Al-Halal: That which is permitted, with respect to which no restriction exists, and the doing of which the Law-Giver, Allah, has allowed.
Al-Haram: That which the Law-Giver has absolutely prohibited; anyone who engages in it is liable to incur the punishment of Allah in the Hereafter as well as a legal punishment in this world
Al-Makruh: (The detested): That which is disapproved by the Law-Giver. It is less in degree than the Haram, and the punishment for it is less than for what is Haram, except when done to excess and in a manner which leads an individual toward what is Haram.
- Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi-The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam
- Islam comes from the position that all is Halal except that which God Exalted Most High has made Haram, and it is only God that can prohibit things. It is not permissible for man to make Halal what is Haram, nor to make Haram what is Halal. This is a major sin akin to shirk-associating partners with God.
- It can be stated as a general rule that spreading corruption in the earth, such as polluting the Earth, denaturing animals, creating poverty and spreading conflict is Haram. Any action that harms or destroys life or corrupts that which life requires (like water) is Haram
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Zabiha means to slaughter (and is not a substitute terminology for Halal). It is the procedure in which animals are slaughtered for consumption which is as follows
- The name of God Most High is to be mentioned as it is mentioned before every thing a Muslim does in order to purify the act; it is as if asking permission to take the life of this creature that belongs to God Most high
- No other name should be mentioned over the animal
- One must use a pre-sharpened object to spare it pain. The sharpening of the object must be done out of the view of the animal in order to spare it fear
- One must feed, water and soothe the animal before the act of slaughter
- One must be kind and decent to the animal sparing it from unnecessary suffering
- One must not begin the processing method until the soul has left the body and it is cold