HALAL AND HARAM FOOD in ISLAM

 

In simple terms, food in Islam is divided into "halal" (permissible), "haram" (not permitted or prohibited), and also "makruh".

Halal Food

The Word of Allah SWT: "And eat food that is halal and good from what Allah has provided for you, and fear Allah in Whom you believe in" (Al-Ma'idah: 88). "O you who believe, eat of the good provisions We have given you" (Al-Baqarah: 172). "O people, eat what is lawful and good from what is on earth" (Al-Baqarah: 168).

"What Allah has permitted in His book (the Qur'an) is halal, whatever He has forbidden, the law is haram, and whatever Allah has kept silent/did not explain the law, is forgiven. For this reason, accept His forgiveness, because Allah never forgets anything" (HR Al-Hakim). The original law regarding something is that it is permissible as long as there is no final argument that forbids it.

Haram Food

1.     All foods mentioned in the word of Allah, Surah Al-Maidah verse 3 and Al-An'am verse 145, where it is forbidden to eat carcasses, blood, pork, the flesh of animals slaughtered in the name of other than Allah, those that are strangled, those that are beaten, those that fall, those that are gored, and those that are torn apart by wild animals, except those that you have time to slaughter, and those that are slaughtered for idols.

2.     What is forbidden according to the hadith is everything that has fangs, himar, everything that has claws, and animals that eat dirt.

3.     All food that is vile, that is, that is dirty, disgusting.

4.     All types of food that can harm the soul, body, mind, morals and faith. Khamr, namely something that is intoxicating.

5.     Parts in the form of meat, bones or anything that is cut from a living animal. "Meat that is cut from an animal that is still alive, then what is cut is considered a carcass" (HR. Ahmad).

6.     Food obtained through illegal means such as theft, plunder, corruption, usury and other methods prohibited by religion. "And do not eat food among yourselves falsely" (Al Baqarah: 188).

On top of all this, there is what is called a food emergency, and it is permitted. "Whoever is in a state of compulsion and does not want it and does not (also) exceed the limit, then indeed your Lord is Forgiving, Most Merciful" (Al-An'am: 145)

Haram Drinks

The types of drinks that are haram can be divided into three types. Firstly, all drinks that are intoxicating or when drunk cause harm and damage the body, mind, soul, morals and faith, such as wine, wine, and the like. For wine and gambling: "In both of them there is a big sin and several benefits for humans, but the sin of both is greater than the benefits" (Al-Baqarah: 219). "O you who believe, indeed (drinking) liquor, gambling, (sacrificing to) idols, drawing lots of fortunes with arrows, are heinous acts including those of the devil. So stay away from these acts so that you may gain good luck" (Al-Maidah: 90). "Something that is intoxicating in a large amount is still haram in a small amount” (HR An-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud and Turmudzi).

Next, what is forbidden are drinks from unclean objects or objects that are unclean, as well as drinks that are obtained in ways that are not halal or that are contrary to Islamic teachings.

All intoxicating drinks are haram, whether made from wine, wheat or other ingredients. "Grapes can be made into wine, dates can be made into wine, honey can be made into wine, and soybeans can also be made into wine" (HR Abu Daud, Turmudzi, An-Nasai and Ibnu Majjah). Likewise, Islam firmly rejects treatment that uses alcohol. "Khamr is not a medicine, but wine is a disease" (HR Muslim).

Bad Consequences of Haram Food and Drinks

In essence, everything that is permitted in religion has extraordinary benefits, as do things that are forbidden in religion because they contain things that are very dangerous, physically and spiritually. "Every flesh that grows from a haram thing, hell is more appropriate to it" (HR. Tirmidhi).

Consuming haram food, drink or clothing will result in a person's worship activities being rejected by Allah Ta'ala. "Indeed, for Allah Ta'ala, several angels above Baitul Muqoddas call every night, whoever eats haram food will not accept obligatory or sunnah worship from him" (HR Sayyidina Abdullah Ibnu Abbas RA).

Consuming haram food will eliminate the good deeds that a person has done, even though the amount of worship he has done is great. "On the day of Qiyamat, some people will be brought with them who have virtues like Mount Tihamah, so that when it is brought to them everything becomes useless and then they are thrown into hell. It was said, O Messenger of Allah, how did that happen? He answered, they used to pray, fast, give zakat and make the Hajj, only in fact, when they were shown something that was haram, they took it and their deeds were abolished."

Yes, I remember the famous ustadz Zainuddin MZ once reminded me that in worship, we must first abandon what is haram before doing what we are commanded to do. So, a person who spends ill-gotten wealth for good is like a person who washes clothes with urine.

Apart from that, other consequences include not having prayers answered, eroding the perpetrator's faith, throwing the perpetrator into hell, hardening the perpetrator's heart, and having his good deeds rejected. Forbidden food and drink—especially alcohol—can corrupt the soul; they diminish intelligence, induce forgetfulness, drive one toward negative actions, foster a tendency for isolation and daydreaming, sap one's work ethic, endanger health, squander wealth, breed hostility and hatred, and hinder the remembrance of Allah.

“Indeed, Allah the Almighty is Good and accepts only what is good; and indeed, Allah has commanded the believers just as He commanded the Messengers... ‘O you who have believed, eat from the good things with which We have provided you’” (Narrated by Muslim).

In the language of the Quran, food and drink are referred to as tha’am. However, in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 249, the terms syariba (to drink) and yath’am (to eat) are used in relation to drinking water.

The Quran places great emphasis on food. It identifies food sufficiency and the establishment of security as two primary reasons for worshipping Allah: "So let them worship the Lord of this House (the Kaaba), who has provided them with food to relieve their hunger and secured them against fear" (Quraysh: 3–4).

In the Quran, various forms of the word denoting the act of "eating" do not merely mean "ingesting something"; in a broader sense, they encompass "all forms of activity." This implies that every activity requires calories derived from food. Surah Quraysh verses 3 and 4 state that Allah provides food to alleviate hunger and liberate people from fear.

One should not eat to excess. Surah Al-A’raf verse 31 states: "O Children of Adam, wear your beautiful apparel at every place of worship, eat and drink, but do not be excessive."

Overeating overfills the stomach, preventing gastric acid—which is essential for digesting carbohydrates—from functioning optimally. Polysaccharides may fail to break down into disaccharides; consequently, the food cannot be absorbed in the subsequent stage within the small intestine and is ultimately wasted. Even if the body is forced to digest it fully, the process requires a significant amount of time and energy.

Scientific findings indicate that consuming carrion is akin to introducing disease into the body. Carrion has already undergone decomposition by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, which are pathogenic to humans.

Why is the consumption of blood prohibited? Because blood is a fluid that serves a vital function in the body's transport system. In addition to nutrients and oxygen, blood also contains metabolic waste products such as carbon dioxide, toxins, viruses, and bacteria.

Food influences a person's character

"You are what you eat!"

This is a valid saying. Dietary habits can indeed influence a person's behavior. Several studies have proven a connection between the digestive tract and the brain; the digestive tract "thinks," too. The food we consume and the bacteria within our digestive tract play a significant role in shaping human behavior. Therefore, a healthy digestive tract fosters healthy behavior.

The types of food consumed alter the microbiome—the bacterial biota living in the digestive tract. The human digestive tract is home to colonies of bacteria and microbes that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption. The body requires beneficial bacteria (such as probiotics), so their numbers should exceed those of harmful bacteria (like E. coli). Changes in the microbiome have a profound impact on brain chemistry. An altered gut microbiome can release various substances that disrupt brain function; for instance, a stomach upset caused by consuming the wrong foods can lead to anxiety or even depression.

The same applies to children. While a child's character and behavior stem from genetic information passed down by parents—a blend of traits from both—environmental factors also play a decisive role. It is not unusual, then, for a child to be rude, short-tempered, or prone to tantrums, even if their parents do not exhibit such traits.

Parental eating habits can affect their children. For example, long-term consumption of haram (forbidden) foods forces one's DNA to continuously produce proteins that do not align with the individual's physiological needs. This results in a buildup of proteins that causes physical and mental health issues. It can even lead to mutations—alterations in genetic organization—within the DNA. If a gene is repeatedly copied and used as a blueprint for protein synthesis, it can wear out and sustain damage.

Clearly, haram food is unhealthy. Consuming haram (forbidden) food triggers the activation of scotophobin, leading to a rise in cortisol levels. This hormonal surge induces anxiety, which disrupts the body's micro-electrical systems and creates chaotic fields; consequently, ion transport at the cellular level is altered, throwing subatomic particle reactions into disarray. These "agitated cells" then transmit and spread this fear and anxiety throughout the entire body. According to Dr. Alexis Carrel, the full extent of how chemical compounds in food affect the human psyche and mind remains unknown due to a lack of adequate experimentation. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that human emotions are profoundly influenced by the quality and quantity of the food consumed.

Another aspect involves psychological factors. Consuming haram food—while knowing it is wrong—robs us of peace of mind and can even instill fear. Over the long term, this leads to chronic anxiety, causing the body to produce excessive amounts of cortisol, scotophobin, and adrenaline. This state alters metabolic and other biochemical processes, thereby inhibiting many healthy biological functions.

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