By Adam Majewski
First Posted at Running Through Life.
Date: July 27, 2013
Halal, The Islamic word for that which is lawful or permitted. In Islam Dietary practices are a large part of the faith due the obvious, which is food is needed to servive in this life time. Many other religious faiths have Dietary rules or laws yet provide very little information to them out side of their own general population of observers. In Islam how ever there is much public information and public forums provided especially in the west to inform any who are interested about the religious practice of Halal eating and drinking. These resources are not very common else where out side the Muslim communities which only, for the most part at least provide them to those who are practicing muslims. Never the less this here is to help give some insight to those interested and wanting to read, some what of an introduction to Halal Food Laws.
Please bare in mind how ever, even though I am a Muslim, I do need to inform you that I am not an Imam, I am not a sheikh, and do not hold advance degrees in Islamic studies. So all the information I here am providing is based on my own research via personal research. Talking with Imams, Sheikhs and those who do hold advanced degrees in Islamic studies. I do encourage you to also do your own research as well to better inform yourself and understand Halal dietary laws more, as well to take this more at face value then as definitive information.
To begin the more in depth section of this article I would like to start with just a few main points for the non-muslim who may not have known anything before this article about Halal food and eating, as well the muslim who could probably use a little more knowledge to better fallow their own din. These five starting points are just a beginning point and more will be provided as this article and series progresses, these are five of what I would say are some of the five most Haram Items to eat and drink. my reasoning for beginning with this is because most non-muslims I have spoken to tend to ask this question first of what are you not allowed to eat and drink:
1. Pork, as most know Muslims even my self do not eat pork. Pork in Islam is Haram meaning forbidden to eat, by Muslims. For a veriaty of reasons, both religious and health related reasons. some of which to the non- muslim may seem weird or really out there.
2. Alcohol, as all know it is a fermented beverage which very from area to area, there is probably no other beverage which is more Haram then this one. the reason being is the fact of its potential consuquences. Not because of the drink it's self but that it cause's intoxication. Which very very Haram and in turn makes the drink Haram.
3. Animals not slaughtered in a Zabihah way, which is the sanctioned way of slaughtering animals for human consumption.
4. The consumption of blood of any kind or form.
5. The fifth of the major Haram things to eat is meat of animal which are already dead.
Proceeding on with going over the reasoning for these both from a religious and nutritional views. I feel that it would be best to start with the easteist to explain first. This is of the cosumption of blood. From a religious view it is pretty obvious that it is believed that most of ones soul is carried with in the Blood and is in esseints a persons very being, including animals and so to consume blood is to consume the animals soul. From a nutritional stand point, even though Blood is the carier of many nutritional compounds and holds large amount of electrolights and high amounts of Iron the body needs. What many people do not realize is the it is the carier of many other things such as dieses, viruses, pathogiens. the blood for the body is the super high way which transports all good things in the body to where it needs to go as well for the bad things to get them out of the body. So From the Nutritional standing point there is nothing good about consuming anything with blood and in fact everything bad with it so I suggest no one consume things with blood in it. Both non-muslims and muslims.
The second of the Haram items I have spoken about is that of eat animal which have died before a person finding them. From the spiritual aspect this animal has not been slaughtered in the Islamic way, in the name of Allah for our consumption to feed our physical state of being. So in turn this animal is Haram to eat. From a nutritional standing it is more of a common Sence to not eat this, yet many people would beg to differ in on this. mainly because of up bringing. Yet I feel people don't give everyone the benefit of the dought and just expect most people to be stupider then they really are. Example a person who is considered a "red neck" by american standarads who grew up in the sticks truly has been taught not to eat wild game they've found randomly in the woods through what their parents have passed down to them as knowledge they gained from their parents. In scientific basics, from the time that animal has died to the time you found it is enough time for all the basic micro organisims very few people can see with the naked eye
Zabihah, the Halal why to slaughter Animal for human consumption and the third section on my list that if not done is Haram. Well, to start the importants this way of slaughter, spiritually is the fact that we as Muslims are commanded to remember Allah(swt) in everything we do. Also by slaughtering this way from a spirituality and religion while saying Bismallahi Ramnir Rahim as well having the animal be laying down, puts the animal in a state of peace from Allah for the animal while he is slaughtered for the consumption. For nutritional standing's one has to put in to perspective the state of affairs when it come's to the animals well being. When an animal is scared knowing it is going to die soon, or just generally scared it sends a flow of toxic enzimes through its body. These toxins then translate in to the meat which is "harvested", which is the industries technical term for slaughtering an animal for consumption. At first it may not harm a person yet over time these toxins can build up in a persons body from consuming such toxins in a persons meat leading to many different health problems.
Now in this last section I'm actually rapping up part one here by speaking on pork and alcohol both in the same section. First pork, in Islam why the command to not eat pork was made for the most part. at least the part we as people can understand was because, for us muslims, according to what we believe at one point Jesus(may Peace and Blessings be upon him) was arguing with a few Jinn and after some time of argueing they finally asked him if they may go in to pigs as their punishment and he had granted this. Also because of the purpose of pigs where give on earth earth, pigs are very unclean animals, even to this day. Not that their hygine is unclean. It's that for thousands of years they where and still are the grabouge disposal's of a lot of waste products which then leaches in to the flesh of the animal making it very unclean to eat. pigs are like the cat fish of the land animals. They are bottom feeders, or in their case, omnivorous creaters. They've been made to be able to digest almost any thing as an animal. so what ever they eat like any other animal including humans what ever they eat effects the rest of their systems and if they are eaten them selves affect that which eats them. It's a long chain of events through the acts we do.
now what i have spoken about here is just the tip of the iceberge if you will on the Haram items to eat and I would greatly suggest every one to learn more especially my brothers and sisters in Islam since we are commanded to seek knowledge. I will finish her with part one of Islamic dietary laws and soon pick up with the Halal section, soon In Shaa Allah.
Thank you very much for reading and stay tuned for the rest of this series, In Shaa Allah. Assalam Alakum Wa Rathamullah Wa Barakatuh.
