HALAL ACCORDING

TO OTHER
RELIGIONS

SHARIFAH ANOM BT OMAR

HEAD
ACADEMY OF CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC STUDIES
 INTRODUCTION
O The Islamic dietary laws (Halal) and the Jewish
dietary laws (Kashrut; in English, Kosher) are
both quite detailed, and contain both points of
similarity and discord. Both are dietary laws
of Abrahamic religions and Semitic cultures,
but they are described in distinct religious texts:
an explanation of the Islamic code of law found
in the Quran and a Jewish code of laws found in
the Torah and explained in the Talmud.
 Substance classification
O Similarities
O Swine is prohibited by both sets of laws.
O Many animals permitted in kashrut are also halal, such
as bovines.
O Kashrut forbids and halal strictly forbids the
consumption of amphibians such as frogs. Almost
all insects are not kosher. The few kosher insects are
specific types of locusts and grasshoppers (see Kosher
locust) which are not eaten today in most communities,
since it is unknown which species is permitted.
 Substance classification
O Similarities
O To be kosher, aquatic animals must have scales and fins.
Most Muslim schools of thought adhere to the interpretation
that all creatures from the ocean or the sea or lake are
considered halal. Shi'ites also follow this, but make an
exception with some crustaceans; shrimps and prawns are
halal. According to Jewish oral law all fish that have scales
have fins, thus making all fish with scales kosher and
rendering the law essentially the same as the more restrictive
interpretations of halal.
O Gelatin is only permissible if it comes from a permissible
animal (usually kosher gelatin comes from the bones of
kosher fish or is a vegan substitute).
 Substance classification
O Differences

O For a substance to be halal, it must not

contain alcohol of any kind. However, there is a
difference drawn between the addition of alcohol to
foods which is absolutely forbidden, and the small
quantities that naturally become present – such as
orange juice. Except for grape wine and grape juice
(which must be manufactured under Jewish
supervision), kashrut allows the consumption of any
sort of alcohol, as long as it has kosher ingredients
(excluding any unsupervised grape extracts).
 Substance classification
O Differences

O The list of animals forbidden by kashrut is more restrictive,

as kashrut requires that, to be kosher, mammals must
chew cud and must have cloven hooves. Halal only
requires that an animal survive on grass and leaves. Thus
some animals such as the camel are permissible under
halal, but not according to kashrut.
O Kashrut prohibits shellfish, such
as crab, lobster, shrimp, clams, and oysters
O Kashrut requires strict separation of dairy and meat
products, even when they are kosher separately.
 SLAUGHTER
ISLAM JEWS
• Zabiha is the method used to • Shechita is the ritual
slaughter an animal as per slaughter of mammals and
Islamic tradition. birds according to Jewish law.
• Most Muslim authorities also • Shechita requires that an
forbid the use of electrical, animal be conscious and this
gas, or percussive is taken to mean the modern
stunning. However, other practice of electrical, gas, or
authorities state that percussive stunning before
stunning is permissible so slaughter is forbidden
long as it is not the direct
cause of the animal's death
 SLAUGHTER - SIMILARITIES
ISLAM JEWS

1. Zabiha involve cutting across 1. involve cutting across the

the neck of the animal with a neck of the animal with a
non-serrated blade in one non-serrated blade in one
clean attempt in order to clean attempt in order to
sever the main blood vessels. sever the main blood vessels
2. the spinal cord be avoided 2. the spinal cord be avoided
during slaughter. during slaughter.
3. require draining the blood of 3. require draining the blood of
the animal the animal
 SLAUGHTER- DIFFERENCES
ISLAM JEWS
Zabiha requires that God's name be Shechita, a blessing to God is recited before
pronounced before each slaughter. beginning an uninterrupted period of
(see Islamic Concept of God). Zabiha meat by slaughtering; as long as the shochet does not
definition is meat that is slaughtered in the have a lengthy pause, interrupt, or otherwise
shariah manner and the name of Allah is said lose concentration, this blessing covers all the
before the slaughter animals slaughtered in that period. This
blessing follows the standard form for a
blessing before most Jewish rituals ("Blessed
are you God ... who commanded us regarding
[such-and-such]", in this case, Shechita). The
general rule in Judaism is that for rituals which
have an associated blessing, if one omitted
the blessing, the ritual is still valid [see
Maimonides Laws of Blessings 11:5]; as such,
even if the shochet failed to recite the blessing
before Shechita, the slaughter is still valid and
the meat is kosher
 SLAUGHTER- DIFFERENCES
ISLAM JEWS
There are no restrictions on Kashrut prohibits eating
what organs or parts of the the chelev (certain types of fat)
carcass may be eaten from and gid hanosheh (the sciatic
a Halal-slaughtered and - nerve), and thus the hindquarters
dressed animal; as long as it of a kosher animal must undergo a
was slaughtered and prepared process called nikkur (or, in Yiddish,
according to the rules of Halal, porging) in order to be fit for
the entire animal, with the consumption by Jews. As nikkur is
exception of blood, bones, fat an expensive, time-consuming
not attached to meat, and process, it is rarely practiced
wounded parts, is fit for outside of Israel, and the
consumption by Muslims hindquarters of kosher-slaughtered
animals in the rest of the world are
generally sold on the non-kosher
market.
 Nikkur
O The process of making an animal kosher by
removing chelev and the gid hanasheh. It is
much easier to perform nikkur on the front
part of the animal. It is also easier to perform
on non domestic animals such as deer as the
chelev does bot need to be removed from such
animals.
 OTHER COMPARISONS
ISLAM JEWS
• All food must be Halal and by this, all • the permissibility of food is influenced by
utensils and kitchens used to prepare food many secondary factors. For instance,
must also be deemed as Halal. Halal vessels and implements used to cook food
utensils and kitchens require that these must also be kept separate for dairy
utensils or food preparation surfaces do not products and meat products. If a vessel or
get in contact with non Halal items. For implement used to cook dairy products is
instance, cakes prepared using alcohol as then used to cook meat, the food becomes
an ingredient are considered non Halal. In non-kosher and the vessel or implement
fact, food cooked in any type of alcohol itself can no longer be used for the
(even if the alcohol burns out during the preparation or consumption of a kosher
cooking process) is also deemed non Halal. meal.
• Kitchens which have been used to prepare • Depending on the material properties of the
non Halal food must be sanitized (samak) item (for example, if it is made of metal or
according to Islamic principles before they of clay, or if it is made in one piece or has
can be used to prepare Halal meals. joints) it may be rendered permissible
Kitchens and utensils previously used to ("kashered") by certain procedures or it may
prepare non Halal meals are required to be be considered irretrievably contaminated.
fully sanitized in an Islamic fashion before
they can then be used for Halal food
preparation.
 THE ATTITUDE OF
BRAHMINS
O The Brahmins and a group of philosophers,
subsisting on vegetarian food, only prohibit
to themselves the killing and eating of
animals. They claim that the slaughtering of
animals is a cruelty inflicted by men on
these creatures, who are living beings like
themselves and they must not deprive the
animals of their right to live.
Animals prohibited to the Jews
and Christians
O Allah prohibited to the Jews the eating of
many land and marine animals (Old
testament book of Leviticus, chapter 11)
O The cause of prohibition, was to punish
them for their transgressions and sins : Al
Anam: 146: (And to the Jews We forbade
every animals with claws and of oxen and
sheep. We have forbidden them their fat,
except what is carried on their backs or
entrails or what is connected to the bone,
thus We did recompense them for their
rebelliousness and indeed We speak the truth)
Animals prohibited to the Jews
and Christians
O For Christians, they made permissible things
which had been prohibited in the Torah,
although not abrogated in the Injil.
O The Christians followed the teaching of Paul,
who declared all foods and drinks permissible
with the sole exception of the flesh of animals
sacrified to idols, since ‘to the pure everything is
pure’
O Christians permitted themselves the eating of
pork, despite the fact that the text of the Torah
prohibits it to this day.
 Pre Islamic Arabs
O Prohibited certain animals as being unclean,
together with some animals which were
considered sacred and dedicated to their
gods.
O They permitted many kinds of impure foods,
such as the flesh of dead animals and
flowing blood.
 Thank You
O Home work topic:
O Halal concepts according to Hindu, Buddha
and Confucius.