Islamic Halal & Jewish Kosher

 Before eating have you ever stopped and wondered where your food came from? Wondered about the way the animal was slaughtered or even how the animal was treated? As living beings, we need energy to function during our daily lives, our main source of energy is food. As humans we eat subconsciously so we mostly listen to our body or emotions to know when and what to eat, in this state most won’t think about what we may be putting into our mouths. In many cultures food is a great aspect of how it is identified whether it’s the history, technique, and of course recipes of foods. In religion there is a culture set either from their personal experiences or a set of rules or regulations they must follow. Looking closely at two religions that may seem very different from each other because of how they are viewed may actually have many more similarities in the smallest details.

Muslims all around the world follow many obligations and duties with clothes, prayer, donations and foods. In Islamic culture, foods are a big part of their daily lives like any other human, we need food to survive but they follow many obligations due to their religion and beliefs based on what The Holy Quran deems as permissible. AI-Teinaz (2020) explained “This means that everything is halal or permissible unless God has specifically stated that it is not, which is when it becomes haram” (p. 11). The Holy Quran is how Muslims figure out what is halal and what is haram, although halal and haram can also refer to the actions, clothes, movies, holidays, and sports that may or may not be permissible by God. Halal food is very restrictive not only in the way the meat is cut but also how the animals lives were lived. For the meat to be considered halal it needs to be followed by a specific way of slaughter that is followed by the Hadiths and Shariah law which provides important instructions to make sure that it is the most humane way to slaughter an animal, they take these extra precautions because it is a sin to treat an animal inhumanly (Al-Teinaz, 2020). Even way before the animal’s life is taken away, Islam requires for the animal to live a healthy and honored life to be considered halal and permissible for consumption. The Animals that are considered to be halal are correctly slaughtered meat and ingredients like poultry, lamb, sheep, camel, antelope, turkey, cattle, pigeons, and also gelatine that is produced from halal beef bones/skin (Al-Teinaz, 2020). Many people know the ultimate haram animal/food in Islamic law which is pork/swine because it is considered as filthy. There are also other foods like carnivorous animals, animals with toxins or poisons, Amphibian, some fish, Reptiles, and alcohol. Muslims hold the Islamic law up without hesitation and simply don’t eat food deemed as haram because that’s what they see as ethically right for animals to be treated before and after their death, a way that reduces inhumane killing for living of animals.

Judaism has many traditions and rituals that they use to separate themselves and gentiles due to the many struggles they have faced in history. Most people may have even followed some type of Jewish law without recognition, and one is circumcision. In Jewish culture it is a rite of passage for a young man to undergo circumcision, the removal of a male’s foreskin. This is because of the covenant that God made with Abraham to circumcise his children or in other words Jewish people. Even with circumcision there is also instructions in how it should be performed which is also similar to the Kosher law ritual for butchering animals. In Kosher laws animals must be slaughtered in a specific matter for it to be permissible, the slaughter must be done by a qualified person called the Shohet. Before the slaughter occurs, the animal must not be stunned because it may cause muscle spasms and or bruises after death, this means that the animal mist be unconscious while the slaughter is being done. Even the smallest details like the way they cut the animal, Judd (2007) explains “Jewish laws mandates that the incision of shehitah be smooth and uninterrupted and prohibits the ritual practitioner from performing any other kind of cut” (p. 5). Using this technique the butcher continues to cut the animal starting with the trachea and esophagus of the animal, then they move onto the carotid artery and jugular vein (Judd, 2007). After the animal is properly slaughtered the animal is checked for flaws and is then hung upside down to drain the blood. In Jewish laws there is a lot of specification on how the animal is cut and on which animals specifically are permissible for consumption.  Animals that are permitted to eat kosher meat must be even-toed mammals. This means that animals with cloves and animals deemed as dirty as pigs, camels, rodents, and reptiles are not considered kosher. Also, fish are also kosher if they have two fins and scales that are easy to remove. “These regulations concerning meat preparation reinforce Jewish separateness. Judaism allows Jews to consume only meat prepared by kosher butchering” (Judd, 2007, p. 5) I wonder If the “Jewish separateness” reflects as the separation between them which are believed to be the chosen people of God to gentiles.

Halal and Kosher foods both follow many regulations set by their corresponding religion; Islamic halal is not just on the concept of food but also how one who follows the beliefs of Islam must live their daily lives. While Judaism Kosher is more focused solely on the food. Throughout centuries Islam and Judaism has been compared because of the similar aspects in their beliefs. Since both religions are Abrahamic religions and originate in the Middle East, this can explain how things like food can explain why they share some similarities on which foods are deemed as permissible. Before we get into the aspect of food we need to think about where the food comes from, animals. Both Islam and Judaism traditions follow principles of keeping animals safe, healthy, and overall lived a sustainable life. Islam halal foods follow a set of guidelines from the Quran on what foods are permissible, they take these extra precautions because it is a sin to treat an animal inhumanly (Al-Teinaz, 2020). In Judaism it is the exact same, foods that are safe to consume is in the Torah, but which also give regulations on the combinations of foods can’t be eaten together which Islam doesn’t go to as extreme measures. Jewish people believe that following these laws of how meat is prepared before consumptions is how they feel closer to God (Judd, 2007). In both Islam and Judaism there is a set of regulations for how the animal is slaughtered and are different in their own ways, Judaism follows many rules on the specifics of the way the animal is cut called the shehitah, if the animal isn’t cut this way the meat is so longer Kosher or permitted for consumption (Judd, 2007). In Islam they must follow the slaughter in how its described by the Hadiths and Shariah law which is to perform it in the most humane way as possible (Al-Teniaz, 2020). Though Kosher foods are important in the Judaism religion not many Jewish people partake in these laws placed and listed in the Torah, I believe that many Jewish people aren’t following things like Kosher laws is because of the westernization of Jewish people. In history we can find the discrimination of Jewish people of anti-Semitism that has probably pushed many to limit their beliefs out of fear and trauma causing in generational filters of Judaism. In Islam there has also been many discriminations towards the appearance rather than the strict religious beliefs after being portrayed as dangerous because of their appearance. Their appearance is part of some Islamic laws of what they believe is permissible to wear and act but I believe that Islam has not been westernized like Judaism has been.

In Islam and Judaism food is a great aspect of their faith that has become integrated with their culture. In both religions there are many rules placed that they must follow that makes them feel closer to God and the rules they follow are very similar but have some different details. In Islam there are many restrictions for food which they have words to describe weather its permitted by God which is Halal or if its not then it would be deemed as Haram, though these words are not only restricted by defining food as permissible but also the actions and clothing that Muslims believe is permitted. The words Halal and Haram in the aspect of food also tells Muslims which foods are deemed as safe to eat, In the Quran it says what things are haram or not permitted and what is not listed means it is halal. Unlike Islam, Judaism does not have a word that they use to describe something that is not permitted but they do use Kosher for foods that are permitted. The foods that are Kosher is what the Torah says is permitted for Jewish people to eat, although they must also follow specific rules to the slaughter which plays a big part, if the laws are not followed the food is not fit for consumption. Islam and Judaism are separated by details of faith also share similar laws that many don’t see. They share much more than just laws and regulations but discrimination that they have faced over the years due to their different views of faith.

Reference

Al-Teinaz, Y. R., Spear, S., & Abd El-Rahim, I. H. A. (Eds.). (2020). The halal food handbook. Wiley Blackwell. https://sbctc-lwtech.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01STATEWA_LWTC/1b1j6b7/alma991000257565202814

Judd, R. (2007). Contested Rituals: Circumcision, Kosher Butchering, and Jewish Political Life in Germany, 1843–1933 (1st ed., pp. xii–xii). Cornell University Press. https://doi.org/10.7591/9780801461644