Halál and Harám

A-úthú billáhi minash shaytánir rajím. Bismilláhir Rahmánir Rahím!

[Arabic du’á]

‘ILM means “To know the truth and its true and certain evidence either in the Quran or the Sunnah, which are the two main sources of Sharia”. We were told that “lack of knowledge” Jahl or Ignorance, leads to the frustration of good deeds, the inability to explain Islam to children and non-Muslims, and the increase of Bida’a or innovations.

In addition to these serious results of ignorance, there is one more to add. Without knowledge a Muslim may not be able to distinguish between halal and haram, between what is commanded and what is prohibited. As a result of this confusion, halal may be abandoned on the wrong assumption that it is haram, and haram may be committed on the wrong assumption of being halal .

Today, Inshallah, I will talk about halal and haram. So what is halal and what is haram? Halal has been defined as “that which is permitted, allowed, and not restricted by Allah. And Haram, is that which has been absolutely prohibited. Anyone who engages in it… is liable for Allah’s punishment in this world and the next. There is also Al Makruh and al Mubah. Al Makruh or the detested, which is disallowed by Allah but not very strongly. The Makruh is less than haram and its punishment is not the same except when it leads to haram.

Al Mubah is that which is not covered by any text.

People have known the concept of halal and haram since ancient times, but these concepts were a product of primitive legends and superstitions. Then came the divinely revealed religions, with their laws and injunctions concerning halal and haram, uplifting the human being from the level of superstition to the level of dignity which befits the human being.

The concept of Halal and Haram In Islam is very simple and clear. It is a part of that great trust which man accepted. This trust requires man to carry out the duties and responsibilities placed on him by Allah as result of the trust that he had accepted. Halal and Haram are part of the total legal system of Islam, its Sharia. One of Islam’s initial accomplishments was to establish certain legal principles and measures which represent the determining criteria of what is halal and haram. Thus, this vital aspect was determined according to the correct perspective, and rules related to the matters of halal and haram were established on the bases of principles of justice.

The Principles

The matters of halal and haram in the Islamic Sharia are subject to several rules and principles among which are the following:

1-The Permissibility of Things.

According to this principle – Nothing is haram except what is prohibited by a sound and explicit Nas.(text) which means either a Quranic verse or a clear, authentic and explicit Sunnah. If in this case, the text is not sound (as in the example of a weak hadith) or if it is not explicit in stating the prohibition, the original principles of permissibility applies.

This principle have been derived from several verses of the Quran.

Allah says: first,

“It is He who has created for you all things that are on earth” 2/29.

Second,

“Do you not see that Allah has subjected to your use all things in the heavens and on earth and has made His bounties flow to you in exceeding measures both seen and unseen.(31/20)

It cannot be that Allah would create all these things, give man control over them, count them as His favours and then tell him that their use is prohibited: how could this be when He created all these things for man’s use and benefit? Indeed Allah has prohibited only few things for specific reasons. The range of Haram in Islam is very small while that of Halal or permissible is extremely vast. There is only a small number of sound and explicit texts concerning Haram and prohibitions, while whatever is not prohibited in a text falls under the general principle of permissibility of things and within the domain of Allah’s favours. In this regard, the Prophet said:

” The halal is which Allah has made Lawful in His Book, and the haram is that which He has forbidden and that which He kept silent about is permitted as a favour to you.”

In this hadith the Prophet referred to the general rule for determining what is halal and what is haram. Accordingly, is it sufficient for us to know what Allah has made Haram, since what is not included in it is pure and permissible.

2- Determining what is halal and haram is the exclusive right of Allah alone.

The authority to make halal and haram in Islam is not in the hands of human beings, regardless of their religious or worldly positions. No one at all has the right to prohibit what is halal or permit what is haram. Regrettably, we see nowadays, some Muslims and especially the young who are very quick to make judgements and Fatwas about what is haram and halal without knowledge and without evidence. What they like and prefer becomes halal, and what they detest is haram. This is wrong and very serious.

Any person who dares to give himself the right to decide what is halal and haram is certainly taking over a divine right, which belongs to Allah alone. Moreover, such a person is assuming a divine role and acting as if he is a partner with Allah.

The Quran says in this regard:

Do you see what Allah has sent down to you for sustenance and yet you have made some part of it halal and some part of it haram?. (10/59)

And do not say , concerning the falsehood which your tongues utter ” this halal and this haram” in order to fabricate a lie against Allah; assuredly, those who fabricate lies against Allah will never prosper.16/116

From these explicit verses and the sound hadith the jurist of Islam grasped with certainty that it is Allah alone Who has the right to make halal and haram, either through His Book or through the tongue of his Messenger. The jurists do not go beyond explaining what Allah has decreed to be halal and haram.

“When He has explained to you in detail what he has made haram for you.(6/119)

Islam condemns all those who declare, on their own authority, what is lawful and what is prohibited.

Yet even worst are those who make prohibitions, which results in hardship for others, narrowing what Allah has made spacious for His servants. The Prophet fought against false piety and fanaticism. He warned such people with words: ” The fanatics will perish” repeating it three times. The prophet also said:

” I have been sent with what is straight and easy”.

When some Muslims declined what Allah has permitted and denied them selves some permissible pleasures, Allah revealed the following strong worded verse:

O ye who believe, do not make haram the good things which Allah has made halal for you. And do not transgress; Allah does not like the transgressors. And eat of what Allah has provided for you, lawful and good. And fear Allah in whom you believe(5/87.88)

As I said earlier, Allah alone has the right to prohibit or permit things, as He deems proper, and to place obligations and responsibilities upon His servants as He sees fit.

As His creatures, they have no right to question His commands. To believe in Him is to believe in His attributes, to believe that He is Merciful and All Knowing. What He made halal or haram is for a reason or a wisdom that we may or may not know.

We are not required to know exactly the wisdom behind what He permitted or prohibited. What is required of us is simply to say “we have heard and we shall obey”.

3- Prohibition of causes leading to haram

Another Islamic principle is that if some thing is prohibited anything which leads to it is likewise prohibited. By this way, Islam intends to block all avenues leading to what is haram. For example, Islam has prohibited sex out side marriage, it has also prohibited anything which leads to it or makes it attractive, such as seductive clothing and behaviour, the depiction of nudity, pornographic material, obscene songs and so on. A similar principle is that the sin of the haram is not limited only to the person who engages in it but extends to others who supported him materially or morally; each is accountable according to his own share. For example, in the case of alcoholic drinks, the Prophet not only cursed the one who drink, but also the person who made it, the person who serves it, the person who sold it and the person who bought it. Some people try to go around haram by devious means and excuses.

They call what is haram by other names or by changing its form while retaining its essence. Thus, alcoholic drinks become grape juice, Reba becomes trade, nudity and pornography become art, gambling becomes gaming and innocent fun and bribery becomes charity. Allah cannot be cheated. A change of name or form is of no consequence as long as the thing and its essence remain unchanged.

[du’á in Arabic]

Ameen! Aqeemus Salaah!