Is Chicken Halal? Everything You Need To Know

Chicken meat is a type of poultry that is widely consumed as a source of protein around the world. It is typically prepared by cooking the meat of a chicken, which is the bird that is most commonly consumed as poultry.

This article is here to answer the question, is chicken halal?

Is Chicken Halal?

Yes, chicken is halal with no stated prohibition provided it is slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. It is permissible to eat chicken because there is nothing to indicate that it is haram. That is because the basic principle is that all birds are halal.

Allah says:

قُل لَّآ أَجِدُ فِى مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍ يَطۡعَمُهُۥٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَكُونَ مَيۡتَةً أَوۡ دَمًا مَّسۡفُوحًا أَوۡ لَحۡمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُۥ رِجۡسٌ أَوۡ فِسۡقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦۚ فَمَنِ ٱضۡطُرَّ غَيۡرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say, “I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine – for indeed, it is impure – or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.”

Surah An’am verse 145

Excluded from this is that for which there is evidence that it is haraam, of which there are four types based on the evidence:

Birds which have talons with which they catch prey, because of the report narrated by Muslim (1934) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said:

• The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade every wild animal with fangs and every bird with talons.
• Bird which eats carrion, such as vultures and speckled crows.
• Bird which it is forbidden to kill, such as hoopoes.
• Bird which is off-putting, such as bats.

Everything apart from that is halal and permissible in principle.

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Halal Slaughter of Chicken

In Islam, animals that are not from the sea (crabs, shrimps etc) must be slaughtered in the halal way. The general guidelines for slaughter of poultry are as follows:

The slaughter needs to be carried out by a Muslim or Ahlul Kitab.

Only a Muslim or an Ahlul Kitab (people of the Book) can perform the task required for the meat to be halal.

Begin by reciting the name of Allah (SWT).

The first step is to recite Allah’s name (SWT). This is to seek Allah’s (SWT) permission and carry out the slaughter in His name and only His name; the slaughter cannot be carried out in the name of any other deity.

Slaughter the animal with a sharp knife.

The animal must be sacrificed quickly and with a sharp knife in order to minimise pain. A blunt knife will only prolong the ordeal and cause the animal more pain.

Directly pierce the animal’s throat, windpipe, and blood vessels.

The person must place the knife directly over the animal’s throat and windpipe and cut as precisely as possible, removing all blood vessels but not the spinal cord itself. This causes the animal to die quickly and painlessly.

Drain the blood

Before removing the animal’s head, all of the blood must be drained from the body. This is done to purify the animal’s body of any bacteria, toxins, or germs that may be present in the animal’s blood and cause various illnesses.

Is Chicken Meat Halal?

Yes, eating chicken meat is halal and permissible. However, for the chicken meat to be considered halal, it must be slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law.

Conclusion

In summary, chicken is considered halal if it is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines by a Muslim or a member of the People of the Book. The difficult part is locating the right source; you must ensure that the supplier slaughters the meat in a halal manner.

As a result, before purchasing chicken or any halal product in general, we encourage you to do your research and vet suppliers.