Introduction
God has made it very clear in the Quran what is forbidden or unlawful for us to eat through the instances of “Harrama”, and what is permitted or lawful for us to eat through the instances of “Halal”. But still many Muslims talk about “Halal meat and food”, especially those who arrive to the USA and Canada from the countries of Muslim majority people and those who convert to Islam in the Western countries without knowing it from the Quran. Thus, they look for “Halal meat and food” believing that the meat in the general grocery stores and the food made with meat in the common restaurants are not Halal for them. What they actually mean is the man-made definition of “Halal meat and food” being unaware of the definition in the Quran given by God who makes things Halal (lawful) or Haram (unlawful) for us. In addition, the term, “Halal Meat” is more often used for commercial profits than religious observance. Those who call their meat Halal, are in some way insinuating that any other meat is not Halal, specifically the meat in the general grocery stores is not Halal. They make more money selling it in a higher price while deceiving the naive Muslims into believing that their meat is the only Halal meat for the Muslims. Thus, those who say, “Do not eat except the Halal meat and food” and “This is Halal and this is not Halal” or those who call their meat and food to be Halal, are making them equal with God as they decree religious laws, while their followers are transgressors.
- At a glance what God has made lawful (Halal) for us
God has made all the good food lawful for us what He has provided us and let us know that our food is lawful for the people of the previous scripture and their food is lawful for us as well. He has ordered us to eat what is lawful and good but not to follow the steps of the Satan. He has reminded us to eat what is lawful and good, and to fear Him in whom we are believers as well as to be grateful to Him. We may also confirm from the instances of ‘Halal and its derived forms’ in the Quran mentioned in the table below what God has made lawful for us through His final revelation.
Note: Presence of more than one instance in the same verse is highlighted orange in the table indicating its exclusion from the participation in the mathematical calculation being a ground rule.
- At a glance what God has made unlawful (Haram) for us
God has forbidden all bad things for us while He has specifically mentioned in the Quran what is forbidden for us to eat from the meat and food. He has forbidden us 4 kinds of meat: (1) the dead animal, (2) the blood, (3) the meat of pig and (4) what has been dedicated to other than God. He has also given the criteria of the dead animal whose meat is forbidden for us to avoid any confusion but there is no sins for anyone who is forced to eat these without being disobedient or transgressor. However, the details can be confirmed from reviewing the instances of ‘Harram’ and its derived forms’ in the Quran found in the table below what God has made unlawful for us through His final revelation.
Note: Presence of more than one instance in the same verse is highlighted orange in the table indicating its exclusion from the participation in the mathematical calculation being a ground rule.
- Halal and Haram are made through divine revelation
God is the only One who can make things lawful (halal in Arabic) or unlawful (haram in Arabic) for us, and He has made it through sending down His revelations. If anyone can reflect to the messages coded in the following verses in the Quran can be certain that God does not give any authority to anyone to make anything lawful or unlawful for us including His chosen ones who deliver His message to humanity such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus or Muhammad etc.:
[7:157] Those who follow the messenger, the gentile prophet whom (Muhammad) they (Jews and Christians) find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel. He (gentile prophet) commands them with the right and forbids them from the evil; and he makes lawful for them (wa-yuhillu lakumu) the good things and makes unlawful upon them (wa-yuharrimu `alayhimu) the bad things; and he relieves from them their burdens and the shackles, which has been upon them. So, those who have believed in him, and have honored him, and have helped him, and have followed the light with him, which has been sent down. Those – they are the successful ones.
[6:145] Say: “I (Muhammad) do not find in what has been revealed to me forbidden upon an eater to eat it (muharraman `alaa taa’`imin yat’`amuhu) except that it is dead, or free blood, or a flesh of pig as it is impure, or being disobedient, has been dedicated to other than God with it.” But whoever has been compelled not being disobedient nor transgressor; then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
[3:50] “And confirming what was before me (Jesus) of the Torah, and that I make lawful for you (wa-lihilla lakum) some of that which was forbidden (alladhee hurrima) to you; and I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so you shall fear God and obey me.”
[3:93] All the food has been lawful (kaana hillan) for the Children of Israel except what Israel has made unlawful (harrama) upon himself before that the Torah was revealed. Say: “So come with the Torah, then recite it if you have been truthful.”
[4:160] Then because of wrongdoing of those who were Jews, we made unlawful (harramnaa) good things for them, which were lawful for them (uhillat lahum); and because of their hindering many from the path of God.
[5:4] They ask you (Muhammad) what has been made lawful for them; say, “It has been made lawful for you all the good things (uhilla lakumu al-tayibaatu), and what you have taught of the hunting animals, as trainers you teach them of what God has taught you.” So you shall eat from what they have caught for you, and shall mention God’s name upon it, and shall fear God. Indeed, God is swift in the reckoning
[5:5] Today, it has been made lawful for you all the good things (al-yawma uhilla lakumu al-tayibaatu), and food of those who have been given the scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them, and the chaste women from the believers as well as the chaste women from those who have been given the scripture before yourselves, when you have given them their bridal dowries, being chaste, not being lewd, nor being the ones taking secret lovers. And whoever denies in the faith, then certainly, he has wasted his deeds and he will be in the Hereafter with the losers.
- Eat what has been made lawful for you
God has told us to eat lawful and good from what He has provided us except that what is specifically made forbidden for us. It is His blessings that He does not give us an exhaustive list of food what is lawful for us rather it is left open to select our food from a wide variety of food stuff to make our life easy and comfortable wherever on earth. Thus, we can select from what is provided to avoid what is allergic or toxic to us as well as to balance our diet to maintain our optimal health and to achieve nutritional goal including anything what is needed just excluding four types of meat forbidden for us:
[2:168] O people, you shall eat of what in the earth is lawful and good (kuluu mimmaa fee al-ardi halaalan tayyiban), and you should not follow the steps of the devil. Indeed, he is your open enemy.
[2:172] O you who have believed, you shall eat from good (kuluu min tayyibaati) what we have provided you, and be thankful to God, if you worship Him alone.
[5:1] O you who have believed, you shall fulfill of the contracts. It has been made lawful for you the four-footed livestock (uhillat lakum baheematu al-an`aami), except what is recited to you not being permitted of the hunted animal (illaa maa yut’laa `alaykum ghayra muhillee al-saydi), while you are in Ihram. Indeed, God decrees whatever He wills.
[5:88] And you shall eat of what God has provided you is lawful and good (wa-kuluu mimmaa razaqakumu allahu halaalan tayyiban). And you shall fear God, the One you are believers in Him.
[5:96] It has been made lawful for you a game of the sea (uhilla lakum saydu al-bahri) and its food as provision for you and for the travelers, while it has been made unlawful upon you a game of the land as long as you are in Ihram. And you shall fear God, the One to Him will be gathered
[22:30] That, and whoever honors the sacred rites of God, then it is better for him with his Lord. And made lawful for you (wa-uhillat lakum) is the livestock except what is specified to you (illaa maa yut’laa `alaykum). So, you shall avoid the abomination of idols and shall avoid saying the false.
- Eat by mentioning God’s name upon it
God has made a requirement for the believers to mention His name before eating while He has not told us to get the meat from the store with an inquiry whether the animal is slaughtered upon mentioning His name upon it. God knows that someday these slaughter houses will be run by machines or computers, and the individuals who will be working in the slaughter houses can be atheists or idol-worshipers or persons claiming them to be Muslims, Jews or Christians. Thus, God did not make distinction between the meat prepared by a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew, all are lawful (halal) to the same degree, but the responsibility is assigned to the individual eater. Hence, the order for us is very straightforward to be the individual’s responsibility to remember God to be grateful to Him what He has provided us when it is time to eat but not when it is slaughtered or prepared:
[6:118] So, you shall eat from that on it God’s name has been mentioned (fa-kuluu mimmaa dhukira us’ma allahi `alayhi), if you have been believers in His revelations.
[6:119] And why should you not eat that on which God’s name has been mentioned (takuluu mimmaa dhukira us’ma allahi `alayhi), while He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden for you except what you have been forced to it? And indeed, many mislead by their desires without having knowledge, indeed, your Lord, He is Knower of the transgressors.
[6:121] And you shall not eat from that on which God’s name has not been mentioned (wa-laa-takuluu mimmaa lam-yudh’kari us’mu allahi `alayhi), for it is disobedience, and the devils inspire their allies to argue with you; if you obey them, you will be idol worshipers.
[5:4] They ask you what is made lawful for them, say: “All the good things are made lawful for you (uhilla lakum), and what you have taught of the hunting animals to hunt, you teach them of what God has taught you.” So eat from what they have captured for you and mention God’s name upon it
(wa-udh’kuruu is’ma allahi `alayhi) and you shall fear God. Indeed, God is quick in reckoning.
Mathematical confirmation
3 distinct sets consisting of 15 verses across 7 suras in the Quran logically separated to better understand that (1) God is the One who has made things halal and haram through His revelations and (2) He has commanded us to eat what is halal (3) mentioning His name upon it to be grateful to Him as well as being true believers in Him. The total of the relevant sura and verse numbers is a multiple of 19 => 1596 (19x84) as shown in the table below:
Note: This mathematical confirmation is a physical fact that God has made things halal and haram through His revelations and has commanded us to eat what is halal mentioning His name upon it.
- Four kinds of meat are forbidden for us
The meat what God has made unlawful (Haram) for us are very specific: (1) the dead animal, (2) the blood, (3) the meat of pig and (4) what has been dedicated to other than God, even defining the criteria of the dead animal whose meat is forbidden for us. Now if we can reflect to that, we should not have any doubt about meat what is unlawful for us to stay in the path of God:
[2:173] He has only forbidden for you (harrama `alaykumu) the dead animal, and the blood, and the meat of pig, and what has been dedicated to other than God. But whoever is forced out of necessity without being disobedient or transgressor, then there is no sin for him. Indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[5:1] O you who have believed, you shall fulfill of the covenants. It has been made lawful for you (uhillat lakum) the livestock, except what is specified to you (illaa maa yut’laa ‘alaykum), not being permitted to hunting while you are in a state of Ihram. Indeed, God decrees whatever He wills.
[5:3] Forbidden upon you (hurrimat `alaykum) the dead animal, and the blood, and the meat of pig, and what was sacrificed to other than God; and that which has been strangled, and that which has been beaten to death, and that which has fallen from a height, and that which has been gored, and that which the wild animals have attacked except what has been slaughtered (before it dies), and what has been slaughtered on the alters, and that you divide by the arrows of chance – that are all abominable. Today, those who disbelieved have given up from your religion, so do not fear them, but fear Me. Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My blessings upon you, and have chosen submission as religion for you. So, whoever is forced by severe hunger and not being willful to sin, then God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[6:145] Say: “I (Muhammad) do not find in what has been revealed to me forbidden upon an eater to eat it (muharraman `alaa taa’`imin yat’`amuhu) except that it is dead, or free blood, or a flesh of pig as it is impure, or being disobedient, has been dedicated to other than God with it (illaa an yakuuna maytatan aw daman masfuuhan aw tahma khinzeerin fa-innahu rij’sun aw fisqan uhilla lighayri allahi bihi).” But whoever has been compelled not being disobedient nor transgressor; then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful
[16:115] He has only forbidden for you (harrama `alaykumu) the dead animal, and the blood, and the meat of pig, and what has been dedicated to other than God. But whoever is forced out of necessity without being disobedient or transgressor, then indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[22:30] That, and whoever honors the sacred rites of God, then it is better for him at his Lord. And made lawful for you (wa-uhillat lakum) is the livestock except what is mentioned to you (illaa maa yut’laa `alaykum). So, you shall avoid the abomination of idols and shall avoid saying the false statements.
- Do not forbid what God has made lawful
God has ordered us not to forbid what is made lawful for us to be transgressors while He is merciful on those who eat that believing and fearing Him, and doing good works to please Him:
[5:87] O you who believed, do not forbid good things (laa-tuharrimuu tayyibaati) what God has made lawful for you (maa ahalla allahu lakum), and do not transgress; indeed, God does not like the transgressors.
[5:93] There is no sin on those who believe and do good works for what they ate (feemaa ta’imuu) when they fear and believe and do good works; then they fear and believe, then they fear and do good works; And God loves the righteous workers.
[16:118] And for those who are Jews, we have forbidden (harramanaa) what we narrated to you before. We have not wronged them, but they have wronged themselves.
- Forbidden what is lawful is a lie about God
God is the only One who can make things lawful (halal in Arabic) or unlawful (haram in Arabic) for us and He has made it explicit what is forbidden for us while those who associate partners with God blame Him when they have made unlawful for themselves what God has made lawful for them. Thus, forbidding what is lawful or blaming God for their own prohibition, is a gross sin:
[16:116] And do not say that what your tongues declare the lie: “This is lawful (haadhaa halaalun) and this is unlawful (wa-haadhaa haraamun);” so that you invent the lie about God. Indeed, those who invent the lie about God will not succeed.
[10:59] Say: “Have you seen what God has sent down for you of provision, then you have made of it unlawful (harraman) and lawful (wa-halaalan)?” Say: “Has God permitted you, or you invent lies about God?
[16:35] And those who associate partners said: “If God had willed, we would not have worshiped anything other than Him; neither we nor our fathers; nor would we have forbidden (harramnaa) anything other than Him.” So did those who were before them; then is there any responsibility on the messengers except the clear conveyance?
[22:30] That and whoever honors the sacred rites of God, then it is better for him at his Lord. And it has been made lawful for you (wa-uhillat lakum) the livestock except what is specified to you (illaa maa yut’laa `alaykum). So, you shall avoid the abomination of idols and shall avoid saying the false.
- Consequence of forbidding what is made lawful by God
God is extremely displeased with those who forbid what He has made lawful for us as they change His favor for disbelief leading people to destruction disregarding His revelations. Hence, those who follow them are the transgressors while those who forbid what He has not forbidden will be treated like those who make them equals to their Lord that nullify all their works.
[20:81] You shall eat from the good things (min tayyibaati) that we have provided for you, and do not transgress in it, lest upon you descend (fayahilla alaykum) My wrath. And whomever upon you descend (wa-man yahlil `alaykum) My wrath, then he has certainly perished.
[14:28] Do you not see of those who have changed God’s favor by disbelief, and they have led (wa-ahalluu) their people to an abode of the destruction?
[6:150] Say: “Bring forth your witnesses who bear witness that God has forbidden this (harrama haadhaa).” If they bear witness, then do not bear witness with them, nor follow the desires of those who deny our revelations, and those who do not believe in the Hereafter; and they make equals with their Lord!
It is noteworthy that the verses that code multiple messages are included in the above respective group and their numbers are highlighted yellow.
Conclusion
God is the only One who makes things lawful (Halal in Arabic) or unlawful (Haram in Arabic) for us, and has made it through sending down His revelations letting us know referring to the Torah, the Injeel (Gospel) and the Quran. Thus, it is clear from the final edition of God’s scripture that He does not give any authority to anyone to make anything lawful or unlawful for us including His chosen ones who deliver His message to humanity. He has made all the good food lawful for us what He has provided us letting us know that our food is lawful for the people of the previous scripture and their food is lawful for us as well. He has ordered us to eat what is lawful and good but not to follow the steps of the Satan. He has reminded us to eat what is lawful and good, and to fear Him in whom we are believers as well as to be grateful to Him.
He has made a requirement for the believers to mention His name before eating but has not told us to get the meat from the store or to eat in the restaurant with an inquiry whether the animal is slaughtered mentioning His name upon it. God knows that someday these slaughter houses will be run by machines or computers, and the individuals who will be working in the slaughter houses or restaurants can be atheists or idol worshipers or persons claiming them to be Muslims, Jews or Christians. Thus, God did not make distinction between the meat or food prepared by a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew, all are halal to the same degree, while the responsibility is assigned to the individual eater. Hence, the commandment is very straightforward to be individual’s responsibility to remember God to be grateful to Him what He has provided us when it is time to eat but not when it is slaughtered or prepared.
He has forbidden all bad things for us and has specifically mentioned in the Quran what is forbidden for us to eat from the meat and food. He has forbidden us 4 kinds of meat: (1) the dead animal, (2) the blood, (3) the meat of pig and (4) what has been dedicated to other than God detailing the criteria of the dead animal whose meat is forbidden for us to avoid any confusion but there is no sin for anyone who is forced to eat those without being disobedient or transgressor. What God has forbidden for us is explicit and we should not have any doubt about meat what is unlawful for us to stay in the path of God. Thus, forbidding other than the specified ones i.e., what has been made lawful is a lie about Him and those who have made lawful things unlawful for themselves but have blamed God for that is a belief of associating partners with Him that makes them equals with God.
While He is extremely displeased with them and those who follow them as they have changed His favor for disbelief disregarding His revelations while those who say that ‘this is lawful and this is unlawful’ is a lie that they have invented will not succeed. Thus, those who forbid anything what God has not forbidden will be treated like those who make them equals to their Lord while those who follow them are the transgressors that nullify all their works.
The dietary system given by God makes our life easy and comfortable wherever we might be on earth while many of us impose hardship on themselves following the steps of Satan being disbelievers in Him. Hence, we are permitted to shop meat from any grocery store or eat in any restaurant avoiding only what is forbidden for us but mentioning God’s name before eating. If anyone wants to be successful and happy in the Hereafter without nullifying one’s deeds should follow it disregarding the man-made dietary system verifying with his/her own intelligence, who lives in the USA and Canada in light of the final edition of scripture and the facts derived from it.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (12/29/2017).