The concepts of halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden) are fundamental in guiding a Muslim’s daily life and are an integral part of Islam itself. Benefits of learning what makes something haram Haram refers to anything forbidden by Allah in the Qur’an or by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in an authentic Hadith. Haram actions are seen as sinful and can have both spiritual and social repercussions.
The Qur’an provides clear prohibitions:
Prohibited Foods:
“He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah…”
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:173
Intoxicants and Gambling:
“O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.”
Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:90
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provided guidance on various matters. For example:
Gold and Silk for Men:
“These two [gold and silk] are forbidden for the males of my community and permissible for the females.”
Sunan an-Nasa’i, Book of Adornment, Hadith 5144
Several underlying principles can render something haram:
Harmfulness:
Actions or substances that cause harm to individuals or society are prohibited. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.”
Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Al-Ahkam (Book of Legal Judgments), Hadith 2340; also found in Muwatta Malik, Book 36, Hadith 28.
Impurity (Najasah):
Items considered impure are forbidden. For instance, the consumption of blood is prohibited due to its impurity.
Unlawful Acquisition:
Earning or consuming wealth through forbidden means, such as theft or deceit, is haram. The Qur’an states,
“And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers…”
Islam classes actions and items into halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden), the latter of which are considered to be divine prohibitions intended to safeguard human well-being, spirituality, and morality.
There are essentially two types of things that are considered haram: things that are essentially prohibited (haram li-dhatihi) and things that are prohibited only due to external conditions (haram li-ghayrihi). Intrinsically forbidden actions or products are unlawful in their core and essentially evil in every manner. By way of elucidation, alcohol is banned on the grounds of its intoxicating effects that alter the mind and give rise to destructive acts, while pork is also proscribed on the grounds of its impurity as stated clearly in the Qur’an.
“He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah”
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:173)
Haram li-ghayrihi, on the other hand, only applies to parts of an action or thing that are not wrong in themselves but become so because of special conditions. For example, trade during the Friday congregational prayer time is allowed in other contexts but is prohibited owing to its hindrance of the implementation of a crucial religious duty. The Qur’an guides believers to:
“O you who have believed, when the call is made for prayer on the day of Jumu’ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade”
(Surah Al-Jumu’ah 62:9)
Declaring this haram is exclusively the task of Allah and His Messenger, which means the boundaries that come with this belong to divine wisdom, not human interpretation. For while a scholar could extrapolate to reach an Islamic ruling on something new, the act of declaring haram is not something that will simply wake up one morning and declare at will; indeed he should not say such a thing is ‘haram’ without clear evidence as per Qur’an or Sunna when calling that which is ‘such a thing’. The Quran Says;
“And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, ‘This is lawful and this is unlawful,’ to invent falsehood about Allah”
(Surah An-Nahl 16:116)
It safeguards the sanctity of shariʿa (Islamic law) and preserves equity between permissibility and impermissibility. Thus you have to know these haram classifications and the fact that only the One to declare haram is Allah. These guidelines, if adhered to, keep us in such a standing place that will keep us on the right course not leading to any confusion in our moral and spiritual uprightness leading us to a life fitting the Qur’an and Sunnah of our Prophet (saw) leading us in the right frame and right path.
