Meat is a gift from Allah

Meat is one of the good things Allah gave us. He says: livestock animals are made halal for you, except what He names¹. When people asked Nabi ﷺ what was allowed, Allah told him to say: all good things are allowed for you².

So meat starts as halal. The list of what is haram is short. Allah told Nabi ﷺ to say: in what was revealed to me, I find nothing forbidden to eat except a dead animal, blood that pours out, pork, and what was offered to other than Allah³.

This chapter is about how an allowed animal becomes allowed meat, and how to eat with ease at home, at work and when traveling. Allah wants this to be easy for you. Nabi ﷺ said that Allah is good, and He accepts only what is good⁴. Eating halal is part of being a good, clean person. It is not meant to make every meal a worry.

Which animals are halal

Before slaughter even starts, the animal itself must be a halal kind. In short:

• Halal: cows, sheep, goats, camels, chicken, ducks, turkey, rabbits, deer and most farm and wild animals that eat plants. Jabir said that Nabi ﷺ allowed horse meat⁵. (Abu Hanifa disliked it, but most scholars allow it.)
• Haram: pork, in all its forms⁶.
• Not eaten: Nabi ﷺ forbade animals of prey with fangs, like lions, wolves and dogs, and birds with talons, like eagles and hawks⁷. He also forbade the meat of tame donkeys⁸. Malikis call some of these disliked rather than haram.

The full list, with the reasons, is in What Muslims do not eat. Why pork? Read why can't Muslims eat pork.

What makes slaughter halal

The Arabic word for halal slaughter is dhabh, and a properly slaughtered animal is called zabihah. Nabi ﷺ gave the core rule in one sentence. A Companion said they had no knife. Nabi ﷺ said: whatever makes the blood flow, and Allah's name is said over it, eat it. But not with a tooth or a nail⁹.

From the Quran and the sunnah, scholars list these conditions:

The cut

• The cut is made at the throat. There are four main tubes there: the windpipe, the food pipe, and the two big blood vessels on the sides of the neck.
• Cutting all four is valid by all scholars. The schools differ on the least you must cut: Hanafis: any three of the four. Malikis: the windpipe and both blood vessels. Shafi'is and Hanbalis: the windpipe and the food pipe.
• A woman may slaughter. A young woman looking after sheep saw one dying, so she broke a stone and slaughtered it with the sharp edge. Nabi ﷺ allowed it to be eaten¹⁴.

Saying Allah's name

Allah says: eat from what Allah's name was said over¹⁵, and do not eat from what Allah's name was not said over¹⁶. Nabi ﷺ said Bismillah and Allahu akbar when he slaughtered his rams¹⁷. Bismillah is the part that counts. Allahu akbar is his sunnah.

• Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis: saying Allah's name is required. If the person forgets, the meat is still halal. If he leaves it out on purpose, it is not.
• Shafi'is: it is a strong sunnah, not a condition. The meat is halal even without it, though leaving it on purpose is disliked.

Mercy to the animal

Halal slaughter is not only about rules. It is about kindness. Nabi ﷺ said: Allah has written excellence for everything. So when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each of you sharpen his blade, and let the animal be at ease¹⁸.

• A very sharp knife, and one quick cut. A blunt knife causes pain.
• Scholars say: do not sharpen the knife in front of the animal, and do not slaughter one animal while another watches.
• Lay the animal down gently. Give it water. Do not drag it roughly.
• Do not skin it or cut it up until it is completely still.

No cruelty, ever

• Anas saw some boys shooting arrows at a hen they had tied up. He said: Nabi ﷺ forbade tying animals up to shoot at them¹⁹.
• Nabi ﷺ said: do not make anything that has a soul into a target²⁰.
• Ibn Umar said that Nabi ﷺ cursed the one who cuts parts off a living animal²¹.

Cruelty goes against the spirit of halal, even if the final cut is correct. Caring about how the animal lived, not only how it died, is a good thing.

The food of the People of the Book

Allah says: today all good things are made halal for you. The food of those who were given the Book is halal for you, and your food is halal for them²².

• The People of the Book means Jews and Christians.
• Many Companions and scholars explained their food here as the animals they slaughter, because other food, like bread and fruit, was already halal from anyone.
• Nabi ﷺ himself ate meat cooked by a Jewish woman in Khaybar²³. And when a Companion found a bag of fat thrown out of a Jewish fort at Khaybar, Nabi ﷺ only smiled²⁴.

So this is agreed: meat slaughtered by a Jew or a Christian, in the way of slaughter, is halal. Scholars still add some conditions:

• It must be a halal animal. Their pork is still haram.
• It must be slaughtered, with a cut to the throat. An animal killed by strangling, a blow, an electric shock, or drowning is not halal from anyone²⁵.
• Another name over it: most scholars say if you know they said a name other than Allah over it, such as the name of a saint, do not eat it²⁶. Some scholars allow it, because Allah allowed their food knowing what they say.
• Who counts today: scholars differ about a person who has a Christian or Jewish name or background but does not believe in any religion. Many say he does not count as one of the People of the Book.

Supermarket meat today

This is where Muslims disagree most. Read Halal or zabihah: what is the difference? for a short version. Here is the fuller picture.

Everyone agrees on the rules. The question is a question of fact: does normal meat in a Christian-majority country today meet those rules?

View 1: it is allowed

• Allah allowed the food of the People of the Book, and He knew they would not slaughter exactly like Muslims²⁷.
• In many countries, animals are still killed by cutting the throat, often by Christians.
• We are not asked to investigate every animal. Some people told Nabi ﷺ that people brought them meat and they did not know if Allah's name was said over it. He said: say Allah's name over it yourselves, and eat²⁸.
• So, in this view, ordinary beef, lamb and chicken from such a country is halal, unless you know it was not slaughtered.

View 2: avoid it, and eat halal meat

• Factories today are not like the butchers of the past. Many workers are not believing Jews or Christians.
• Many animals are stunned first, and some may die from the stun before the cut. Chickens are often cut by machines, and some are missed.
• The hadith in Bukhari 5507 was about meat from Muslims: the narrator says those people had only just become Muslim. It does not make all meat in the world halal.
• Nabi ﷺ said: halal is clear and haram is clear, and between them are doubtful things. Whoever stays away from them protects his religion²⁹. So, in this view, when halal meat is easy to find, eat that.

Both views are held by real, respected scholars. Neither side is sinful. Many Muslims follow View 2 where halal meat is easy to buy, and rely on View 1 when they are traveling or there is no halal meat near them.

Stunning and machine slaughter

These are new questions, so scholars work them out from the main rules.

Stunning

Stunning means making the animal unconscious before the cut, with an electric shock, a bolt to the head, or gas. In some countries the law requires it.

• View 1, allowed with conditions: some scholars and some halal bodies accept a light stun if the animal is still alive when it is cut, and would wake up if it were not slaughtered. They say the animal is alive, the blood flows, and Allah's name is said, so the conditions are met.
• View 2, not accepted: other scholars and halal bodies reject all stunning. They say some animals die from the stun, which would make them like an animal killed by a blow³⁰. And you cannot tell which ones died. They also say it is not the way Nabi ﷺ taught.
• Both sides agree: if the stun kills the animal before the cut, the meat is haram.

Machine slaughter

Big chicken plants use a rotating blade that cuts thousands of birds an hour.

• View 1, allowed with conditions: a Muslim switches the machine on saying Bismillah, the blade cuts the throat properly, and a Muslim stands at the line to check and cut any bird the blade missed. Some councils of scholars accept this.
• View 2, not accepted: other scholars say slaughter must be done by a person's own hand, with Allah's name said over each animal. A machine does not say Bismillah. They accept only hand slaughter.

Again, follow a scholar you trust. If you want the meat no one argues about, choose hand-slaughtered and not stunned. Many halal labels say this on the pack.

Halal certificates, and how to check

A halal certificate means a halal body has checked a farm, factory, shop or restaurant. It helps a lot. But halal bodies do not all have the same standard. Some allow stunning or machine slaughter, and some do not.

Simple ways to check

• Know the name on the label. Look up the halal body on its website. A good one says clearly what it allows: hand or machine, stunned or not.
• Ask your local masjid which shops and brands people there trust.
• A green sign or the word halal in a window is not proof. Anyone can print a sign. Ask which supplier or certificate is behind it.
• Look for the certificate in the shop or restaurant, and check the date on it.
• A trusted Muslim butcher's word is enough. You do not have to ask for papers from a Muslim you trust³¹.

Once you have done a fair check, you are done. If something was wrong that you could not have known, the sin is on the one who lied, not on you.

Hunting

Hunting for food is halal. Allah says: eat from what your trained hunting animals catch for you, and say Allah's name over it³².

Hunting with a weapon

• The hunter must be a Muslim, Jew or Christian, the same as for slaughter.
• Say Bismillah when you shoot or throw. Abu Tha'labah asked about hunting. Nabi ﷺ said: what you hunt with your bow, after saying Allah's name, eat it³³.
• The weapon must pierce or cut, not just hit. Nabi ﷺ said if a hunting stick hits with its sharp end, eat. If it hits with its flat side, do not eat, because the animal was beaten to death³⁴.
• Guns: most scholars today allow game killed by a bullet, because a bullet pierces and makes the blood flow, like an arrow. Some scholars are careful with small shot that kills by force more than by cutting.
• If you reach the animal still alive, slaughter it properly.
• If it runs and you find it later, dead, with only your arrow's wound, you may eat it if it has not gone bad³⁵. But if you find it dead in water, do not eat it, since you cannot tell if the water killed it³⁶.

Hunting with a dog or a bird

• The dog or falcon must be trained: it goes when sent, and it catches for you, not for itself.
• Say Bismillah when you send it. Then you may eat what it catches, even if it killed it³⁷.
• If the dog ate from it, do not eat, because it caught it for itself. If other dogs joined in, do not eat, because you do not know which one killed it³⁸.
• Keeping a dog for hunting or guarding is allowed³⁹. See Animals and pets.

When hunting is not allowed

• In ihram (the state of Hajj or Umrah), hunting land animals is haram. Sea fishing is still allowed⁴⁰.
• Killing for fun, wasting the animal, or using a living animal as a target is not allowed⁴¹.

Seafood

Allah says: the catch of the sea and its food are made halal for you⁴². And He made the sea serve you, so that you eat fresh meat from it⁴³.

A man asked Nabi ﷺ if he could make wudu with sea water. Nabi ﷺ said: its water is pure, and its dead are halal⁴⁴.

So all scholars agree: fish is halal without slaughter. The same is true of locusts. A Companion said: we went on seven journeys with Nabi ﷺ and ate locusts⁵⁰.

Shrimp, crab, squid and the rest

• Most scholars read its dead are halal as all sea life. Hanafis read it as fish.
• Frogs: most scholars say they are not eaten. Nabi ﷺ forbade a doctor from killing frogs for medicine⁵¹.

If you are Hanafi and your friend eats shrimp, he is not doing wrong, and you are not being too strict. You are each following your school.

Eating at a friend's home or a restaurant

Muslims have always eaten with neighbors of other faiths. Nabi ﷺ ate food a Jewish woman cooked⁵², and he visited a sick Jewish boy who used to serve him⁵³. Being a good guest is part of our deen.

At a non-Muslim friend's home

• Tell them early, in a friendly way. For example: "I would love to come. Just so you know, I do not eat pork or drink alcohol, and I only eat halal meat. It is a bit like kosher. Please do not go to any trouble."
• Offer to bring a dish, or suggest fish or a vegetable dish. Most hosts are happy to know.
• Bread, rice, salad, vegetables, fruit, eggs, milk and fish (for most scholars) are halal from anyone. Watch for hidden things: pork fat, bacon bits, gelatin, and wine in sauces. See What Muslims do not eat and Alcohol, drugs and smoking.
• Pots and pans: their dishes are fine to eat from. If you know a pot was just used for pork and you have no other, Nabi ﷺ said wash it with water, then eat⁵⁴.
• If something is not halal for you, leave it quietly, and do not criticize the food. Nabi ﷺ never found fault with food. If he liked it he ate it, and if not, he left it⁵⁵.

At a restaurant

• Ask simply and politely: "Is your meat halal? Is all of it halal, or only some dishes? Who certifies it?"
• Ask about pork and alcohol in the kitchen: "Do you cook with wine? Is the chicken cooked on the same grill as pork?" Most staff are used to these questions.
• No halal meat? Choose fish or a vegetable dish, and ask that it is not cooked in pork fat or wine.
• A Muslim host or owner says it is halal? You may trust him, say Bismillah and eat⁵⁶. If you follow a stricter view than your host, eat the other dishes without a speech.

Things people think are haram, but are not

• Meat slaughtered by a woman. Fully halal⁵⁸.
• Meat where the slaughterer did not face the qiblah, or said only Bismillah without Allahu akbar. Still halal.
• Fish that died by itself in a net. Halal for most scholars⁵⁹.
• Bread, cheese, eggs, vegetables or fruit from a non-Muslim shop. Halal. Only animal meat needs slaughter. (Some cheese and sweets need a check for animal ingredients. See What Muslims do not eat.)
• Using a plate or pan from a non-Muslim friend. Fine. Only wash it if you know it held pork or wine⁶⁰.

For more, read things you think are haram and are not.

Udhiyah and aqiqah

Two special slaughters are acts of worship: udhiyah (qurbani) on Eid al-Adha, and aqiqah for a new baby. They follow all the rules in this chapter, plus rules of their own about the animal's age, the days, and sharing the meat.

They are explained in full in the Fiqh Guide: Udhiyah and aqiqah.

Common questions

I ate meat for years that I now think was not halal. Is that a sin on me?

No. If you did not know, or you followed a view that allowed it, there is no sin. Allah taught us to pray: our Lord, do not blame us if we forget or make a mistake⁶¹. From now on, eat what you are sure of, and do not worry about the past.

My family eats supermarket chicken. Must I refuse to eat at home?

Some scholars allow that meat⁶², so your family is not doing something clearly haram. Speak to them kindly about buying halal if you want to, and offer to buy it yourself. Do not cut off your family over a disputed matter.

I am a new Muslim. My non-Muslim parents cook for me. What do I do?

Be gentle and thankful. Ask them to leave out pork and alcohol, and offer to bring halal meat or cook with them. Fish, eggs and vegetable dishes are an easy start. Honoring your parents is part of Islam too.

I am at a work dinner with no halal option. Do I have to say why?

No. Just choose fish or a vegetable dish. If someone asks, a short answer is enough: "I eat halal, a bit like kosher." Most people respect it.

Can I eat kosher meat?

Many scholars accept it, since Jews are People of the Book and kosher meat is slaughtered by hand at the throat⁶³. Others prefer meat slaughtered by a Muslim. Both are respected views.