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Halal
is an Arabic term meaning ‘permitted, allowed or lawful’. Halal when used
in relation to food and other consumer goods, means “permissible for
consumption and use by Muslims. Opposite to it is Haram, which means forbidden or not allowed. Arabic is the
language of Qur`an, a scripture revealed to the Holy Prophet of Islam by
the almighty Allah and to be followed in its entirety by the Muslims.
Al-Quran - Surah Al-Maidah
“O ye who
believe! Forbid not the good thing which Allah hath made Halal for you,
and transgress not. Lo Allah loveth not transgressors. Eat of that which
Allah hath bestowed on you as food Halal and Good, and keep your
duty to Allah in Whom ye are believers.” (verse 87 –88)
The Halal Food Certification Authority rules for halal are based on Islamic Shari'ah Laws. Shariah Law means Islamic Law based
on the Quran, Hadith, Ijma’ and
Qiyas
According to Shari’ah Law, HALAL is ….
•
Lawful
•
Permissible
•
Wholesome
•
Just
•
All things
pure and good (“Tayyab”)
Halal and haram
are serious matters in Islam, ensuring that food and other consumer
products are authentically halal, is obligatory for every Muslim.
In Islam, all foods are permitted
(Halal) to be consumed, except those as mentioned below (Haram)
- Pigs and
boars
- Dogs,
snakes and monkeys
- Carnivorous
animals with claws and fangs such as lions, tigers, bears and other
similar animals
- Animals
without external ears
- Birds of
prey with claw such as eagles, vultures and other similar birds
- Pests
such as rats, centipedes, scorpions and other similar animals
- Animals
forbidden to be killed in Islam, such as ants, bees and woodpeckers
- Animals
that are generally considered repulsive such as lice, flies, maggots
and other similar animals
- Animals
that live both on land and in water such as frogs, crocodiles and
other similar animals
- Mules
and donkeys
- All
poisonous and hazardous aquatic animals
- Any
other Halal animal not slaughtered according to Shari’ah law or animal
dead before slaughtering.
- Blood
and blood by-products
- All
drinks that are poisonous, intoxicated and harmful to human health
- All
plants that are poisonous, intoxicated, and harmful to human health
- Alcoholic drinks
- All
foods, food or product additives, or ingredients derived from items
or their derivatives described above, e.g. gelatin, enzymes,
emulsifiers, stabilizers, sausages, fatty acids etc. These foods are
often referred to as Mashbooh, meaning questionable or
doubtful , since their sources are not specified ( Plant or Animal)
NOTE: Products
from hazardous aquatic animals or plants become Halal (permissible) when
the toxin or hazard has been eliminated during the production process.
Halal is not just end-product certification
but involves approval of all ingredients and all food processing at every
stage of the production – from farm to table concept. Food is only halal if the entire food chain,
from farm to plate, is processed, handled and stored in accordance to
Shariah or Islamic Guidelines,
Hence, certification and verification of every
item for Halal compliance by competent Islamic Authority, is extremely
important.
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