Ahkam in Brief - What's Halal to eat?

Ahkam in Brief. What is Halal to eat?

The world is full of delicious foods and drinks, however, according to the Islamic laws, there are some types that we are not allowed to consume because it may harm the body of the soul. In this episode, we are going to talk about what we are and what we are not allowed to consume.

First, we will start with animal produce. For meat to be halal, there are two conditions: first, the meat should be of an animal that we are allowed to eat. That is what we are going to talk about here. Second, the animals should be slaughtered or hunted according to the Islamic laws. This topic will be discussed in details in a separate episode.

We will divide the animals into four groups, terrestrial animals, birds, aquatic animals and insects.

The first group: Terrestrial Animals. What is permissible to eat in this group are domestic animals such as sheep, cows and camels. Although it is permissible to eat horses, mules and donkeys, it is deemed detestable (makruh). Of the wild animals or ones that live in nature, antelopes, deer, cows, rams, road deer and zebras are Halal. However, it is prohibited to eat animals with tusks and predators with claws such as walrus, boar, lions and foxes. Dogs, pigs and cats, although considered domestic animals in some cultures are not allowed to. Also prohibited ar nusukh animals or literally transformed animals such as monkeys, elephants and bears, etc. All small animals that live underground, such as mice, snakes and hedgehogs are also prohibited. Lastly, rabbits and hares are also haram in the school of Ahlul Bayt, alayhum assalam.

The second group: birds. Birds are divided into two subgroups: those that have no feathers are haram to eat, this group includes bats; and those that have feathers from this subgroup. It is prohibited to eat birds of prey that have claws or talons.

Well, can identify birds of prey that have claws or tallons from other kinds of birds? There is a simple way that helps us to distinguish between the two while the bird is flying, observe it. If it flaps its wings more than it glides in the sky, it is halal to eat it. But if the bird glides in the sky more than it flaps its wings, it is a bird of prey and it is haram to eat it. Doves for example, flap their wings continuously and rarely glide. However, an eagle flies up in the sky with open wings more than moving them. According to the principle, doves are halal, while eagles are not.

Another question. What if flapping and gliding time were equal or the bird does not fly at all? If the previous method did not help, there is another method, which is the existence of a crop, gizzard or spur in a bird. Having one of these indicates that the bird is halal to eat. A crop as a pouch in a bird's gullet where food is temporarily stored. A gizzard is a part of bird's stomach where grits are stored. A spur is a horny spike on the back of the feet of the bird. Note: if the results of these two methods contradict, the first method should be applied.

The third group: Aquatic Animals. All fish that have scales are halal. Although some fish lose their scales due to repetitive contact with rocks, they are still halal because they originally had scales. Whereas fish, which originally do not have scales are haram. All known fish sea animals except shrimps are haram. So octopus, shellfish, crab, etc. are haram. Do note that only shrimps are halal and animals that resemble shrimps such as crayfish and lobster are haram.

The fourth group: Insects. All kinds of insects are haram, whether they fly such as butterflies and wasps or other kinds such as lices and worms. The only exception in this group is locusts, which are halal to eat.

By this we are done with the general rules of animals. Now a question: is it permissible to eat all parts of a halal animal?

It is halal to eat the meat, heart, liver, rumen, intestines, cartilage, skin, muscles of a halal animal; and the haraam parts of a halal animal are the urine and the excrement, reproductive organs, placenta, all glands, spinal cord, vagus nerves, gall bladder, spleen, eyeballs, and blood. But the remaining blood in the halal slaughtered animal is halal if it becomes dissolved in the food.

Some general notes: dairy products and eggs are halal if their sauce is a halal animal. If the source of an egg is unknown, we can check its two poles: If they are unequal in shape as the egg of a chicken, then it is halal. However, if both poles are similar, the egg is haram.

Some halal animals may become haram in certain cases. For example, if the halal animal suckled from a pig, ate feces of a human being, or drank wine until drunk, it becomes haram to eat.

For more information, please refer to the Islamic Laws book.

The woman's milk is only halal for infants and it is haram for all others .

Concerning non animal products. It is haram to eat and drink the following: every najis thing; anything that would seriously harm the consumer; mud, soil, and sand are haram except the soil of the grave of Imam Husayn, alayhi assalam, if used for cure; boiled grape juice, if it has not been reduced by two third; beer, wine and every intoxicant, it is also haram to eat food at the same table where others are consuming it.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this clip is based on the fatawa of the Grand Ayatullah Al-Sistani and is presented in a simplified form. Therefore, for the exact definition and explanation, please refer to the original sources or ask someone authorised to answer.