The arabic word
(Halal) means lawful. In the Holy Quran, Allah commands Muslims and all
of mankind to eat of the Halal things. Among the many verses of the quran
that convey this message, here are a few:
O mankind! Eat of that
which is lawful and wholesome
in the earth, and follow
not the footsteps of the devil.
Lo! he is an open enemy
for you. (2:168)
O ye who believe! Eat
of the good things wherewith
We have provided you,
and render thanks to Allah
if it is (indeed) He
Whom ye worship. (2:172)
Eat of that which Allah
hath bestowed on you as food
lawful and good, and
keep your duty to Allah in Whom
ye are believers. (5:88)
The following products are
definitely Halal:
1. Milk (from cows, sheep,
camels, and goats)
2. Honey
3. Fish
4. Plants which are not
intoxicant
5. Fresh or naturally frozen
vegetables
6. Fresh or dried fruits
7. Legumes and nuts like
peanuts, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, etc.
8. Grains such as wheat,
rice, rye, barley, oat, etc.
Animals
such as cows, sheep, goats, deer, moose, chickens, ducks, game birds, etc.,
are also Halal, but they must be Zabihah (slaughtered according
to Islamic Rites) in order to be suitable for consumption. The procedure
is as follows: the animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim. The animal should
be put down on the ground (or held it if it is small) and its throat should
be slit with a very sharp knife to make sure that the 3 main blood vessels
are cut. While cutting the throat of the animal (without severing it),
the person must pronounce the name of Allah or recite a blessing which
contains the name of Allah, such as "Bismillah Allah-u-Akbar".