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Halal is an Arabic word meaning
lawful or permitted. The opposite of Halal is Haram, which means unlawful
or prohibited. These two terms are applicable to all facets of Islamic
life, including foods.
Foods considered Haram are swine/pork and its by products, animals
improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughtering, animals killed in the
name of anyone other than Allah, alcohol and intoxicants, carnivorous
animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears, blood and
blood by-products and foods containing any of the above products. All
those products which are not Haram, are Halal.
Many foods products are clearly Halal or clearly Haram, other are often
referred to as Mashbooh, which means doubtful or questionable. Foods
containing ingredients such as gelatine, enzymes, emulsifiers,
stabilizer, sausages, fatty acids, etc. are questionable (Mashbooh)
because the origin (plant or animal sources) of these ingredients is not
specified.
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