---
title: "What Does Halal Mean? | Islam Is Mercy"
description: "Halal means permitted or lawful in Islam. It applies to food, but also to work, money, relationships and every part of life."
lang: en
url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/halal/
---

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3.  What Does Halal Mean?

# What Does Halal Mean?

Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review

## The short answer

Halal means permitted or lawful according to Islam. It is best known for food, but it applies to every part of life — earnings, business, relationships and behaviour. In Islam, the default is that good things are permitted unless God has forbidden them.

## On this page

1.  Meaning
2.  How Muslims use it
3.  Example

**Halal** (Arabic: حلال) is pronounced *ha-LAAL*, with a breathy “h” and a long second “a”.

## Meaning

*Halal* means permitted or lawful. Its opposite is *haram*, forbidden. Islamic scholars teach a simple and generous principle: by default, the good things of life are permitted unless God has clearly forbidden them. So the list of halal things is vast, and the list of forbidden things is relatively short. The Qur’an addresses all people with this invitation:

> يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَلَٰلًۭا طَيِّبًۭا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٦٨﴾

> O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth \[that is\] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.

[Qur'an, Al-Baqara 2:168](https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=168&translations=20)Saheeh International

Note the pairing: lawful *and* good. Halal is not only about rules; it is also about what is wholesome.

## How Muslims use it

People most often hear *halal* in connection with food. Halal food excludes pork and alcohol, and halal meat comes from a permitted animal slaughtered in God’s name, quickly and with care for the animal. But Muslims also speak of *halal* income (money earned honestly), *halal* business deals and *halal* relationships. Something halal earned or enjoyed with a good intention can even become an act of worship.

## Example

*“Is there a halal restaurant near the office?”*

For the opposite term, see [Haram](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/haram/), and for money and work, read [Wealth and Money in Islam](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/wealth-and-money/).

## Key takeaways

-   Halal means permitted by God.
-   It covers all of life, not only food.
-   Halal meat must come from a permitted animal slaughtered in God's name with care.

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## Sources

-   [Qur'an, Al-Baqara 2:168](https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=168&translations=20)

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## Keep reading

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### What Does Islam Teach About Wealth and Money?

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