Halal
Halal describes what Islamic law permits. The term is especially associated with food and drink that meet Islamic dietary rules.
Sharia: The broad Islamic tradition of religious and ethical guidance, including jurisprudence and law. Halal is one category within the permissions and prohibitions interpreted through this tradition.
Islamic slaughter: The slaughter of permitted animals under Islamic requirements, including invocation of God and severing specified neck vessels. Slaughter conditions can determine whether an animal's meat is permissible.
Halal food: Food permitted under Islamic dietary rules, including requirements concerning ingredients and meat preparation. This is the most familiar practical application of halal classifications.
Kosher food: Food that conforms to Jewish dietary law, including rules about permitted species, slaughter, and food combinations. It is a parallel religious dietary system, but its rules and authorities differ from halal requirements.
Fiqh: The human discipline of interpreting Islamic law from religious sources and legal methods. Jurists use fiqh to determine which foods and practices count as halal.
Animal welfare in Islam: Islamic teachings and legal discussions concerning the humane treatment of animals. Rules on humane treatment inform debates about slaughter methods and halal certification.
Halal meat: Meat from permitted animals slaughtered and processed according to applicable Islamic requirements. It combines rules about animal species, slaughter, and contamination.
Stunning of animals before slaughter: The use of electrical, mechanical, or other methods to render an animal unconscious before slaughter. Islamic authorities differ on whether particular forms of stunning are compatible with halal slaughter.
Haram: Haram describes actions or things forbidden under Islamic law. It is the legal opposite of halal, though classifications can depend on interpretation.
Blood as food: The consumption of blood, prohibited as food in Islamic dietary law. The prohibition shapes slaughter and meat processing requirements.