UNDERSTANDING HALAL AND HARAM

by

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nurdeng Deuraseh

Director of Halalan Thayyiban Research Centre
Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA)
Negara Brunei Darussalam
E-mail: nurdeng.deuraseh@unissa.edu.bn
 
 1. Definition of Halal, Haram and Syubhah based on Imam Al-
Ghazali (m. 1111 M)

1. Halal /‫ حالل‬:
 ‫ ومثاله الماء الذي‬، ‫ وانحل عن أسبابه ما تطرق إليه أو كراهية‬،‫ هو الذي خال عن ذاته الصفات الموجبة للتحريم في عينه‬: ‫الحالل المطلق‬
‫يأخذه اإلنسان من المطر قبل أن يقع على ملك أحد يكون هو واقفًا عند جمعه وأخذه من الهواء في ملك نفسه أو في أرض مباحة‬.
(٥٢٥ ‫ ص‬،‫ احياء علوم الدين‬،‫) الغزالى‬
 Bahawa yang halal mutlak ialah kosong pada benda itu, sifat-sifat yang mewajibkan kepada
pengharaman, pada benda itu sendiri. Dan terlepaslah dari sebab-sebab, di mana mendatangkan
kepada pengharaman atau kemakruhan. Contohnya, ialah air yang diambil orang dari hujan,
sebelum jatuh menjadi milik seseorang. Dan dia sendiri berdiri menampungnya dan
mengambilnya dari udara, dalam daerah miliknya sendiri atau pada tanah yang diperbolehkan
(tanah mubah).
(Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulummudin, p. 525)
 The absolute halal is thing in its identity depart from the prohibited characteristics in its
essence, and unexist the reasons towards prohibition and makruh. For example, the water that a
person takes from the rain before it falls on someone’s property, and he himself stood up to take
it and took it from the air, in his own possession or on the permitted ground (tanah mubah). (Al-
Ghazali, Ihya Ulummudin, p.
 525)
 2.Haram / ‫ حرام‬:
 ‫ والنجاسة في البول أو‬،‫ كالشدة المطربة في الخمر‬، ‫ هو ما فيه صفت محرمة ال يشك فيها‬:‫الحرام المحض‬
‫حصل بسبب منهي عنه قط ًعا كالمحصل بالظلم والربا ونظائره‬.
(٥٢٥ ‫ ص‬،‫ احياء علوم الدين‬،‫) الغزالى‬ 
 Haram Mahaddhu ialah sesuatu benda yang ada padanya sifat yang
mengharamkan tanpa keraguan, seperti kesangatan yang
mempersonakan pada khamar dan kenajisan pada kencing atau suatu
benda/barang yang diperoleh dengan cara yang dilarang secara jelas
seperti diperoleh secara kezaliman, riba dan lain-lain yang sebanding
dengan itu.
(Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulummudin, p. 525) 
 Haram Mahaddhu is Thing which no doubt own prohibited
characteristics, such as the hallucination in wine (khamar), and
uncleanness in the urine or acquiring something in a way that is
clearly prohibited as obtained by tyranny, usury and others
comparable to that. (Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulummudin, p. 525)
3. Syubhah / ‫ شبهة‬:

 ‫ ومثارات‬....‫وإنما الشبهة نعني بها اشتبه علينا أمره بأن تعارض لنا فيه اعتقادان صدرا عن سببين مقتضيين لالعتقادين‬
‫ الشك فى السبب المحلل والمحرم؛ شك منشئه االختالط؛ ان يتصل بالسبب المحلل معصية؛ اإلختالف في‬:‫الشبهة خمسة‬
‫األدلة؛‬....
(٥٢٦ - ٥٢٥ ‫ ص‬،‫ احياء علوم الدين‬،‫) الغزالى‬ 
 Syubhah ialah benda yang meragukan kepada kita kerana kemunculan persoalan
terhadapnya disebabkan oleh dua keyakinan/kepercayaan yang bertentangan
padanya, hasil dari dua sebab yang mempengaruhi dua keyakinan/kepercayaan
tersebut....Tanda-tanda kemunculan syubhat itu lima perkara: keraguan terhadap
sebab yang menghalalkan dan yang mengharamkan; keraguan terjadinya lantaran
percampuran; keberkaitan sebab yang menghalalkan dengan maksiat; perselisihan
pada dalil-dalil;.....
(Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulumuddin, pp. 525-526) 
 Syubhah is a thing that doubts us because of the emergence of the question of it
because of two beliefs which are contrary to it, the result of two reasons affect the
two beliefs.... The signs of the emergence of doubt had five things: the doubt of
the reason that legalizes and forbid; doubt of occurrence due to mixing; the
relevance of the cause that permits with vice; disagreement on arguments;.....(Al-
Ghazali, Ihya Ulumuddin, pp. 525-526)
2. Definition of Terms: Halal Foods

 Halal foods are foods that are permissible based on Islamic law. While unlawful or
prohibited food is called haram.
 Operational Definition: Halal foods mean food fit for human consumption and
permitted by Hukum Syarak and fulfil the following conditions:
 The food or its ingredients that do not contain any parts or products of animals that
are non-halal to Muslims according to Hukum Syarak or products of animals which are
not slaughtered according to Hukum Syarak;
 The food does not contain any ingredients that are najis according to Hukum Syarak;
 The food that is safe and not harmful;
 The food that is not prepared, processed or manufactured using equipment that is
contaminated with things that are najis according to Hukum Syarak;
 The food or its ingredients do not contain any human parts or its derivatives that are
not permitted by Hukum Syarak;
 During its preparation, processing. Packaging, storage or transportation, the food is
physically separated from any other food that does not meet the requirements stated
in items (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) or any other things that have been decreed as najis by
Hukum Syarak (PBD 24:2007 & MS1500: 2009).
3. Understanding The Halal and Haram & The
Permissible (Halal, also Mubah, Ja’iz)
1st group: (Members: Musaddiq & Nazirul )
 1. Shari’ah identifies haram substances in food and diet in specific detail.
 2. Halal are not only considered by name but by indicators which are not totally free of doubt.
 3. Subsequently, Grey areas of doubt between halal and haram had occurred where new juristic
enquiry and ijtihad needed although existing fiqh manuals cover almost all aspects but to due to the
diversity and dynamic environment where science and technology affected the fiqh position hence
continuous research and review of the content and composition of food product from shari’ah
perspective are needed.
 4. Halal – an act, object or conduct over which the individual has freedom of choice and its exercise
does not carry either a reward or a punishment.
 5. The scale of five values known to Islamic Jurisprudence: 1) wajib(obligatory) 2)
mandub(recommendable) 3) mubah(permissible) 4) makruh(reprehensible) 5) haram(forbidden).
 6. Halal in Al-Quran may use different words such as ‘there is no sin’, ‘no liability’, ‘no blame’, or
that ‘God will not take you to task’ which can also be said of the makruh and the mandub
 7. Example of Makruh in Al-Quran: ‘God does not love’ which described as ‘an abomination’,
‘disliked’, ‘misguided’ and so on and the opposite of this expressions may also imply to mandub.
3. Understanding The Halal and Haram & The
Permissible (Halal, also Mubah, Ja’iz)
2nd group: Members: Amirah, Afiqah, Najibah
 1. Based on ayat al-Quran (Surah Al-Maidah: 6, 87 and al-Baqarah:168, 172) halal has no limitations until
there is a nas (dalil) that shows it is prohibited.
 2. The jurists use legal maxim to produce the permissibility of the substance. If it’s obvious that there is no
sign of impurity therefore there is no required supportive evidence. For example plant food and animals flesh
is clean unless there is sign of impurity.
 3. According to Zahirite scholars, Ibn Hazm there is 3 scale of values consist of obligatory, prohibited and
permissible. In permissible it is divided into 2 which is recommended and reprehensible.
 4. Evidence that overrule the permissibility must be authentic not based on doubtful evidence such as weak
hadith and Quranic verse that has no clear meaning.
 5. There are 2 exception on ibahah which is ibadah (5 times prayer) and sexual intercourse (married/not
married)
 6. The Malikis permit all varieties of land and sea animals and birds. While other scholars declare as
makruh, if not Haram.
 3. Understanding The Halal and Haram &
The Permissible (Halal, also Mubah, Ja’iz)
 Mubah subdivided into 3 types:
Types of Mubah
1. Acts that are mubah for the individual
But recommendable/mandub for the whole
community
2. Acts that are mubah for the individual
but obligatory for the whole
community
3. Acts that are mubah on an occasional
basis but forbidden if used regularly
Example
- Eating certain foods such as vegetarian
food, beef, mutton and so on. It is
mubah for the individual
- But recommendable/mandub for the
whole community to have them
available in the marketplace
- Working under Government
- Blowing on a hot food will become
makruuh
- Talking during ablution
References

 Kamali. Mohammad Hashim. (2013). The Parameters of Halal and Haram in

Shari`ah and the Halal Industry. Kuala Lumpur: International Instritute of
Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia”, pp. 2-5

 Imam Ghazzali. (2007). Ihya’ Ulum al-Din. Beirut: Dar al-Salam li al-Tiba’ah
wa al-Nashr wa-al Tawzi’ wa al-Tarjumah. 1998).