What is Halal?
The meaning of Arabic term “Halal” is lawful, legal, allowed or permissible under the Islamic Shariah Law. All food items are permissible unless specifically prohibited by the sources of Islamic Shariah Law, the Qur’an and the Sunnah (Tradition) of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. Certain food items are specifically mentioned as being halal. These include unprocessed vegetables, fruits, grains, and fish.

What is Haram?
The meaning of the Arabic term “Haram” is unlawful, illegal, prohibited, or forbidden under Islamic Shariah Law. Haram food items include pork and pork products, blood, dead animals, and animals not slaughtered in a proper manner as specified under Islamic Shariah Law.

What is Mubah?
The meaning of the Arabic term “Mubah” is permissible. Anything that is not specifically mentioned as being either halal or haram is considered mubah.

What is Mushbooh?
The meaning of the Arabic term “Mushbooh” is suspect, doubtful, or questionable. Foods labeled as mushbooh require further investigation into whether they fall into either the halal or haram categories.

What is Islamic Zabiha?
Provided an animal is not specifically prohibited by Islamic Shariah Law, the animal and its by-products must be made permissible for consumption under Islamic Shariah Law by being slaughtered according to the prescribed procedure. This process, called Islamic Zabiha, involves reciting of a prayer at the time of slaughter and cutting through the jugular vein in such a manner that all the blood is drained from the body, thereby killing the animal in the most quick and painless manner possible.