letting it see other animals being slaughtered, and not tying up the animal unnecessarily. Then the jugular is cut, so that the blood gushes out, and the animal dies as quickly and painlessly as possible. Is this the same for kosher slaughter?

As I understand it, a rabbi must be present during the slaughter of a kosher animal, and he says a blessing as the animal is cut. In Islam, any Muslim, Christian, or Jewish man woman or child, but preferably an adult man, can bless the animal, . .

. . by saying "in the name of God" as the animal is cut. What is the blessing that the Rabbi gives? Are they the same?

Besides what I've already asked about, what are the differences, and what is the same? Are there any animals which are kosher but not halal, or any animals which are halal but not kosher?

Muslims: do you consider it acceptable to eat kosher meats? Why?

Jews: do you consider it acceptable to eat halal meats? Why?

Antonio, I didn't know that Jews were prohibited from drinking alcohol. I had read that in Iran, where alcohol is illegal, exception are made for Iranian Jews, because wine is a part of some of their religious ceremonies.

Antonio, Jesus never ate pork or blood. Who do you emulate? Do christians follow the same dietary laws as Jesus?

Answer 1

The laws of kosher meat are very, very complicated, but I'll try to give you the Cliff Notes version.

The animal has to have split hooves and chew its cud. The most common kosher meats are beef, lamb, and goat.

The animal can't be deformed, and it has to be healthy enough to survive one year. Even after it is slaughtered, its inner organs are checked for defects.

The animal has to be slaughtered by a trained slaughterer (shochet). The shochet doesn't have to be a rabbi, he just has to know his stuff. The shochet makes a blessing, then quickly cuts the animal's throat with an extremely sharp knife. I don't know the exact details, but I believe the shochet has to cut both the trachea and the jugular.

And I'm sure there are laws, or at least recommendations, about treating the animals humanely. Unfortunately, we didn't learn about them in my Kosher class. If there isn't a specific slaughter-related law, than there's at least the prohibition against causing unnecessary pain to animals.

Afterwards, the blood has to be drained. This is done by a complicated process involving dripping, salting and rinsing. (I learned it in class this year, but I've forgotten most of the details). It has to be done quickly, before the blood congeals. There are also certain veins and fats that have to be removed. The vein is called... how do you spell it... the sciatic nerve? Yeah, spell check thinks that's right. It's the big one in the hindquarters. It's very tricky to remove, so most shochets just chuck out the whole leg.

Muslims accept kosher meat as halal, but Jews don't accept halal meat as kosher. That presumably means that, if a Jew and a Muslim are having dinner together, the Jew should cook.

There are other parts to kosher besides meat. Fish need to have fins and scales (and don't need to be ritually slaughtered), and birds have to be considered kosher by tradition (it's complicated). All non-kosher food is called "treif". Milk has to come from a kosher animal, and dairy and meat products can never be mixed. Pots, dishes and silverware can transfer meat-ness, dairy-ness, and treif-ness. Un-treifing utensils usually involves very high temperatures. Some food has to be cooked by a Jew. Some wine can't be touched by a non-Jew. Fruit and vegetables from Israel have to be tithed.
And I haven't even touched on half of it.

Answer 2

Yes their are many similarities. Not surprising considering one is based on the other.

First the animal must be healthy. In fact according to the laws of Kashrut (kosher) if their is any defect that would likely cause the animal to die in the next 12 months it is unfit for consumption. Even if this is discovered after slaughter the meat is not Kosher.

I dont know about letting it see other animals but the animal must be treated humanely, it can not be harmed during the process. It is required that both the wind and food pipe must be cut in the same stroke with a knife with out any nicks and cuts. Those that slaughter must check the knife constantly for any imperfections. This is so it is as quick and painless as possible.

It is not required for a Rabbi to be present. It is requited though for the person who is doing the slaughtering to be well versed in the laws and statues that pertain to it.

Answer 3

Kosher is Jewish, halal is muslim. Both are the same in the way the animal is killed, but when it comes to cooking/preparing food then the kosher kitchen is very different to that of muslims. With kosher, you have to have different kitchens/areas to do meat and dairy foods. And you can't eat meat and dairy food at the same meal.

Answer 4

Halal and Kosher foods are foods that are permissible for Jews and Muslims to eat. It also deals with how the animals are killed.

Halal= each animal is slaughtered and blessed in the appropriate manner in the name of Allah (God).

Kosher=only the slaughtering area is blessed in the name of God. Not each animal.

Answer 5

Everyone really covered your question.

I will just post one thing about it.

The problem with Muslims eating anything that says Kosher is that there are different grades of Kosher. Some sects of Judaism believe that pork can be eaten once it is broken down so many times (like enzymes or gelatin) as they believe it is no longer pork. Muslims do not follow this type of thinking.


LOL at Antonio. Just go right along making up little stories in your head. Judaism was the first religion?!?!? That is a sad state in your head.

Answer 6

In Islam it's also forbidden to drink blood, or eat from animals which have a claw or fang, also before slaughtering an animal we should give it food and water, but don't know if it's mandatory, Jews aren't allowed to eat things that "divideth hooves" and shelfish.

Answer 7

from what i know halal when they kill the meat they say bismillah and a few other things when they kill the animal. with kosher it just means there is no pork products. but muslims can eat kosher foods because we know there is not any pig /pork items in kosher food

Answer 8

I am a muslim and it is not known by many that the Prophet Muhamed made it Halal to eat all kosher foods.
So when you say kosher I say yummie

Answer 9

Allah is our God. Allah tell do nsot eat haram animals.So
good Muslim are not eat haram food.What happend you are carrazey ? Why you rechird from Islam. pleass next time
do not your hand Islam.
Allah is God.

Answer 10

Muslims and the real Jews are the same and therefore have same laws.