HALAL AND HARAM IN ISLAM

It is Allah, Al-Khaliq, who created us and knows our nature and needs better than we do. He is fully aware of what is beneficial or harmful to man. This is why things that harm our physical or spiritual health are strictly forbidden (haram), and those that are beneficial are permissible (halal).

HALAL FOOD

Allah Ta'ala says:

"O you Prophets! Eat from the pure (good) things and do good acts." (23:51)

In this verse, Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala commands His Prophets (Alaihimus Salaam) to eat only food that is called Tayyib. Tayyib normally refers to something that is healthy and pure both externally and internally. Anything that the Shari'ah has decreed as Halal (permissible) falls into this category. Therefore, by commanding the Prophets (Alaihimus Salaam) to eat Tayyib food, Allah Ta'ala wants His Prophets (Alaihimus Salaam) to eat only Halal things.

In this verse, the command to eat what is halal is addressed to the Prophets (Alaihimus Salaam), though it applies to all of us. According to the mufassireen, this address was meant to emphasize the importance of eating only what is halal. If the Prophets (Alaihimus Salaam) - those guided by Allah Ta‘ala in all circumstances - were commanded to eat only halal and tayyib (pure) food, how meticulous must we be with our own food? Moreover, Allah Ta‘ala preceded the command to perform A‘maal-e-Saaliha (good deeds) with the command to eat halal and tayyib. According to the ‘ulama-e-kiraam, this warns us that our actions are influenced by what we consume. Let us clarify this point. When one eats what is halal, one gains the tawfeeq to perform good deeds and establish the Ibaadaat of Allah. In contrast, consuming haram things creates obstacles that make it difficult to do good deeds.

Hazrat Sahl Tastari (Rahimahullah) explains clearly that one who eats haram will fail in his religious duties, while one who eats halal will be submissive to Allah Ta‘ala and incline towards piety and good deeds.

In a hadith of Muslim and Tirmizi reported by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radiyallahu anhu), Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) said:

“Certainly, Allah Ta‘ala is Pure and accepts only that which is good. Verily, Allah has commanded the believers as He commanded the Messengers. He said: ‘O you Prophets! Eat from the pure (good) things and do good acts.’ (23:51) And He also says: ‘O you who believe! Eat from the pure things which We have provided for you and show gratitude to Allah!’ (2:172)”

The Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) then mentioned the case of a man - with dishevelled hair and dusty clothes - prolonging his journey, who stretched his hands toward the sky and implored: “O my Lord! O my Lord!” However, his food, drink, and clothes were all haram; how could his supplication be answered?

To understand the significance of this hadith - that is, the importance of eating lawful things and the gravity of consuming unlawful things - one must consider the condition of the person mentioned.

1. The person was a traveller who, judging by his appearance, had endured a long and arduous journey. The conditions of travelling 1,400 years ago were far different from today:

Poor road conditions,
Rudimentary means of transport—horse, camel, or even on foot,
Difficulties in obtaining supplies, potentially leading to fatal shortages, and
The threat of highway robbers.

2. The traveller himself was in a pitiful state - dishevelled hair, dusty clothes, and a face wrinkled with fatigue - so much so that one would feel sympathy at first glance. If we, as human beings, feel compassion for him, how will Allah Ta‘ala, the very source of mercy, respond? Furthermore, as taught by Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam), the Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen, the du‘a of a traveller is acceptable to Allah Ta‘ala.

All the conditions are apparently met for the help and grace of Allah to flow towards him. However, there is one thing that obstructs the way between him and his Lord like a concrete wall, so much so that when he supplicates to his master, the latter does not pay attention to his supplications. This thing is nothing other than the consumption of Haram products.

To understand the connection between a rejected du‘a and eating haram, consider the following hadith. Once, Hadhrat Sa‘d Bin Abi Waqqaas (Radiyallahu anhu) prayed to the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam):

“O Messenger of Allah! Invoke Allah to make my du‘a answered (mustajaabud - da'wa).”

The Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) replied:

“O Sa‘d! Eat halal things and you will become mustajaabud - da'wa, one whose du‘a is answered. By the One in Whose hand is my life, verily when a servant of Allah consumes even a mouthful of haram, none of his deeds (du‘a, Salah, fasting… in short, good deeds) is accepted by Allah for 40 days. And whoever is nourished through haram sustenance, the fire will take precedence over him.” (Tabrani)

In the light of this hadeeth, the acceptance of du‘a depends entirely on what one eats. We know that Allah Ta‘ala is the source of all well-being, health, and hidayah. Life is prosperous when one benefits abundantly from Allah’s favours, especially the guidance to remain on the straight path and the tawfeeq to obey the orders and commands of the Deen of Allah, AL-ISLAM. No doubt to achieve this end, Du'a plays a primordial role and as we have seen above, it depends enormously on our food. Logically, prosperity in this life depends on consuming only what is halal. In doing so, one gains the taufiq to perform good deeds and, in return, receives Allah’s mercy.

“Undoubtedly, the mercy of your Rabb is close to those who do good.” (7:56)

And when Allah’s mercy descends upon us, true prosperity, happiness, and success will be ours, as it will be said:

“O contented soul! Return happily to your Rabb as He is pleased with you. Enter among My bondsmen and enter My Jannah!” (89:27–30)

And what a Paradise!

“… into Jannaat beneath which rivers flow. There they will be adorned with bangles of gold and pearls. Their clothes in Jannah shall be of silk.” (22:23) and

“There they shall have whatever they desire and they will live there forever…” (25:16)

Therefore, to conclude, for our salvation in the Aakhirah, we need Allah’s mercy, which is obtained through good deeds and by consuming only halal and tayyib things. Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta‘ala is Pure and accepts only that which is pure. A person is pure when:

His ‘Aqeedah is correct as taught by Islam,
His Ibaadaat is performed solely for the sake of Allah in accordance with the Prophet’s (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) principles,
His wealth is acquired in a lawful manner, and
He adheres strictly to Allah’s commandments and the Prophet’s (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) principles while avoiding the forbidden.
His food, clothing and other necessities and their sources are Halal. On this point, the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) said:

“The first thing that will spread a bad smell (on the Day of Judgment) in a person will be his stomach. Whoever is able, let him eat only halal things.” (Bukhari)

“The search for halal is obligatory on every Muslim.” (Tabrani)

“The search for halal food is farz after the other faraaiz.”

WHAT ARE HALAL AND HARAM?

The Prophet of Islam (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) said:

"What is Halal (lawful) is manifest, just as what is Haram (unlawful) is evident."

Haram and halal are established by Quranic injunctions and the traditions of the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam). Therefore, something is Haram when it has been decreed as such by Allah and His Prophet (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam). The same principle applies to what is Halal. However, there are issues not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an or ahaadith, regarding their legitimacy. At that time, we will take into consideration the criteria that make something Halal or Haram that are clearly mentioned in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah. Thus, if something meets the criteria leading to haram, then it is haram—and vice versa for halal. Let us consider some examples.

1. The video. We will not delve into details since this subject has been thoroughly covered in recent issues (see Al-Haadi Vol. 1 No. 4 or Vol. 1 No. 9).

However, one thing is clear: videos has become a scourge that is slowly eating away at society, especially ours. This evil is so deeply embedded in our daily lives that it has come to seem indispensable. The growing number of video clubs on every street corner attests to this. We have little understanding of the harmful influence of video or television on our Imaan and Deen; indeed, we are often deceived, even blinded, by the deceptive allure of Shaytaan, the cursed. And to think of the sacrifices, persecutions, and hardships that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) endured so that this Deen, Al-Islam, might reach us—and yet we, His Ummah, are destroying this magnificent edifice of Islam that the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) and his Sahabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu anhum) built at the cost of their blood, even their lives, by making widows of their wives and orphans of their children. We dare to proclaim that we are the defenders of Islam. May Allah make us understand!

Who can deny the evils of TV/video? Day by day, we are drifting away from the practice of Deen. Little by little, without our realising it, kufr and shirk are taking root in our hearts and minds through erotic scenes and words along with provocative songs and dances. May Allah protect us! Although TV/video did not exist at the time of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam), it is true that women dancers—whose trade was declared haram by the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam)—existed. In a hadith reported by Hazrat Abu Umamah (Radiyallahu anhu), as recorded in Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmizi, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) said:

“Do not sell, do not buy women dancers, and do not teach them to dance, for this trade is haram.”

It is precisely on such matters that the following verse was revealed:

"There are some people who purchase futile discourse (Lahwal Hadith - futile, pleasant things, such as singing and dancing women, musical instruments) to divert from Allah's path without knowledge and they mock it. There shall be a humiliating punishment for these people." (31:6)

Lahwal Hadith, as mentioned in verse 6 of Surah 31, is an expression that applies to all elements that divert or that can divert someone from the Siraat-ul-Mustaqeem. In other words, it is a factor of deviation. Isn’t TV/video one? Isn’t TV/video a substitute for women dancers and singers? No! It is even worse. Without a doubt, women dancers and singers have transformed themselves into TV/video devices, and “do not teach them” essentially means “do not record” or “do not tape.” Therefore, despite the fact that TV/video did not exist during the time of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) and the Sahabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu anhum), its deviationist element makes it definitely haram—just as women dancers and singers are haram.

2. Gambling - casino, horse racing, etc.

They ask you about wine and gambling (Maisir), the response is:

"In both is a great sin and some benefits for man; but the sin is far greater than their usefulness." (2:219)

"O you who believe, indeed liquor, gambling, idols and arrows are filthy and evil acts of Shaytaan, so abstain from them so that you may be successful." (5:90)

The word ‘Maisir’ (translated as “gambling” in the two verses above), literally means “to distribute.” In the era of Jahiliyyah, several types of gambling existed; for example, 10 people would jointly purchase a camel and then sacrifice it. Ten arrows would then be marked with the portions of meat each participant would receive. Three of the arrows bore the number zero (0), meaning whoever drew one would receive nothing. The remaining arrows had different numbers, and after mixing them, each participant would draw one at random—so seven received their share, and three received nothing, even though all had contributed equally.

This practice is haram, as is any game of chance where money is put at risk—that is, where there is the possibility of both winning and losing.

CHILDREN AND GAMBLING

A particular type of game of chance, though unfortunately not considered as such, is playing marbles. As we have just seen above, in any game of chance several people risk their assets (whether in cash or in kind), resulting in one or more people winning, depending on the outcome of the game. There are some who win and others who lose. Similarly, when playing marbles, several children put theirs at risk. There are winners and losers. The term “game of chance” (Maisir) therefore applies to marbles as well according to the definition of the Shari'ah. Although this game appears innocent and harmless, it is still a game of chance according to Shari‘ah, and therefore it is haram! Allowing children to play such games fosters an early love for gambling, quarrels, deception, and vandalism. Parents must prevent their children from playing this game at all costs.

THE CASE OF HADHRAT ABU BAKR (RADIYALLAHU ANHU)

Once, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu anhu) took a bite of a meal of unknown origin that was brought to him by his slave. The slave had received it as payment for services rendered in the past, when he was a fortune-teller and had once predicted on credit. Upon hearing this, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu anhu) attempted to vomit the morsel he had swallowed. He could not do so because his stomach was empty. He was advised to drink plenty of water, and he continued vomiting until the morsel was expelled from his throat. Someone remarked:

"May Allah have mercy on you. You are going to such great trouble over such a small morsel!"

Thereupon, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu anhu) replied:

'I would have vomited it even if I were to die. I heard the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) say, ‘The part of the body nourished by illicit gain is destined for the fire of Hell. Therefore, I hasten to rid myself of this morsel before any part of my body is nourished by it."'

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu anhu) was so meticulous that the slightest doubt about something he ate would cause him to vomit it. Out of fear of Allah, the Sahabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu anhum) not only abstained from consuming unlawful food but also systematically avoided anything doubtful. They could not bear the thought of consuming haram.
We claim to be servants of Allah and followers of the beloved Prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam), yet we indulge our bodies and souls in interest (riba), corruption, gambling, and all manners of unwholesome, satanic activities—which are haram.
What a change! What a world of difference between us and the Sahabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu anhum)!

[English version of "Halal et Haram en islâm" – Al Haadi – Vol. 3 No. 1]