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Halaal (Arabic: حلال , also sometimes spelled halal) is the Islamic term for "permissible," similar to the Jewish kosher. The use of the term varies between Arabic-speaking Muslim communities and non-Arabic-speaking ones.
In Arabic-speaking countries, the term halaal is used to describe anything that is permissible under Islamic law, in contrast to haraam, that which is forbidden.
In non-Arabic-speaking countries, the term is most commonly used in the narrower context of Muslim dietary laws, especially where meat and poultry are concerned.
A variety of foods are considered non-Halaal, including: the flesh of swine (pork), blood, animals not slaughtered according to the "Halaal" method (which involves, among other things, chanting prayers before slaughtering the animals), carrion and alcohol.
The Quranic verse 5:5 declares that the food of the People of the Book is permissible, and the dietary laws are similar enough to those regulating kashrut (although less restrictive), that devout Muslims can consume kosher meat and other food products when there are no halaal alternatives, with the exception of kosher products including alcohol.
Sikhism technically forbids Sikhs from eating halal meat, for the same reason that Muslims are prohibited from eating meat 'dedicated to false gods'.
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