Halal is a word of Arabic origin that means “lawful”, it is used in the Islamic community to refer to all those actions and foods that are allowed by the Muslim religion. This term is not only used to refer to food, but it is also applied to day to day; therefore, something considered halal can be beneficial and healthy for humans.
However, in communities where Arabic is not spoken, this word is limited only to Islamic food laws, especially everything related to red halal meat and poultry.
In short, for Muslims who abide by the norms, they understand halal as a lifestyle, according to their level of religiosity, a comprehensive concept that encompasses all daily activities such as food, clothing, hygiene, health, economy.
The opposite of halal is haram, which means illegal, prohibited and harmful.
Any food must be free of any illegal substance or ingredient (haram), or any component that is derived from a prohibited animal. It must be a product manufactured, manufactured, or stored according to Islamic regulations. In the case of meat, it must come from non-prohibited animals that must be slaughtered in accordance with the provisions of Islamic law.
Many of the animal meats have been textually prohibited by the verses of the Quran. As expressed by the sacred text, these meats are considered harmful to the human species and that is why they should not be consumed. The meats considered dangerous are pork; all animal meat that has been slaughtered in the name of someone other than Allah; meat containing blood; the meat of any animal that has died by strangulation, blows, falls or attacked by another beast; in addition to alcohol and other toxins.
For the meat to be considered halal, the slaughter of the animal must be carried out by means of a quick incision in the throat, cutting the jugular vein and the carotid artery, leaving the spine intact. The purpose of this technique is to achieve greater drainage of the blood and consequently, greater hygiene in the halalmeat, in addition to reducing the pain and agony of the animal. This reflects a stricter interpretation of halal meat wholesaler.
Fish is considered halal. In case it is farmed, the fish must be fed Halal food. For their part, birds (chicken, turkey, etc.) without claws and that are not scavengers, are allowed.
As for halal clothing, it must be obtained by lawful means, it must not be usurped and comply with the conditions established by the sharia , which dictates that clothing must not be pure silk for men . The clothing must not reveal the body or demarcate it excessively .
Halal (allowed) is everything that is in accordance with Islamic jurisprudence and thus can be consumed by Muslims.
To the extent that food can influence the soul, behavior, moral and physical health of human beings, Islam has made it mandatory for Muslims to be concerned with knowing the origin of what they consume. Thus, Islam guides us to check whether what we consume is in conformity with religious rules or not. Everything that complies is called “Halal”.
A Halal product can become Haram (prohibited) with the addition of a raw material or illegal action, either due to ignorance or lack of planning. A sausage plus pork (considered impure), for example, is prohibited from being eaten by Muslims.
Today, the Halal market is considered a market in constant growth and with great potential. Muslims make up about 30% of the world’s population and form one of the largest markets for food and consumer goods in the entire world.
The Halal segment is not limited to food products but includes several domains, such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, or even tourism and financial services. This means that the number of consumers of Halal products and services is not restricted to Muslims, as the “Halal” guarantee seal is currently a symbol of quality, precise observance, health, and preservation of natural resources. you can order halal meat online
According to Mohamed, companies that export to Muslim countries are adapting to the Halal standard. “Many are seeing the Halal certificate as something more, a guarantee of quality, as we demand and monitor all the processing”, he explains. According to him, Halal meat, in addition to being religious, is more natural. Neither the chicken nor the ox may have eaten feed with additives or animal protein, nor may they have received doses of the fattening hormone. In addition, the Halal meat packaging, storage, certification and shipping processes are carried out separately from common production. That is, there are companies that only make Halal foods and there are those that make common and Halal foods. In the second case, there can be no mixing of ingredients and the procedures may even take place in the same factory, but in different equipment.
The slaughter
Islamists only eat chicken or beef if the animal has been slaughtered with its body turned to the sacred city of Mecca, still alive and at the hands of a practicing Muslim, usually an Arab. The knife with which the sticking is made needs to be super sharp to guarantee the instant death of the animal, without suffering. Before slaughtering each animal, the cutter asks for authorization from God, in Arabic, as a way of showing obedience and thanks for the food and reaffirming that it is not killing the animal for cruelty or sadism.
Fish are considered Halal by nature, because they come out of the water alive. Pigs, on the other hand, are considered impure because of the way they feed, because they are connected to dirty environments.
Philanthropy
Fambras is a non-profit institution, whose main function is to bring Muslims together and spread Islam. Halal certification only started because in the late 1970s many companies were trying to expand their market to the East, due to the need for export. “But this activity is not aimed at generating profit. Obviously, there is a cost for certification, since it involves the work of employees, but the entire collection is reinvested in the activities of the federation ”, explains Mohamed. Among these actions is the aid to the country’s mosques and the publication and free distribution of books that disseminate and explain Islamic thought.
“Promoting Islam in a positive way is a challenge today, since there is work in the opposite direction, done by the media, mainly the North American, which distorts the information. But I believe that this is due more to ignorance than to intention.
What foods are Halal?
It is allowed to eat as food, respecting Islamic Laws, all types of food that do not contain prohibited ingredients or parts of these foods or animals that have not been slaughtered / beheaded within the procedures and rules dictated by the Holy Qur’an and Islamic Jurisprudence.
- Fish and other aquatic animals are permissible (Halal), unless they are intoxicated or harmful to human health, or poisonous; as well, animals that live on land as well as in water, such as crocodiles and the like, are prohibited.
- Every type of vegetable is Halal, except those that are contaminated or intoxicated by pesticides, are poisonous or produce hallucinating effects or that in any way can be harmful to the health of man.
- Any mineral or chemical product, in principle, is permissible, except those with can cause any type of intoxication or damage to health.
- The water is totally Halal, except when it is contaminated or by any means harmful to health.
- Every product, created through biotechnology, extracted from a vegetable, mineral, and microbial for the food industry is Halal.
- Products of synthetic origin used in the food industry will be Halal from the proof of its elaboration, where it is proved that it is not harmful to human beings.
- Derived from animal origin, used in the food industries, it will only be Halal if the animal is sacrificed according to Islamic law.
- Cheese processed through microbial rennet is Halal.
- Milk (from cows, sheep, camels, and goats).
- Cheese processed through microbial rennet is Halal.
- Fresh or dried fruits, vegetables, seeds such as peanuts, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, grains such as wheat, rice, rye, barley, oats, etc., except those that are contaminated or intoxicated by pesticides (pesticides in excess), or that in any way may be harmful to man’s health.
China bans Arabic letters and symbols in Muslim minority restaurants
Chinese government orders removal of Islamic symbols from halal restaurants in Beijing
BEIJING – Officials in the capital of China have ordered restaurants and halal food stalls to remove Arabic signs and symbols associated with Islam from their signs, as part of a growing national effort to “sinicize” (assimilate into China) its Muslim population .
Officials at 11 restaurants and stores in Beijing that sell halal products visited by Reuters in the past few days said officials had told them to remove images associated with Islam, such as the crescent moon and the Arabic word “halal”.
Officials at various government offices told a manager at a Beijing noodle shop to cover up Arabic “halal” from his shop’s sign, and then watched him do it.
“They said that this is foreign culture and that I should use more Chinese culture,” said the manager, who, like all restaurant owners and employees who spoke to Reuters, declined to give his name due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The campaign against Arabic writing and Islamic images marks a new phase in a campaign that has gained momentum since 2016, with the aim of ensuring that religions conform to traditional Chinese culture.
Since then, China has launched what it described as a crackdown on terrorism in Xinjiang.
The country faces intense criticism from Western nations and human rights groups over these policies, in particular its mass detentions and the surveillance of Uighurs and other Muslims in the region.
The government says actions in Xinjiang are necessary to end religious extremism. Officials say there is growing Islamization and have increased control over other Muslim minorities.
Control difficulty
Analysts say the Communist Party is concerned that foreign influences may make it difficult for the party to control religious groups.
“Arabic is seen as a foreign language and its knowledge is now seen as something beyond state control,” said Darren Byler, an anthropologist at the University of Washington who studies Xinjiang. – It is also seen as linked to international forms of piety, or, in the eyes of state officials, to religious extremism. They want Islam in China to mainly use the Chinese language.
Kelly Hammond, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas who studies Hui minority Muslims in China, said the measures were part of an “attempt to create a new normal”.
Beijing is home to at least 1,000 halal meat shops and restaurants, according to the Meituan Dianping food delivery app, spread across the city’s historic Muslim neighborhood, as well as other neighborhoods.
It was not clear whether all such restaurants in Beijing were instructed to cover Arabic script and Muslim symbols. A manager at a restaurant that still exhibits Arab said he had received an order to remove it, but was awaiting his new posters.
Several larger stores visited by Reuters have replaced their signs with the Chinese term for halal meat – “qing zhen” – while others have only covered Arabic and Islamic images with tapes or stickers.
The Beijing government’s Ethnicity and Religious Affairs Committee declined to comment, saying the halal restaurant order was a national directive.
The National Commission for Ethnic Affairs did not respond to a request for comment by fax.
Although most of the shopkeepers interviewed by Reuters said they did not mind replacing their posters, some said it confused their customers and an employee at a halal butcher accused the authorities of “erasing” Muslim culture.
– They are always talking about national unity, they are always talking about China being international. Is this national unity? – said.
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