The word “Halal” is associated with the word “Toyyib” which means ‘good’. This is clearly stated in Quran 2:168 (“O mankind: Eat of what is lawful and good on earth”).
Within the Islamic religion, a strong emphasis is placed on cleanliness — both spiritually and in the context of food and drink.
For a food or drink product to be approved for consumption it must conform to the Islamic dietary laws as specified in the Qur’an, the Hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad, his Sunnah (tradition) and in the Fiqh (understanding) of the Islamic Jurists : Hanafi, Shafi’, Maliki and Hambali
In Food, the term is most commonly used in the narrower context of Muslim dietary laws. Islam has laid down three very important guidelines, specially where Halal meat (Dhabiha) and poultry (Zabiha) are concerned. Whether the consumption of the foodstuff is prohibited by Allah,
- Whether the Halal food is obtained through Halal or Haram means, and
- Whether or not the material is harmful to health.
- There are several factors that determine the Halal/Haram status of a particular Halal product. Amongst others, it is dependent on its nature, how it was processed and where it originated from.
There are mainly two terms that mean Islamic prohibition or restriction on food: Halal and Haram.