Halal. You’ve probably heard this term somewhere–either from a friend denying a snack because it wasn’t halal, or perhaps you’ve seen a sticker at a restaurant claiming to be halal. Even so, many people may not understand the significance of this word, and they just brush it off as another dietary restriction, like being vegetarian. While this is partly true, “halal” embodies much more than a dietary standard. Instead, it is a way of life for over 2 billion people.

 

To begin, we must first understand what the word “halal” means. The word derives from the Arabic root word “حَلَّ” (ḥalla), which means “to make permissible” or “to loosen”. Therefore, “حلال” (halal) means “permissible” or “allowed”. In contrast, the word “حرام” (haram) means “forbidden”, the opposite of “حلال” (halal). As “permissible” and “forbidden” extend to various aspects of life, it makes sense for “halal” and “haram” to do the same.

 

These two words both can categorize anything from prayer to food. As “halal” is most commonly referred to in reference to food, let’s start there. For a meat product to be halal, it must meet four basic criteria. Firstly, the animal in question must have been sacrificed in God’s name. Secondly, the animal must not have felt any pain while it was being killed. Thirdly, the meat must not contain any blood when it is being served. And lastly, the animal must not have been eating any non-halal (haram) products while it was alive. For a drink to be halal, it simply must not contain alcohol. While consuming foods or beverages that do not meet these criteria are deemed as haram, there are a few exceptions, such as if someone was about to die, or if they didn’t know they were consuming the product.

 

Another thing that can be split into two for Muslims are social manners. Generally, this word covers anything from backbiting to greeting someone. Backbiting, as expected, is strictly forbidden in Islam, as is insulting someone or making inappropriate jokes. Another thing that is haram is swearing or using cuss words, which is very common, unfortunately. The main point is, if society views something as negative, it will probably also be haram.

 

That said, anything that isn’t haram doesn’t necessarily mean that it is halal. An action can be looked down upon, which means that it isn’t forbidden, but it isn’t encouraged either. An example of such an action would be overspending or wasting. It isn’t haram, but it isn’t halal either.

 

All in all, “halal” is a broad word that can define many things for Muslims. It isn’t restricted to defining what Muslims eat, instead, it can play a major factor in someone’s life, determining what actions they can perform, and which are forbidden. In the article, I touched on a fraction of things that are halal (permissible) or haram (forbidden), and there are many more things that are defined by the two words. Understanding the concept of halal can provide clarity and meaning to Islamic traditions that may not always make sense.