HALAL

ABSTRACT

Halal is an Arabic word that means "permissible." Halāl, also spelled Hallal or Halaal is any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term covers and designates not only food and drink but also all matters of daily life. The slaughter of a halal animal is called "Zabihah" and there are certain guidelines to follow:

·      Allah's (God's) name must be pronounced during slaughter.                                              

·     The instrument must be very sharp to ensure humane slaughter. The animal must be slit at the throat.                                                                                                        

·       The animal must not be unconscious.                                                                           

·      The animal must be hung upside down and allowed to bleed dry. Eating blood is not halal.                                                                                                                     

·     These steps must be accomplished by a Muslim or the People of the Book (Christian or Jew. Many observant Muslims find kosher meat acceptable.                    

·   The animal must have been fed a natural diet that did not contain animal by-products.

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Halal foods are foods that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines. According to these guidelines gathered from the Qur’an, Muslim followers cannot consume the following, ref Surah II-173:

•pork or pork by products

•animals that were dead prior to slaughtering

•animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah

•blood and blood by products

•alcohol

•carnivorous animals

•birds of prey

•land animals without external ears

These prohibited foods and ingredients are called haram, meaning forbidden in Arabic. It is the cruel procedure of procuring “Halal Meat”, which has been ridiculed and the act has been replaced by virtue, as referred in AGGS.

ਮਿਹਰ ਮਸੀਤਿ ਸਿਦਕੁ ਮੁਸਲਾ ਹਕੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਕੁਰਾਣੁ ॥

ਸਰਮ ਸੁੰਨਤਿ ਸੀਲੁ ਰੋਜਾ ਹੋਹੁ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ॥

ਕਰਣੀ ਕਾਬਾ ਸਚੁ ਪੀਰੁ ਕਲਮਾ ਕਰਮ ਨਿਵਾਜ ॥

ਤਸਬੀ ਸਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵਸੀ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਖੈ ਲਾਜ ॥੧॥
Mihar masīṯ siḏak muslā hak halāl kurāṇ. Saram sunaṯ sīl rojā hohu musalmāṇ.Karṇī kābā sacẖ pīr kalmā karam nivāj.Ŧasbī sā ṯis bẖāvsī Nānak rakẖai lāj. ||1||

Let mercy be your mosque, faith your prayer-mat, and honest living your Quran. Make modesty your circumcision, and good conduct your fast. In this way, you shall be a true Muslim. Let good conduct be your Kaaba, Truth your spiritual guide, and the karma of good deeds your prayer and chant. Let your rosary be that which is pleasing to God’s Will O Nanak, God shall preserve your honor. ||1||-----Guru Nanak, Raag, Majh, AGGS, Page, 140-18

ਹਕੁ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਉਸੁ ਸੂਅਰ ਉਸੁ ਗਾਇ ॥

ਗੁਰੁ ਪੀਰੁ ਹਾਮਾ ਤਾ ਭਰੇ ਜਾ ਮੁਰਦਾਰੁ ਨ ਖਾਇ  ॥

ਗਲੀ ਭਿਸਤਿ ਨ ਜਾਈਐ ਛੁਟੈ ਸਚੁ ਕਮਾਇ  ॥

ਮਾਰਣ ਪਾਹਿ ਹਰਾਮ ਮਹਿ ਹੋਇ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਗਲੀ ਕੂੜੀਈ ਕੂੜੋ ਪਲੈ ਪਾਇ ॥੨॥
Hak parā▫i▫ā nānkā us sū▫ar us gā▫e. Gur pīr hāmā ṯā bẖare jā murḏār na kẖā▫e.Galī bẖisaṯ na jā▫ī▫ai cẖẖutai sacẖ kamā▫e. Māraṇ pāhi harām meh ho­ė halāl na jā­ė. Hak parā▫i▫ā nānkā us sū▫ar us gā▫e. Gur pīr hāmā ṯā bẖare jā murḏār na kẖā▫e.Galī bẖisaṯ na jā▫ī▫ai cẖẖutai sacẖ kamā▫e. Nānak galī kūṛī▫ī kūṛo palai pā▫e. ||2||

To take what rightfully belongs to another, is like a Muslim eating pork, or a Hindu eating beef. Our Guru, our Spiritual Guide, stands by us, if we do not eat those carcasses.

By mere talk, people do not earn passage to Heaven. Salvation comes only from the practice of Truth.  By adding spices to forbidden foods, they are not made acceptable. O Nanak, from false talk, only falsehood is obtained. ||2||

                                          

ਪੰਜਿ ਨਿਵਾਜਾ ਵਖਤ ਪੰਜਿ ਪੰਜਾ ਪੰਜੇ ਨਾਉ ॥

ਪਹਿਲਾ ਸਚੁ ਹਲਾਲ ਦੁਇ ਤੀਜਾ ਖੈਰ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥

ਚਉਥੀ ਨੀਅਤਿ ਰਾਸਿ ਮਨੁ ਪੰਜਵੀ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਸਨਾਇ ॥

ਕਰਣੀ ਕਲਮਾ ਆਖਿ ਕੈ ਤਾ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਸਦਾਇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਜੇਤੇ ਕੂੜਿਆਰ ਕੂੜੈ ਕੂੜੀ ਪਾਇ ॥੩॥
Panj nivājā vakẖaṯ panj panjā panje nā▫o. Pahilā sacẖ halāl ḏu­ė ṯījā kẖair kẖuḏā­ė Cẖa▫uthī nī▫aṯ rās man panjvī sifaṯ sanā▫e.Karṇī kalmā ākẖ kai ṯā musalmāṇ saḏā▫e.Nānak jeṯe kūṛi▫ār kūrhai kūṛī pā▫e. ||3||

There are five prayers and five times of day for prayer; the five have five names. Let the first be truthfulness, the second honest living, and the third charity in the Name of God. Let the fourth be good will to all, and the fifth the praise of the God. Repeat the prayer of good deeds, and then, you may call yourself a Muslim. O Nanak, the false obtain falsehood, and only falsehood. ||3||-----Guru Nanak, Raag Majh, AGGS, Page, 141-2, 4

ਸਚ ਕੀ ਕਾਤੀ ਸਚੁ ਸਭੁ ਸਾਰੁ ॥

ਘਾੜਤ ਤਿਸ ਕੀ ਅਪਰ ਅਪਾਰ ॥

ਸਬਦੇ ਸਾਣ ਰਖਾਈ ਲਾਇ ॥

ਗੁਣ ਕੀ ਥੇਕੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥

ਤਿਸ ਦਾ ਕੁਠਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੇਖੁ ॥

ਲੋਹੂ  ਲਬੁ  ਨਿਕਥਾ  ਵੇਖੁ ॥

ਹੋਇ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਲਗੈ ਹਕਿ ਜਾਇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਦਰਿ ਦੀਦਾਰਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੨॥

Sacẖ kī kāṯī sacẖ sabẖ sār. Gẖāṛaṯ ṯis kī apar apār.Sabḏe sāṇ rakẖā▫ī lā▫e.Guṇ kī thekai vicẖ samā▫e.Ŧis ḏā kuṯẖā hovai sekẖ.Lohū lab nikthā vekẖ.
Ho­ė halāl lagai hak jā­ė. Nānak ḏar ḏīḏār samā▫e. ||2||

The knife is Truth, and its steel is totally True. Its workmanship is incomparably beautiful. It is sharpened on the grindstone of the Sabd. It is placed in the scabbard of virtue. If the Sheikh is killed with that, then the blood of greed will spill out. One who is slaughtered with the knife of Truth (Sharpened on the word and sheathed by good qualities), will be acceptable to God. O Nanak, at the God's door, he is absorbed into Its Blessed Vision. ||2||-----Guru Nanak, Raag Ramkali, AGGS, Page, 956-3

ਹਕੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਬਖੋਰਹੁ ਖਾਣਾ ॥

ਦਿਲ ਦਰੀਆਉ ਧੋਵਹੁ ਮੈਲਾਣਾ ॥

ਪੀਰੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਭਿਸਤੀ ਸੋਈ ਅਜਰਾਈਲੁ ਨ ਦੋਜ ਠਰਾ ॥੧੧॥
Hak halāl bakẖorahu kẖāṇā. Ḏil ḏarī▫ā▫o ḏẖovahu mailāṇā.Pīr pacẖẖāṇai bẖisṯī so▫ī ajrā▫īl na ḏoj ṯẖarā. ||11||

Let what is earned righteously be your blessed food. Wash away pollution with the river of your heart. One who realizes the Prophet attains heaven. Azrael, the Messenger of Death, does not cast him into hell. ||11||-----Guru Arjan, Raag Maru, AGGS, Page, 1084-7

ਮੁਲਾਂ ਕਹਹੁ ਨਿਆਉ ਖੁਦਾਈ ॥

ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਪਕਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਆਨਿਆ ਦੇਹ ਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਮਾਟੀ ਕਉ ਬਿਸਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਆ ॥

ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪ ਅਨਾਹਤ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਹੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਆ ॥
Mulāʼn kahhu ni▫ā▫o kẖuḏā▫ī.Ŧere man kā bẖaram na jā▫ī. ||1|| rahā▫o.Pakar jī▫o āni▫ā ḏeh bināsī mātī ka▫o bismil kī▫ā. Joṯ sarūp anāhaṯ lāgī kaho halāl ki­ā kī­ā.

O Mullah, tell me: is this God's Justice? The doubts of your mind have not been dispelled. ||1||Pause|| You seize a living creature, and then bring it home and kill its body; you have killed only the clay.  The light gets absorbed in the Immortal Divine Essence. O Mullah, tell me: is this God's Justice? The doubts of your mind have not been dispelled. ||1||Pause|| You seize a living creature, and then bring it home and kill its body; you have killed only the clay.  What then have thou slaughtered according to the code?-----Kabir, Raag Parbhati, AGGS, Page, 1350-7

ਕਬੀਰ ਜੋਰੀ ਕੀਏ ਜੁਲਮੁ ਹੈ ਕਹਤਾ ਨਾਉ ਹਲਾਲੁ ॥

ਦਫਤਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਮਾਂਗੀਐ ਤਬ ਹੋਇਗੋ ਕਉਨੁ ਹਵਾਲੁ ॥੧੮੭॥
Kabīr jorī kī­ė julam hai kahṯā nā­o halāl. Ḏafṯar lekẖā māʼngī▫ai ṯab ho▫igo ka▫un havāl. ||187||

Kabir, to use force is tyranny, even if you call it legal. When your account is called for in the Court of the God, what will your condition be then? ||187||----Kabir, Sloke, AGGS, Page, 1374-187

Conclusion:

Kabir finally summarizes it spiritually:

ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਅ ਜੁ ਮਾਰਹਿ ਜੋਰੁ ਕਰਿ ਕਹਤੇ ਹਹਿ ਜੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ॥

ਦਫਤਰੁ ਦਈ ਜਬ ਕਾਢਿ ਹੈ ਹੋਇਗਾ ਕਉਨੁ ਹਵਾਲੁ ॥੧੯੯॥
Kabīr jī­a jo māreh jor kar kahṯė heh jo halāl. Ḏafṯar ḏa▫ī jab kādẖ hai ho▫igā ka▫un havāl. ||199||

Kabir, Muslims oppress living beings and kill them, and call it proper. When the God calls for their account, what will their condition be? ||199||-----Kabir, Sloke, AGGS, Page, 1375-199