Guest Author - Sa'Diyya Patel

Islam, like Judaism, has some very strict dietary requirements. Islam has divided foods into 3 categories - Haraam, Halaal and Makrooh. Haraam are those food items that are strictly forbidden. Halaal are those items that are permissible. And Makrooh are those foods that, while permissible, are disliked.

MEAT.
Pork is strictly forbidden in Islam. Muslims cannot consume pork or any products containing pork derivatives, such as gelatin. So many products such as sweets, ice-cream etc. that contain gelatin are haraam, even though they are not meat products.

There are many Muslim Organizations who provide a stamp of approval on food products that are certified Halaal. This provides a measure of comfort and reassurance to the Muslim consumer that the food product that he is consuming is indeed Halaal.

The flesh of carnivores, or meat eating animals, is also forbidden, as is carrion.

Other meat, such as lamb, beef, turkey and chicken are all Halaal (permissible) provided that they are slaughtered in accordance with strict Islamic Laws and the name of Allah is recited while slaughtering the animal. It is for this reason that a Muslim cannot just purchase meat from any butchery. Most Muslims purchase their meat from special ethnic Halaal butcheries.

FISH
Most fish are halaal, although not all sea-food is. Fish and vegetables are safe bets as they are both permissible for Muslims to consume. Prawns, for example, are Makrooh. This means that while it is permissible to eat them, it is an act that is disliked in Islam.

ALCOHOL
Alcohol is also strictly forbidden. Unlike Jews, Muslims cannot drink wine. All non-alcoholic beverages are fine, provided that they do not contain any of the forbidden ingredients mentioned earlier.

At first glance, it may seem as if the Muslim diet is overly restrictive. But this isn't the case. Allah Ta'alah has given us these guidelines to help to keep us safe and healthy. Pork, for instance, is a highly fatty and unhealthy meat and if cooked incorrectly can lead to one getting Tapeworm.

And the evils of Alcohol, I'm sure, need no further clarification.

COOKING FOR MUSLIM FRIENDS.

If you are a non-Muslim who wants to entertain Muslim friends, then you can't go wrong by serving fish and vegetable based dishes. But please ensure that no alcohol or gelatin is used in the preparation of these dishes.

If you want to serve meat, then ask your friend to recommend a good Halaal Muslim Butchery where you can purchase the meat for the meal.

And of course, restrict the drinks to non-alcoholic ones such as fruit juice, soft drinks, tea and coffee.