Islamic dietary laws

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This is a sub-article to Hygiene in Islam, Healthy diet and Food and cooking hygiene.

Islamic dietary laws provide a set of rules as to what Muslims eat in their diet and other areas.

Overview

Islamic jurisprudence specify what food is halāl, meaning lawful. They are found in Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, usually detailing what is unlawful, or harām.

There are some more rules added to these in fatwas by Mujtahids with various degrees of strictness, but they are not always held to be authoritative by all.

Islamic law prohibits a Muslim from consuming alcohol, eating or drinking blood and its by-products, and eating the meat of a carnivore or omnivore, such as pork, monkey, dog, or cat (piscivorous animals however are not considered carnivorous). (Quran 5:3, 5:90)

For the meat of a land animal to be halāl it must be properly slaughtered by a Muslim or a Person of the Book (Christian or Jew). The proper Islamic method of slaughtering an animal is called Dhabiĥa.

 

Food and cooking hygiene

Food and cooking hygiene is an impotant part of Islamic dietary laws ^{[citation needed]}

Dhabiĥa: Islamic slaughter

Main article: Dhabiĥa

For the meat of a land animal to be halāl it must be properly slaughtered by a Muslim or a Person of the Book (Christian or Jew), while mentioning the name of God (Allah in Arabic); for instance, the animal may not be killed by being boiled or electrocuted, and the carcass should be hung upside down long enough to be blood-free. Different rules apply to fishes and, in general, fish with scales are always halāl, while some fatwas declare shellfish and scaleless fishes such as catfish to be harām.

The proper Islamic method of slaughtering an animal is called Dhabiĥa. According to some fatwas, the animal must be slaughtered only by a Muslim. However, some different fatwas dispute this, and rule from the orthodox Qur'anic position, that according to verse 5:5 of the Qur'an (which declares that the food of the People of the Book to be halāl), the slaughter may be done by a Jew or a Christian. Thus, many observant Muslims will accept kosher meat if halāl options are not available. Other main references in Qur'an include 2:173, 5:3, 5:5, 5:90, 6:118, 6:145, 16:115.

Food certification

Due to the recent rise in Muslim populations in the United States and Europe, certain organizations have emerged that can certify Halal food products and ingredients for Muslim consumers. The Muslim Consumer Group is an example of an organization that places certification labels such as the H-MCG symbol to identify the Halal status of different edible and non-edible consumer products.

Prohibited food

Many items and animals are Haraam to eat, Taboo food and drink. This include what is regarded as unclean animals.

Alcohol

Main article: Islam and Alcohol

In Islam, intoxication by alcoholic beverages is generally forbidden, but Alcohol is allowed to be used for medical and other purposes. ^{[citation needed]}

Blood

Eating or drinking blood and its by-products is forbidden.

Carnivores

Carnivores are prohibited to eat. Piscivorous animals however are not considered carnivorous. ^{[citation needed]}

Omnivores

Omnivores, such as pigs, monkeys and dogs, are prohibited. ^{[citation needed]}

Pork

Main article: Islam and Pork

There are religious restrictions on the consumption of pork in Islam.

Other religions

Comparison of Dhabiĥa Halal and Kashrut

Science

In recent years, due to a cultural phenomenon that has encouraged young Muslims to find common ground between Islam and science, there have been numerous studies undergone to try and find altruistic benefits in living a life in adherence to Islamic dietary laws. One example of this is studies that were done on trichinosis, which can be caught from consuming undercooked pork.

See also

• Halaal
• Muslim Consumer Group (MCG)
• Kashrut
• Hechsher
• A Comprehensive List of Halal Food Products in U.S. and Canadian Supermarkets

External links

• http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/spot_full_story.asp?service_id=693