Is Gluten Halal or Haram? The Answer You Should Know

Gluten is a protein that is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. It is used in many different types of food products, including bread, pasta, and baked goods.

Is Gluten Halal? One of the main concerns people have about gluten is whether it is considered halal, or permissible, for Muslims to consume.

We will look at the Islamic perspective on gluten and discuss whether or not it is halal or haram according to Islamic law.

Is Gluten Halal?

Yes, gluten is considered halal because it isn’t derived from animals. It is a group of proteins and found with starch in cereal grains, wheat, rye, spelt and barley. Gluten is halal so long as it is from halal plants, and all plants are halal; no plants are haram except those which are harmful or intoxicating. This is according to the consensus of the scholars.

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Why Gluten is Halal?

Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are agreed that all grains, fruits, flowers and gums, and everything that is extracted from them, so long as it does not come under the heading of nabeedh (fermented drinks).

And so long as none of these things are toxic, then they are halal.

As for things other than animals, that which is impure (najis) is not permissible, because it comes under the heading of khabaa’ith (unclean, evil things), and it is not permissible to eat pure (taahir) things that cause harm, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And do not kill yourselves”

Surah an-Nisa’ 29

So what is permissible is that which does not cause harm, such as grains, fruits and other crops, because Allah (may He be exalted) says:

“and makes lawful for them the good things”

Surah al-A‘raf 157

All of these come under the heading of the good things. Moreover, there is consensus on that and there is no difference of opinion concerning it.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

What matters is the reality of things, and the ruling is to be based on that. The reality of things is the basis on which they are to be deemed permissible or prohibited.

Allah, may He be exalted, does not look at their outward forms and what people may call them; rather He looks at their reality and their essence.

Adopted from Islamqa website.

And Allah knows best.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to eat food that was simple yet nutritional. He (SAW) mostly ate barley and bread made from its flour.

Consumption of Whole wheat was less in His (SAW) Household. He (SAW) would combine barley bread with other food products like gourd, meat, pumpkin, meat, or dates.

Their method involved grinding the barley and then blowing off its husk. It is highly digestible and proven to be helpful for heart issues, as opposed to white flour.

Sahl bin Sad was asked “Did Allah’s Apostle ever eat white flour?”, he replied saying:

Allah’s Apostle never saw white flour [from the time] Allah sent him as an Apostle till He took him unto Him. Sahih Bukhari (source)

Is Wheat Gluten Halal?

Yes, wheat gluten is halal. Wheat gluten is a meat-like, vegetarian food product, sometimes called seitan, mock duck, gluten meat, or wheat meat.

It is made from the gluten, or protein portion, of wheat, and used as a meat substitute, often to imitate the flavor and texture of duck.

In Islam, what matters is the reality of things, not their names. So regardless of whether people call it meat or they call it plants or plant-based, the reality is that it comes under the heading of plants.

The manufacturing process of Wheat Gluten is according to Islamic law, and is free from pork products, alcohol and certain other ingredients.

Wheat gluten and Vital Wheat Gluten are often accepted as halal ingredients because they are sourced from plants.

It’s important to note that many food products that contain gluten may also contain other ingredients that are not considered halal, such as alcohol, animal-derived additives, or pork products.

In these cases, the product as a whole would not be considered halal, even if the gluten itself is halal.