What Makes Meat Halal or Haram – Explained In Detail



Are you the one who needs clarification in terms of halal and nonhalal while buying the meat? What makes the meat halal and haram? There is always confusion related to this topic. Those who are unaware of Islamic dietary law often find it difficult to find an answer to this. 

Although, there are millions of people lying around the world and for them, halal meat is not just a hygienic meal to consume but also a religious requirement. Islam stresses its followers to eat what is halal and restrain from what is haram.

This is why, we are here with a unique topic to help you! What makes the meat halal? Here we will delve deeper into this topic and explore the principles and guidelines that distinguish between halal and haram meat. 

So let’s dive into the topic to find the answer to this question!



What Makes Meat Halal?

Halal is an Arabic word that means allowed or permissible in Islam. Halal meat is referred to as the meat that is allowed to eat in Islam according to Islamic dietary laws. But what makes it halal? There are some principles and guidelines that govern it. These guidelines include: 

  • Source of meat which means the animal, either it is halal or haram
  • Slaughtering methods include butcher religion and his way of slaughtering, and saying the name of Allah before slaughtering. 

Now let’s discuss these points in some detail.

Source of Meat

The source of meat is the first principle that makes the meat halal or haram. The source is the animal from which the meat is obtained. This implies the rule of whether the animal is halal in Islam or not. 

Islam forbids eating the meat of pigs, carnivorous animals, and predatory animals with canine teeth. In the case of birds, those that grasp their prey in their claws are forbidden to eat.

Slaughtering Method

The slaughtering method is a critical factor in determining whether the meat is halal or not. Islam prescribes slaughtering the animal in a specific way to make it halal to eat.  The following essential principle is the slaughtering method. It requires the following standards:

  • Choose a healthy and disease-free animal. 
  • A Muslim should slaughter the animal by saying the name of Allah in the Islamic way
  • If a Muslim is not available, then the Butcher must be skilled and must follow Islamic guidelines.
  • After slaughtering the blood of the animal should be drained completely from the body. 
  • Use a sharp knife to slaughter the animal without causing any harm to it. 
  • Ensure three to four main vessels are cut

These are some criteria of the halal slaughtering method. This slaughtering method is known as Dhabiha, which makes the meat halal to eat. 

 

what makes meat halal

What Makes Meat Haram?

Meat is forbidden or Haram in Islam if it does not follow the Islamic dietary law. These below-mentioned conditions make the meat haram to consume:

  • The meat of pigs, carnivorous animals, and predatory animals 
  • The meat of an animal that is slaughtered without saying the name of Allah 
  • The meat of an animal slaughtered saying the name of any other deity or idol than Allah
  • Dead animal meat is prohibited 
  • Animals fed with haram substances
  • Unhealthy or diseased animals with infected meat

These are some conditions of the prohibited meat. Now let’s move to the next important section of this blog!

Animals slaughtered by any other means other than this process meat is considered haram or prohibited to eat.

The source of meat and the slaughtering method are the two criteria that make the meat halal. There is another debate on Halal meat which is the stunning method of slaughtering. Muslims often question whether the meat of the animal obtained from the stunning method is halal or not. So, let’s discuss this too.



Does the Stunning Method of Slaughtering Make Meat Halal?

Stunning is a technical process that makes the animal immobile or unconscious before slaughtering. This method is done to save the animal from the fear and pain of the slaughtering process. 

According to the Halal Food Authority, stunning is prohibited. They say stunning things should not be done by slaughtering animals.  Although this issue is a controversial issue that has several perspectives. Some scholars say it is permissible because while others say it is haram because it makes the meat carrion. 

If we look at it from the Islamic point of view, it is prohibited because Islam says the animal should be alive and healthy before slaughtering. Even the Halal Monitoring Committee says that animals should be alive and slaughtered by hand. Machine slaughtering or stunning contradicts the principles of legal Islamic slaughtering.

So, these are some of the Islamic principles that make meat halal to eat. The source of meat and the slaughtering method are two basic criteria for halal food. We hope this will help you understand the issue. However, if you are looking for halal restaurants and food places to visit then MyHalalRestaurants is a perfect place for you. Visit our website to find halal places and restaurants in Canada. Whether you are looking for a traditional cuisine or dessert, you can scroll through the list to select one for yourself. 



So, if you are looking for Halal Meat Shops & Groceries, follow us to get complete lists of famous halal spots in Canada. 

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