Encyclopedia of Islam

dialogue

  

197  J

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dietary laws

Many religions and cultures define themselves not 

only by what they believe, but also by what they 

eat and how they prepare it. Food brings people 

together and separates them from others, it links 

them to the natural and sacred worlds, it fills their 

memories and imaginations, and it helps to mark 

their places in time and space. The rules that 

influence peoples’ food practices can be a matter 

of social customs that are passed from generation 

to generation, or they can be construed as having 

issued from sacred beings through a revelation 

or a mythical story that may involve themes of 

sacrifice and 

death

. Sometimes, dietary laws and 

customs can be both a matter of social custom 

and religion. This is the case for Islamic dietary 

laws, which are less rigorous than dietary laws in 

Orthodox Judaism.

In Islamic dietary laws, foods are classified 

into groups—those that are lawful (

halal

) and 

forbidden (

haram

), and those that are pure (tahir, 

tayyib) and impure (rajis, najis). This division 

into lawful-pure and forbidden-impure groups 

of food is based on the q

Uran

 and 

hadith

, the 

Islamic sources of revelation. Jurists in the differ-

ent schools of Islamic law have elaborated upon 

it further. The most general statement in the 

Quran about food is one that was intended for all 

“children of Adam”: “Eat and drink, but do not be 

wasteful, for God does not like wasteful people” 

(Q 7:31). The Quran instructs people to eat only 

lawful and good things from the Earth and not 

to “follow in Satan’s footsteps” (Q 2:168). Both 

of these verses indicate that eating raises ethical 

issues. The Quran also identifies specific foods 

that God has provided for people to eat: dates, 

grapes, olives, pomegranates, grains, and the 

flesh of domestic cattle, sheep, goats, and 

camel

s 

(Q 6:99, 141–145; 80:25–32). For Muslims, any 

meat that is consumed must come from an animal 

that has been slaughtered or sacrificed in accor-

dance with specific rules: The name of God (the 

basmala

) must be invoked (Q 6:118, 121), and a 

deep incision with a sharp knife must be made 

across the throat. Most seafood can be eaten (Q 

5:96; 16:14), as well as hunted animals as long as 

the name of God has been pronounced when the 

hunting weapon is discharged (Q 5:4). The Quran 

permits Muslims to share the lawful and pure food 

of Jews, Christians, and other p

eople

 

oF

 

the

 b

ook

(Q 5:5), but jurists rule that the food of known 

heretics, apostates, idol worshippers, and atheists 

is forbidden. If there is any doubt about the source 

of the food, a Muslim is usually allowed to eat it 

as long as the name of God has been pronounced 

over it before being eaten.

The Quran expressly forbids believing Mus-

lims from eating carrion (meat from unsacrificed 

dead things), spilt blood, pork, and food that 

has been offered to idols instead of God (Q 5:3; 

6:145). The 

hadith

 expands this list to include 

other forbidden food, especially the flesh of preda-

tors (animals with fangs or talons). As for any 

meat from an animal that has not been correctly 

slaughtered, Muslim jurists maintain that it must 

be considered as carrion, making it inedible. This 

includes animals that have been strangled, beaten 

to death, killed by a fall, or gored to death (Q 5:3). 

Wine (khamr) is also prohibited (Q 5:90–91), and 

jurists have applied this rule to other intoxicating 

substances. All such forbidden foods and bever-

Turkish family offers hospitality to visitors from America  

(Juan E. Campo)

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