Like many other religions, Islam also has some dietary laws that are to be followed by believers. Just like how those of the Catholic belief are not supposed to eat meat on fridays, Muslims have food that they are to refrain from as well. Muslim dietary restrictions are most closely related to the Jewish dietary restrictions because both religions have a strong restriction placed on pork and blood. As well with many religions and their own laws, Muslims are expected to follow the laws that are in the Qu’ran. While these laws may be confusing to some, they are easy to understand once broken down. The Islamic diet serves a purpose bigger than just what to eat and what not to eat; it works to bring the believers of the Islamic faith together in unity.
The diet that Muslims are to follow is called the “halal diet”. The word “halal” is arabic and literally means allowed or permitted. The halal diet means eating food that is considered to be good for you as defined in the Qu’ran. This diet is considered to be good and pure for the heart, mind and soul and provides the right nourishment that the body needs. The halal diet is considered good under the law of God while a haram diet is considered by the Qu’ran to be following in the “footsteps of Satan” and unacceptable by God. This is shown in verse 2:168 of the Qu’ran “O People! Eat of what is lawful and good on the Earth and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitaan, for he is your open enemy”.
In general, all food is considered to be halal unless stated otherwise or specifically banned. Food is considered to be halal if it is “1.Free from any component that Muslims are prohibited from consuming according to Islamic law (Shariah). 2. Processed, made, produced, manufactured and/or stored using utensils, equipment and/or machinery that have been cleansed according to Islamic law” ("What Is Halal? A Guide for Non-Muslims."). The proper halal diet is not all that restricting and still permits those of the Islamic faith to enjoy many different foods.
In the grocery store there may be items that have halal on it. This means that the item has been made in accordance with the Islam dietary laws. Islam places a huge emphasis on humane killing of the animals and the respect for all of God’s creations. Islam teaches that all life here on earth is sacred because it has been created by God. The animals that we are able to eat is because God gave them to us and we need to be appreciative and thankful for it. There is a specific way that the animal needs to be slaughtered so it is humane and in accordance to the law. If the animal needs to be killed for food, it must be killed in the name of God to show thanks. It is not acceptable to eat meat that has not been killed in the name of God.
For the meat of an animal to be considered halal it must be slaughtered quickly so it will not cause pain to the animal. While the animal is being slaughtered, the words “In the name of God, God is most great” (Quran 6:118-121) must be recited. This demonstrates that all life on this earth is sacred and that “one may kill only to eat and only with God’s permission” ("Halal and Haram, Islam Dietary Restrictions."). Lastly, the blood of the animal must be completely drained from the animal before any of it can be consumed. The meat that is prepared in accordance to these standards is called zabihah or halal meat. The rules that are placed on animal meat to be considered halal are not placed on seafood. All seafood is considered to be halal.
In addition, the animals that are going to be slaughtered need to be eating clean and natural foods. Feeding the animals a clean and natural diet prior to the killing makes sure that the meat is pure, or “tayyib”. For food to be considered pure it must also not include any chemicals or additives such as preservatives and artificial coloring. While eating meat that is tayyib is important, it is not as strictly enforced as halal is.
While meat is only considered to be halal if it is prepared following the specific guidelines under the law, all types of food need to be prepared with ingredients that are halal as well. There are some types of food other than meat that are not considered to be halal because they may have been made with ingredients that come from animals that were not killed according to the halal procedure. These food products that are not considered to be halal are items such as products that contain gelatin, yogurt, sweets, and any products that contain gel ingredients that are an animal by product, like gummy bears or marshmallows. However, other dairy products are considered to be halal unless they contain added ingredients that have come from an animal. Another thing that add is that while meat that is prepared to the halal standards is ok to eat, not all meat is acceptable. For example, meat from animals that have died accidentally or naturally are not permitted for consumption.
All Muslims are allowed to eat anything that is not specifically stated to avoid. Food and drink that is strictly prohibited is called “haram”. Under the Islamic law, Muslims are strictly prohibited from consuming pork, blood, meat that has been used as a sacrifice, meat that a wild animal has eaten from, and also meat from an animal that has been found dead. Muslims are also prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages. All of these items are forbidden for Muslims to consume because of Allah. Also, through much research that has been conducted, studies show that items such as the blood and pig flesh are very unhealthy for humans. “Whilst swine flesh is harmful to moral health and food over which the name of any other than Allah has been invoked is harmful to spiritual health” ("Diet in Islam."). This list is not all that restricting and many people already chose to refrain from these items on a daily basis.
The Qu’ran goes far beyond just listing what is acceptable to eat and what is not. The Qu’ran helps lead Muslims to a healthy and balanced lifestyle by giving followers helpful tips and advice. The halal diet is also essential not just for spiritual unity but for actual health purposes. It is important for Muslims to eat a healthy balanced diet so that way they can be strong and healthy and therefore able to contribute the best of their knowledge to society. Muslims are also expected to make a serious effort and strive to only put the best of quality foods into their body. If not, there are consequences “It is mentioned in a Hadith that the prayer of a person is rejected by Allah if the food consumed is prohibited (haram)” ("What Is Halal? A Guide for Non-Muslims.").
The diet contains all of the necessities for the body to become healthy and strong. The diet is also to help with the repair of the body. The ingredients in the diet are what is essential in a balanced diet- animal protein, fats, iron, calcium, etc. Some of these items have been directly mentioned in the Qu’ran such as in the verse 16:5 “And the cattle, He has created them for you, in them there is warmth (clothing) and numerous benefits, and of them you eat”. This verse shows the strong importance placed on the protein that comes from meat needed for a healthy balanced diet. Fish has also always had a strong importance in a healthy balanced diet because of its very high levels of protein and it is stated in the Qu’ran in verse 35:12 “And from them both (fresh and salt water) you eat fresh tender meat (fish)”. Additionally, the benefits of fresh milk in a healthy balanced diet are stressed in verse 16:66 of the Qu’ran “And verily in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from between excretion and blood, pure milk, palatable to the drinkers”.
As stated above, any kind of pork or any food that comes from a pig, is strictly prohibited, just like the Jewish dietary laws. Anything that comes from a pig is not allowed to be consumed by Muslims. This includes bacon, ham, pork, lard. Additionally, anything that has even the slightest trace of pig by product is not allowed, such as gelatin. Gelatin is surprisingly found in items such as gummy bears and marshmallows. Food items that contain any part of a pig are considered to be impure and therefore prohibited to eat. Muslims are also prohibited from consuming any kind of alcoholic beverages. Even alcohol that is added while cooking a food dish such as a vodka cream sauce, makes the food impure. This also means that Muslims stay away from types of deserts such as ones that contain chocolate because there is a great likelihood that it may have been made with alcohol.
Many Muslims will make the choice to not consume any meat or animal product if they cannot be certain that the animal was slaughtered according to standards for it to be considered halal. They believe that it is of the utmost importance that the animal that they are going to be consuming was slaughtered in a humane way while remembering and thanking God for giving them the meat to eat. They also believe it is very important to know if the animal was drained of the blood properly because if not than it is not healthy for them to eat. Other muslims, who live in areas that are predominantly of the Christian faith believe that it is ok for them to eat meat without knowing for certain if it is halal if they say the name of God before consuming the meat. This is considered to be acceptable in the Qu’ran by implying that the food of both Christians and Jews is ok to consume.
Just like how packages in the grocery store have a kosher label on it for Jews to identify, an increasing number of companies are starting to put labels on food that are halal so Muslims are able to identify which foods are acceptable to buy at the store. This will continue to become more common with time as Islam is the second largest religion in the world, and because the halal market is “occupying a 16% share of the entire world's food supply and expected to grow” ("Sacred Foods.").
In conclusion, the Islamic diet serves many purposes. It is to bring followers together in unity, to build strong and healthy believers, and to protect the believers. It is also to remind the followers to respect all life on earth because God created earth and everything on it. It is also to remind the followers of Islam that they are the stewards here on earth and have the responsibility of protecting God’s creations, and that everyone is equal.