What is Haram?

The Islam religion contains one of the more stringent rules with regards to how people can live their life. Whatever the Qur\’an tells, devout followers are expected to follow them by heart. One of those that they follow is a food system called halal. This system enforces what food people can or cannot eat. It is specified in the Qur\’an that a healthy diet is important in Islam. A food is considered halal if it is considered to be safe for consumption. Otherwise, they are classified under haram. So what is haram?

Haram, an Arabic term that literally means forbidden or sacred, are food that is considered to be unsafe for consumption as they can be harmful for the body. Its classification is based on the Qur\’an and the Hadith, a compilation of the Prophet Mohammad\’s sayings of what is lawful and not, among other things. So what is haram food? The next paragraph lists those that are implicitly defined as Haram by Muslims.

Any intoxicant is considered haram according to Islam law. Specified in several quotes in the Qur\’an, the use of intoxicants is forbidden because praying while intoxicated is forbidden, the harm it does is greater than the good it creates, and intoxicants, together with gambling, are \”abominations of Satan\’s handiwork\”. There are many intoxicants, but it is primarily concerned with alcohol, probably the most accessible intoxicant.

\”Forbidden to you is the dead, and blood.\” This is a quote from a section of the Qur\’an. With this as a basis, it is considered haram to eat the following: blood, carrion (meat coming from dead animals), and meat that is not drained of its blood. Byproducts of blood are also not allowed for consumption.

Probably the most famous among all haram foods is pork. The basis for this belief is also specified on the Qur\’an. One of the verses specifies that the flesh of swine is forbidden for consumption. This means that pork and any product that is made from pork (e.g.: bacon, lard, pork-based gelatin) are considered haram for Muslims, and are therefore forbidden for consumption.

Based on these guidelines, people can say that it is easy to separate what is haram and what is not. But actually, the opposite is true. Defining which foods are forbidden can be really complicated, especially when you are not living in a predominantly Muslim country. This has led to the enforcement of food certification. Foods that are considered acceptable according to the halal system are given a Halal certification, meaning that that specific food is deemed to be safe for consumption. To be considered halal, food must not contain any alcohol, carrion, blood, or pork. Other than that, the process of Dhabihah must be followed when killing an animal for its meat. This is why even certain ingredients (such as cholesterol, hormones, gelatin, vanilla, vitamins, etc.) can be such a tough thing to identify if they are halal or haram. In closing, a certain level of vigilance is followed by Muslim people in discerning what is acceptable in their religion or not.

Are you looking for more information regarding what is haram? Visit http://www.ehalal.org today!

Are you looking for more information regarding what is haram? Visit http://www.ehalal.org today!

Author Bio: Are you looking for more information regarding what is haram? Visit http://www.ehalal.org today!

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: considered haram,haram food,considered halal

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