Milk from Clones: Is it Tayyeb?

Alhamdulillah that Muslims care a lot about consuming halal food, but other than halal, Allah also asked us to consume good and healthy food, i.e. Tayyeb.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ


O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the Evil One, for he is to you an avowed enemy. [2:168]

Just like milk from cloned cows, is it tayyeb or based on changing the good nature of Allah's creations?

لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَفْرُوضًا

وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُبِينًا

يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا


Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of thy servants a portion marked off;

"I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah." Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes Satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest.

Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but Satan's promises are nothing but deception. [4:118-120]

So, next time before you get something down your pipes, make sure it's tayyeb.


Additional Resources About Food from Clones:

FDA Cloning Myth
The Center For Food Saftey
NPR Story: FDA Finds Meat, Milk from Clones Safe to Eat


Tags: Halal milk, milk from clones, cloned milk, food from cloned animals, organic food, organic milk, Muslim for organic, don't spoil what Allah has created.

EatingHalal: In Defense of Food

A nice NPR story about eating better.

Author Michael Pollan summarized it nicely, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Eat Food: As Muslims, when we eat, it's not just about Halal, but it has to be good too. As mentioned in the Quran.

[16:114] So eat of the sustenance which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good; and be grateful for the favours of Allah, if it is He Whom ye serve.

Not Too Much: Most of us know the statement of the Prophet (peace and prayer be upon him): "There is no worst container a person can fill other than his stomach. It's enough for one to eat a few bites, but if you have to eat/can't resist, then 1/3 for your food, 1/3 for your drink, and 1/3 for your breath." -Collected by Ibn Majah.

Mostly Plants: We can learn this from the story of Ibrahim/Abraham (peace be upon him) when he supplicated for the food of Makkah. In the authentic narration collected by Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (peace and prayer be upon him) said, if people only eat meat, they will get sick, except in Makkah (because of the supplication of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

قال اللهم بارك لهم في اللحم والماء قال النبي ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏ولم يكن لهم يومئذ حب ولو كان لهم دعا لهم فيه قال فهما لا يخلو عليهما أحد بغير ‏ ‏مكة ‏ ‏إلا لم يوافقاه

The author also mentioned about eating animals that consume green/pasture. Notice that in Islam, we can't eat meat/milk from animals that consume filthy diet (e.g. ground dead animals like the one being used in today's industrial farming).

So, the bottom line, if you want to eat better, follow Islam!

Here is the book cover of "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan.




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Seekh Kabab

The prophet (SAW) said: Eid Al-Adha plus the three following days are days of eating and drinking.

So, why not try this recipe for your Qurbani meat? :)

Ingredients required:
2lbs ground beef
1/3 cup cooking oil
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1/2pkt Shan Seekh Kabab Masala (available at Desi stores)
[LivingHalal disclaimer: we are not promoting Shan :)) ]

Directions:
Mix all of the above ingredients except oil.
Make small meat balls.
Thread each meat ball through a skewer.
With a wet hand, flatten the ground meat mixture in a thin layer
around each skewer.
Pour oil onto a cookie sheet to coat the surface, and arrange the kababs on the cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 to 400 degrees until meat is cooked through.

This can be served as a snack or a dinner dish.

Recipe courtesy of aunty Nasreen Kakli for LivingHalal

Halal Food: Unofficial Halal Subway

This is an article about the "first" Halal Subway store in the US. It shows that if you try to seek/offer Halal, Allah will make it easy for you eventually.

Often, Muslim restaurant owners argue that selling Halal is too costly and that customers are not enough. They forgot that Allah is the provider. More importantly, they forgot that selling Haram makes their income Haram and subsequently blocks their Dua's (supplications) even when they are in desperate need, as mentioned in the authentic hadith about a stranded traveler whose dua being rejected due to his Haram intakes and Haram clothing).

May Allah grant us Halal and save us from Haram (both food and income).

Nation's Only Halal Subway Shop Big Success
By Suleman Din
Religion News Service

ISELIN, N.J. -- There's just one place in North America where an observant Muslim can follow Jared's diet -- the two-sandwich-a-day plan that helped Subway pitchman Jared Fogel lose 245 pounds.

The Subway restaurant that adheres to Islamic restrictions is off Route 27 here, and it is indiscernible from other Subways, except for a neon green sign in the window spelling out "Halal," the Islamic equivalent of kosher.
In two years she has served halal food at her Subway, Ruhila Khan has built a following from all over the tri-state area. The success can be seen in the Sales Volume awards on the wall behind the register.

"I don't have enough space to hang up all of them," Khan said, smiling. "I did something for Allah, and he has blessed us."

In a state with one of the largest Muslim populations in the country, restaurant owners and community members say it makes business sense for mainstream restaurants to cater to Muslims.

"It's symbolic of our acceptance in the fabric that is America," said Irfan Rydhan, founder of zabihah.com, a Web site that lists halal restaurants across the U.S. "Especially if you grew up here. Your home cuisine is American cuisine."

Muslims consuming fast food is not a new concept; globalization has made U.S. brands available in Islamic countries. For instance, just outside Islam's holiest mosque in Mecca, wealthy Saudi Arabians can munch on halal Whoppers or Kentucky Fried Chicken while watching pilgrims perform the Hajj.

But in the U.S., choices for Muslims have been limited to restaurants offering traditional ethnic fare, Rydhan said. Independent Muslim-run fast food joints started appearing in the 1990s in urban centers that have sizable Muslim populations, such as Jersey City.

Now, a younger, suburban Muslim consumer wants the same fast-food brands as other Americans, he said.

The breakthrough with American fast food restaurants has come from franchise owners like Khan and Ali Hashmi, who owns a nearby A&W Root Beer Restaurant that also serves Halal food. Both are Muslim immigrants who convinced their chains they could tap a fresh market.

Khan, who owns the Subway shop with her husband, Shahnawaz, said opening an American fast-food franchise that sold halal food was something she wanted to do since immigrating from Pakistan 15 years ago. When she went through training to open a Subway franchise, Khan said, she pushed for the chance.

What helped convince Subway, Khan said, was the restaurant's location. Near the Garden State Parkway, the nearby "Little India" strip, Muslim butchers and ethnic restaurants, the sandwich shop gets much of its business from the South Asian Muslim community.

"We give our franchisees leniency, so they can use local options," said Subway spokesman Kevin Kane. "They know what's in their community."

Subway also has numerous restaurants in Muslim countries, Kane said, adding that recently in Ohio, the first kosher Subway restaurant opened.

Halal dietary restrictions are very similar to kosher rules. Pork is forbidden and the slaughter of animals for meat is done under special guidelines, so the meat remains uncontaminated with blood. Halal rules are taken directly from the Quran.

Customers who come into Khan's Subway restaurant can order from the standard menu. Or, they can choose from a small printout taped to the wall that lists the halal menu. The sandwiches are the same minus the Italian BMT (pepperoni, Genoa salami, and ham) but Khan keeps the halal meat in a separate fridge, and uses different utensils to handle it.

Just a year since opening, the nearby A&W has yet to rival Khan's Subway. Most Muslim customers come on the weekend, said Mahmood Iqbal, who runs the store with Hashmi.

Without permission to openly advertise the halal option at their restaurant, Iqbal said they rely on word of mouth. The only indication halal is served is a laminated menu on the counter and on the cash register, there is a special yellow-and-red button labeled "Halal Chicken."
"Many of our customers, they eat Indian food at home," Iqbal said. "They come here because they want a change."

Iqbal has faith business will pick up at the A&W, and keeps a green Islamic prayer mat behind the counter, for the devout customer to use in a pinch. "One guy wanted to do the evening prayer, so he went into the party room and prayed, while I made him his dinner," Iqbal said.

While Khan and Hashmi drove the decision to serve halal locally, one American chain now offers halal at all its locations.

Outback Steakhouse began serving halal lamb, though Muslim customers have to make sure they don't get their vegetables dressed with "seasoned butter," which contains bacon in the seasoning, and avoid the cabernet sauce. The chain's supplier of lamb meat is a New Zealand-based company that follows halal standards because of its large business in the Middle East.

There is no official count on the number of restaurants in America serving halal food, but Rydhan said he has seen an increase.

"I started in 1999 with 20 restaurants in the Bay Area," he said. "Now on average, I'm getting 20 new additions to the list every day."

Source: Beliefnet

Friendly Reminder: Even if it's halal, calories still counts.

Keywords: Halal subway, striving for halal, halal substitutes, halal options, living halal, fear Allah, trust Allah

Burger King: Halal or Haram?

First of all, even if a product is halal, it doesn't mean it's healthy.

The following image is taken from BK's menu for their fried products (anything other than French Fries). Click on the image to enlarge it.



LivingHalal friendly reminder: Calories always count! Check this site.

Cheese of Doritos: Halal or Haram?

In this article, it is my intention to examine the issue in a more academic manner. However, for those who don't have the time to read it, then to cut a long story short, the strongest opinion appears to be that cheese, in all of its commonly available varieties (except those that actually contain pork as an added flavoring) is absolutely and totally halāl.

Tags: Cheese, doritos, cheetos, halal, food, haram, pig, pork.

Mars Bars: Halal or Haram?

Mars bars get veggie status back

Sunday, 20 May 2007

Mars has abandoned plans to use animal products in its chocolate, and has apologised to "upset" vegetarians.
The firm had said it would change the whey used in some of its products from a vegetarian source to one with traces of the animal enzyme, rennet.

The Vegetarian Society organised a campaign against the move, asking members to voice their concerns to parent company Masterfoods.

Mars said it became "very clear, very quickly" that it had made a mistake.

In just one week, more than 6,000 people bombarded the company, which produces the Mars, Snickers, Maltesers and Galaxy brands, with phone and e-mail complaints.

Forty MPs also signed a petition to voice their opposition.

Fiona Dawson, managing director of Mars UK, said the company had listened to customers and decided to reverse its decision.

"The consumer is our boss and we had lots of feedback from consumers who were unhappy about the change," Ms Dawson said.
"It became very clear, very quickly that we had made a mistake, for which I am sorry.

"There are three million vegetarians in the UK and not only did we disappoint them, but we upset a lot of the consumers."

'Principled decision'

The Vegetarian Society had called the move by Mars "incomprehensible" and "a backward step" at a time when consumers were increasingly concerned about "the provenance of their food".

Mars replied that, by admitting its products were no longer suitable for "extremely strict vegetarians", it was making a "principled decision".

Now it insists it will begin changing its recipes back immediately.

Dr Annette Pinner, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, said she was pleased Mars had been "honest enough" to admit it had "made a mistake".

"A Masterfoods representative has made contact with us and we are very pleased that they now recognise the importance of integrity to all their customers, especially vegetarians," she added.

Rennet is extracted from calves' stomachs and was to have been used in the ice cream versions of all Masterfoods' bars too.

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Mars starts using animal products

Monday, 14 May 2007

Some of the UK's best-selling chocolate bars, such as Mars and Twix, will no longer be suitable for vegetarians.
Also affecting brands such as Snickers and Maltesers, owner Masterfoods said it had started to use animal product rennet to make its chocolate products.

Masterfoods said the change was due to it switching the sourcing of its ingredients and the admission was a "principled decision" on its part.

The Vegetarian Society said the company's move was "incomprehensible".

'Extremely disappointed'

Masterfoods said it had started using rennet from 1 May and non-affected products had a "best before date" up to 1 October.

Rennet, a chemical sourced from calves' stomachs, is used in the production of whey.

It will now also be found in Bounty, Minstrels and Milky Way products, and the ice cream versions of all Masterfoods' bars.

"If the customer is an extremely strict vegetarian, then we are sorry the products are no longer suitable, but a less strict vegetarian should enjoy our chocolate," said Paul Goalby, corporate affairs manager for Masterfoods.

The Vegetarian Society said it was "extremely disappointed".

"At a time when more and more consumers are concerned about the provenance of their food, Masterfoods' decision to use non-vegetarian whey is a backward step," it said in a statement.

"Mars products are very popular with young people and many will be shocked to discover that their manufacture now relies on the extraction of rennet from the stomach lining of young calves," it added.

Halal Food Market

Malaysia plays host to Global Halal Forum

By Neil Merrett

08/05/2007- The World Halal Forum kicked off in Malaysia this week, as the country moves to become a global leader in production and distribution of the strictly defined certification.

Speaking during the event's opening yesterday, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stressed the country's desire to further develop halal techniques not just domestically, but globally as well.

"The WHF together with its partner event the Malaysian International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) have been included in Malaysia's 15 Year Industrial Master Plan as annual events to boost the development of the halal sector," he said during his keynote speech.

The forum comes as a further sign of the opportunities, particularly in the food industry, for the country's halal processors and producers. An increasing number of companies are producing halal goods to tap into the billion dollar global demand.

Halal is an Islamic term for permissible, which in food terms constitutes an approved slaughter and preparation for products such as meat, in a similar vein to kosher products.

During the two day event, 900 representatives from over 30 countries, ranging from key industry players to raw material suppliers will meet to discuss the biggest issues facing the industry, like the implementation of international standards.

Badawi also used the forum to announce the formation of the International Halal Integrity (IHI) Alliance, a non-profit, non-government organization designed to represent views of everyone involved in the industry.

The event is also expected to set the agenda for the halal industry over the coming year with a number of memorandums of understandings to be signed to further develop production techniques and certification.

These include developing an information and communication technology with Microsoft, as well as financial services, and human resource development with Thailand's Chulalongkorn University.

With more than 1.8bn Muslims globally, the total size of global halal food and non-food (such as financial services, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics) industries is estimated at RM7.98 trillion (€1.5 trillion) with an expected growth rate of 10-20 per cent each year.

Though the global market for halal food has never been measured, industry estimates of its value range from $150bn (€110bn) to $500bn (€368bn).

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Another Article

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Review: Brick Dome Halal Pizza

A LivingHalal Reminder:
Even if it's Halal, calories and cholesterol still count :)

Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Brick Dome Halal Pizza, hallal, zabiha, halal, chicken wing, pasta, pizza, 7905 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA, (323) 650-4041, yam yam, livinghalal, voice of the people, voice reviews

Is This Halal Restaurant?

A: Is this Halal restaurant?

B: Do you mean no-pork halal, because-a-waiter-said-its-halal halal, the-joint-has-a-halal-sign halal, the-owner-is-a-muslim halal, sometimes-zabihah-other-times-not-so halal, all-muslims-are-eating-there halal, or certified-halal-with-outdated-certificate halal?

Tag: Halal standard, certification, Muslims standards, Zabiha