Halal · permitted
Halal means lawful or permitted. It covers food, earnings, behaviour, products and relationships. Ordinary worldly things begin as permissible unless reliable Islamic evidence says otherwise.
A practical Islamic guide
Choose with confidence
Understand what is permitted, what is forbidden, and what needs reliable advice—in food, money, relationships and everyday life.
Haram · forbidden
Haram is what Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ clearly prohibited. Declaring something haram is serious: rulings must come from sound evidence—not culture, rumours, disgust or personal preference.
Food guide
Meat, animals & slaughter
Generally halal animals
HalalLivestock
Cattle, sheep, goats and camels are permitted when healthy, treated properly and slaughtered according to Islamic requirements.
Poultry
Chicken, turkey, duck, goose and similar non-predatory birds are permitted with valid halal slaughter.
Game animals
Deer, antelope and rabbit are generally permitted when lawfully hunted or slaughtered and safe to eat.
Seafood
Fish is accepted as halal. Scholars differ about some shellfish and other sea creatures, especially within the Hanafi school—follow trusted guidance for your madhhab.
Clearly haram animals and meat
HaramPig and pork
Pork and ingredients derived from pigs are forbidden, including lard and porcine gelatin unless a qualified ruling establishes a genuine transformation.
Carrion and flowing blood
An animal that dies without valid slaughter, and blood consumed as food, are forbidden. Ordinary traces remaining in properly slaughtered meat are not treated as flowing blood.
Predators and birds of prey
Fanged land predators such as lions and wolves, and hunting birds with talons such as eagles and hawks, are forbidden in the Prophetic Sunnah.
Domestic donkey
The meat of domesticated donkeys is forbidden in authentic hadith. Do not assume every unfamiliar animal follows the same ruling—ask when unsure.
The slaughter matters
CheckPermitted species is not enough
Meat must also come from an animal alive at slaughter, killed with a valid method, with Allah ﷻ’s name observed according to the applicable ruling, and not dedicated to anyone besides Allah ﷻ.
Animal welfare
Islam requires mercy: avoid cruelty, unnecessary fear and suffering, use a sharp instrument and do not mistreat animals before or during slaughter.
Labels and certification
Look for a reliable halal certifier, read the ingredients and ask the restaurant or producer when necessary. A ‘no pork’ label alone does not prove that meat is halal.
People of the Book
Qur’an 5:5 permits their food, while scholars differ on how this applies to modern industrial slaughter. Follow a qualified scholar or trusted certification rather than treating a disputed view as the only view.
Beyond food · daily life
Drinks and intoxicants
Water, milk, juice, tea and coffee are generally halal. Alcohol and anything consumed to intoxicate is haram. Check alcohol in desserts, sauces, flavourings and ‘non-alcoholic’ drinks; trace-use rulings can depend on amount, transformation and intoxication potential.
Ingredients, medicine and cosmetics
Watch for gelatin, animal rennet, enzymes, emulsifiers, capsules, glycerin and alcohol-based ingredients. Plant, synthetic or certified-halal sources are the simplest choice. Necessary medicine has special rulings—do not stop treatment; ask a clinician and a qualified scholar about alternatives.
Money, work and contracts
Honest work, transparent trade and fair payment are halal. Interest (riba), gambling, theft, fraud, bribery, deceptive sales and knowingly helping a clearly forbidden business are haram. For mortgages, pensions, insurance or complex investments, seek case-specific advice.
Relationships and character
Marriage, family care, consent, modesty, privacy, truthfulness and keeping promises belong to halal living. Adultery, sexual exploitation, abuse, slander, backbiting, cheating and deliberate harm are forbidden.
Shopping and the home
Buying ordinary useful products is generally permitted. Check food-contact contamination, misleading halal logos and products made mainly for a forbidden use. Avoid waste, cruelty, stolen goods and supporting wrongdoing when the connection is direct and known.
Digital and social life
The same ethics apply online: protect privacy, verify before sharing, respect copyright and avoid harassment, pornography, scams, gambling and spreading rumours. A screen does not turn harm into something permissible.
When you are unsure
Not every question is simply halal or haram. Something may be obligatory, recommended, disliked, doubtful or subject to valid scholarly disagreement. Check the ingredient or action, use a trusted certifier, and ask a qualified scholar who understands both the evidence and your circumstances. Avoid obsessive doubt: certainty is not removed by mere suspicion.
Necessity, mistakes and repentance
Genuine necessity can permit what is normally forbidden when serious harm is likely and no lawful alternative exists—but only as much as needed. If you make an honest mistake, learn and correct it. If you knowingly fall into haram, stop, sincerely repent, restore another person’s rights where relevant, and do not despair of Allah ﷻ’s mercy.
Core references
Qur’an 2:168, 2:173, 5:3–5, 5:90–91, 6:118–121 and 16:116. See also Sahih Muslim 1934 on predatory animals and birds with talons. This guide gives general education, not a personal fatwa; details may differ by circumstance and valid school of law.