Eating Halal in the US

[Alhena]

As I prepare to say Shahada, I have been faced with the dilemma of what will be lawful for me to eat once I revert. I have searched my area for halal butchers, but have had no luck in finding a place as of yet. I have read many differing points of view on whether it is lawful for Muslims to eat meat slaughtered here in the US and widely available from the large grocery chains. I would just like to know any tips the American Muslims here can share on how to eat halal in this country. Thank you all very much for your time and help!

[Woodrow]

That is a common problem for many of us Reverts here in the USA. Up here in North Dakota halal markets are few and far between. the only store I am certain sells halal meat is 225 miles from me. My alternative is to eat a mainly fish and vegetarian diet until the times I get to Fargo and buy enough meat to stock up the freezer.

[User29123]

Wow I did not know you guys had to go miles away to get halal meat, when I was in Canada thee halal shop was 5min away. I am also wondering how far are your mosques then?

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Replied from x10 mini pro

[PouringRain]

Wow I did not know you guys had to go miles away to get halal meat, when I was in Canada thee halal shop was 5min away. I am also wondering how far are your mosques then?

Far.

The nearest halal store from me is 3 hours away, and the nearest Islamic center is slightly more than that.

Alhena, I have seen and heard of on-line places you can order halal foods. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of that than I can point you to those websites? Woodrow also has a good suggestion. I also will say that I have read mixed opinions from scholars on kosher meat-- I only bring this up, because sometimes it is easier to obtain kosher meat in the US than halal. But please don't take my advice on kosher meat! First I would suggest you seek out the qualified opinions on kosher meat and then make an informed decision on if that is a route you want to go or not.

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[Sunnie Ameena]

I am new to all of this as well, what is the difference between kosher meat and halal? Sunnie

[Jalal~]

Far.

The nearest halal store from me is 3 hours away, and the nearest Islamic center is slightly more than that.

Alhena, I have seen and heard of on-line places you can order halal foods. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of that than I can point you to those websites? Woodrow also has a good suggestion. I also will say that I have read mixed opinions from scholars on kosher meat-- I only bring this up, because sometimes it is easier to obtain kosher meat in the US than halal. But please don't take my advice on kosher meat! First I would suggest you seek out the qualified opinions on kosher meat and then make an informed decision on if that is a route you want to go or not.

Think about moving out of that town. Islam is the most important thing to all of us, so why not make practicing Islam easy for yourself and move someplace else? I mean both you and I are already living in Kafir countries which is bad enough.

[Woodrow]

I am new to all of this as well, what is the difference between kosher meat and halal? Sunnie

I was going to make a joke out of it. But I best answer correctly first.

The method of slaughter is very similar. However, for Kosher the slaughter is done by a Jew and the prayer is said in Hebrew. For Halal the slaughter is done by a Muslim and the prayer is said in Arabic. But most scholars do agree that if it is truly done in a Kosher manner it is halal to eat. But preference will be to eat that which is known to have been slaughtered in the halal manner by a Muslim.

As a side note not all halal meat is permissable to a Jew. Orthodox Jews are forbidden to eat any meat from the hindquarters of an animal, no matter how it was slaughtered.

Now for my bad taste joke I can not resist: Kosher sheep baa in Hebrew and Halal sheep baa in Arabic.

[Alhena]

We have a rather large Jewish population in my city, it is much easier to find kosher meats than it is to find halal meats. While I am fortunate to have mosques within a relatively short range, finding the halal foods is still quite a challenge!

I have also read scholarly opinions that eating kosher meat is lawful as is eating meat slaughtered by Christians. Some have said that meat readily available in the US is permitted because the US is considered a Christian nation, however this is NOT what I believe. Who's to say the man (or machine) slaughtering the widely available meat is Christian?? So... While I may feel comfortable eating kosher meat if I cannot possibly eat halal, I will never feel comfortable eating meat from Kroger or Publix.

Thank you all for your advice and views on this topic, it's really been one of the biggest hurdles so far. It's so much easier when you're in an Islamic country and even the horrible fast food joints serve exclusively halal foods!

[Cabdullahi]

hopefully in no time you'll be making halal homemade double cheeseburgers

[Ğħαrєєвαħ]

^And also double chicken burgers!

[Ummu Sufyaan]

Greetings,
if there is a farm near by, contact them and ask them to save you a sheep. go down to the farm, pay some money for the sheep to the farmer and he (or she) will slaughter it for you or let you slaughter it for yourself.

if you are a female take someone (male relative) with you. its not a good idea to go alone in a remote(ish) area.

you could otherwise stock up on fish.

[Sunnie Ameena]

Ok, I seen someone post about eating fish. If I can not find Halal meat or Kosher meat at all in my area, do I need to stick to eating just fish and vegetables? Sunnie

[User29123]

Hey how about you go to your local farm get a cow, and slaughter that, should last long enough lol.....

[Hamza Asadullah]

Asalaamu Alaikum, you have the following options if you really want to eat halaal meat:

1. Make the trek to your nearest halal butchers and buy lots of meat which you can then store in your freezer which will keep for quite a long time as long as it is frozen.

2. Go to your nearest Islamic centre and ask them about anyone who slaughters meat the Islamic way so that they can slaughter an animal for you in the local farm.

If you need any help locating your nearest halal butchers or Islamic centre then you can state what town or city you live in and i can try and locate one for you.

[Futuwwa]

Hey how about you go to your local farm get a cow, and slaughter that, should last long enough lol.....

I'd honestly advise against that, unless you actually have butcher's training. If someone entirely clueless would try slaughter, chances are that the result will simply be a bloody mess, a needlessly suffering animal, and a result that's not quite halal due to failure at getting all blood out of the animal.

[Futuwwa]

For the OP, I'd advise going kosher. While I agree that it's quite dubious whether Christian-slaughtered meat would count as halal, I haven't been convinced about any objection to kosher. Procedurally, it includes everything halal slaughtering does (and some more things and additional requirements, but none which make it haram), and the meat is sanctified to the same one and only true god which we worship. But by all means, don't take my word for it, read scholarly opinions pro and contra and make up your mind from that.

[Ummu Sufyaan]

I'd honestly advise against that, unless you actually have butcher's training. If someone entirely clueless would try slaughter, chances are that the result will simply be a bloody mess, a needlessly suffering animal, and a result that's not quite halal due to failure at getting all blood out of the animal.

my mum doesn't have butchers training, but she can slaughter a chicken and a sheep and if im not mistaken, a cow as-well. my dad and brother also dont, but they are quite successful at slaughtering too.

what is kosher meat exactly?

[Futuwwa]

Kosher is the Jewish Halal.

By all means, if you know how to slaughter yourself, it's a viable solution. I would just be quite clueless myself, being a city-boy.

[aadil77]

Hey how about you go to your local farm get a cow, and slaughter that, should last long enough lol.....

LOL she's not living in pakistan

[aadil77]

We have a rather large Jewish population in my city, it is much easier to find kosher meats than it is to find halal meats. While I am fortunate to have mosques within a relatively short range, finding the halal foods is still quite a challenge!

I have also read scholarly opinions that eating kosher meat is lawful as is eating meat slaughtered by Christians. Some have said that meat readily available in the US is permitted because the US is considered a Christian nation, however this is NOT what I believe. Who's to say the man (or machine) slaughtering the widely available meat is Christian?? So... While I may feel comfortable eating kosher meat if I cannot possibly eat halal, I will never feel comfortable eating meat from Kroger or Publix.

Thank you all for your advice and views on this topic, it's really been one of the biggest hurdles so far. It's so much easier when you're in an Islamic country and even the horrible fast food joints serve exclusively halal foods!

Kosher meat is generally well regulated and done according to strict guidelines, so its your best choice. Meat slaughtered by christians, it won't done according to religious law - best to stay away.

[JOHNJOHN]

Hi everybody,


Can somebody give me the verse in the quran about The method of slaughter ?

I read the quran many times but I never saw a verse about it or I am blind :)

[Ummu Sufyaan]

Kosher is the Jewish Halal.

i get that its Jewish, but what exactly does it consist of?

[Woodrow]

Hi everybody,


Can somebody give me the verse in the quran about The method of slaughter ?

I read the quran many times but I never saw a verse about it or I am blind :)

I believe the closest you will find is:

"Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience to Allah). And certainly, the devils do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you, and if you obey them [by making Al-Maytata (a dead animal) legal by eating it], then you would indeed be Mushrikun (polytheists): [because they (devils and their friends) made lawful to you to eat that which Allah has made unlawful to eat and you obeyed them by considering it lawful to eat, and by doing so you worshipped them, and to worship others besides Allah is polytheism]." (Al-An’am 6:121)

Many things that were revealed in the past to the people of the book were not repeated in the qur'an as they were already in practice. If corrections needed to have been made the corrects most certainly would have been given. the People of the book did at one time follow the correct path.

It is essentially the same method of slaughter that was used by the Jews. Remember, the Jews at one time did worship properly and much of what they still do is at least partially correct. We are not to ignore the correct things that were revealed to the people of the book as long as what they did or did not do does not violate what we know to be true.

No where in the Qur'an or ahadith do we find any condemnation of how the Jews slaughtered or are there any corrections or changes made as to how the Jews were taught to slaughter, which was also the method used by Our Prophet(PBUH)

[Futuwwa]

i get that its Jewish, but what exactly does it consist of?

Well, the procedure for slaughter is essentially the same. The difference is that kosher slaughter has a few additional requirements, such as the butcher having certain religious training, and the cut made to kill be done in a certain even more precise way. I'm not that aware of the exact details though.