What do you do for food while you are ill?
Monday, November 2, 2009
How Do You Eat Halal When You Are Ill?
I started thinking about this today as I drank my Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. All I have been able to eat the past six days is chicken soup and chicken breast. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in the states they do not sell canned halal chicken soup. I was always told that when you are ill you should eat whatever you crave. I also crave a hamburger but there are no halal hamburger places that deliver either. Obviously I am breaking my "halal meat only" rule while I'm sick because frankly its necessary. But it still makes me wonder what I would do if I was muslim. Would I need to switch to veggie soup? Would I have to try and cook while feeling like death simply because there is no place for me to order something halal? No one likes to cook while sick but there is no one else to cook for me. I am all by myself :(.
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I eat veggie soup
ReplyDeleteits the best bet!
That's a hard decision. I know many Muslims in places that don't have halal or kosher shops who just use regular meat and avoid pork and pork-based products.
ReplyDeleteYou can also look for a kosher canned soup product because kosher requirements are the same as halal, but also avoid shellfish, camel, and meats like squirrel and rabbits. I have seen many kosher soup products where I live, but this may vary from place to place.
Hope you feel beter soon!
I have a lot of kosher. I suppose in a pinch that would be better than just regular stuff you find on the shelf.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
That is definitely a difficult decision... I think for the soup, it might be a decent alternative to eat vegetable soup... You could make chicken broth pretty easily with some halal broth cubes... Or maybe they're not that easy to find for you...?
ReplyDeleteI also believe you should follow your appetite so if a burger is what you need and you can't easily make or find one, I'd say it's kind of OK to eat the "non-halal" burger... You really tried to find alternatives and if there are none... what can you do?
I would go for kosher if you can get it. Good suggestion... I never think of that because I haven't seen it here in UK. Not many Jews here.
ReplyDeleteKosher products will also not contain shellfish or the meat of any animal that does not do BOTH of the following: 1) have cloven hooves 2) chew cud. So pigs don't qualify as kosher because they don't chew cud. Nor will kosher products contain any mixture of meat and milk (fish does not count as meat, but chicken does). Nor will it contain any item that is a cross between different species. I am told that for this reason, certain citrus fruits are not kosher. The only problem with kosher food from a halal standpoint is that it is permissible for it to contain alcohol. So you have to check for alcohol if you want halal.
ReplyDeletefascinating. We have a lot of kosher food here, very heavy Jewish population. These are great suggestions.
ReplyDeleteYesss, definitely go kosher! It's permissible to eat it if you can't find halal (wish I could reference this but it's probably from a fatwa from Khamanei or Sistani) so go ahead.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I still eat burgers. BUT I just order it without the meat patty and put the chips on the burger instead. You have to watch what they cook the chips in, but still, it's an alternative (here in Australia, McDonalds takes 90 cents off your meal if you have it without meat hahahahah).
hahaha I think in the states they'd charge you the same for a bun as for a burger.
ReplyDeleteI was starting to wonder if kosher was permissible if halal could not be found. Kosher follows even more regulations so you know its safe too. Both come from a holy book so they gotta be good :).
I've heard Muslims say that Islam is about moderation and not making life a hardship. So if you are sick and canned chicken soup was around, eat it. Same with burgers. Hope you are getting better!
ReplyDeleteI am reminded that there are colleges in the States that have a combined halal/kosher dining hall (e.g. Mt. Holyoke), and the solution I've seen is that they use kosher meat, fulfill all the Jewish dietary regulations, and additionally make sure there is no alcohol (for example, no Dijon mustard 'cause it contains wine :) ).
ReplyDeletePS ellen557, I've been trying for some time to get in touch with you. I read your blog regularly and would love to comment or even join the private blog if you'd have me. The only problem is that when I have tried to leave comments lately, there is no Name/URL option, which is the only one that works for me. So I was not able to sign up for the other blog, nor have I been able to leave any other comments. Is there any chance of adding that Name/URL option?
ReplyDeleteLK, I don't want to hijack your comments section lol but caraboska yes I'll add it. I stopped it for a while due to some nasty anons but I haven't had any trouble for a while so I'll add it now ;) and yes, if you wanna leave your email address then I'll add you! You too, LK. I still have yours from before so let me know if you want me to add you. Be warned, though, it's only a bunch of photos hahah.
ReplyDeleteSure Ellen557 go ahead and add away. I still cant believe you had to go through so much trouble because of anons. They can be so rude!
ReplyDeleteI want to learn more about this kosher and halal being able to cross thing....would open a HUGE window of food options if kosher is permissible.
ReplyDeleteI found this on Sistani's webite... I don't follow him myself but he has the most resources online.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: What is the general rule about foods made by Ahl-e Kitab (People of the Books)?
Answer: Since the followers of the past revealed religions (that is, the Jews, the Christians and the Zoroastrians) are ritually pure, many of the problems concerning the status and permissibility of the food are resolved when we live in their midst. It becomes permissible for us as Muslims to eat from their food no matter whether they touched it with their wet hands or not as long as we do not know or are not sure that it consists of what is forbidden to us, like intoxicating drinks. As for meat, fat and their extracts, they are haram and cannot be used unless one is sure that they are halal.
And here is a discussion on it: http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/234970139-eating-kosher-in-islam/ :)
That thing from sistani seems to disagree though... hm. I checked on Fadlullah's site and he says that you can eat everything from them, except for the meat :| so maybe I was wrong? None of those questions were asked in terms of not being able to find halal meat though, I think all of them were just about general foods. Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteIs curious because you can't say "all people of the books" since Christians do not have dietary restrictions. maybe that is what he is getting at? If the dietary restrictions match then its halal? I like shiachat.com they have some fun stuff on there :) thanks!
ReplyDeleteQuran says the food of the people of the book is lawful. As I understand it, this is because you can be sure no other deity's name has been pronounced over it.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure whether zabiha slaughter is required; possibly it is implied by the prohibition on blood. I suspect at the time of revelation, and in Arabia, Christians also slaughtered that way and didn't eat pork. So it's questionable whether "Christian" food these days is lawful for Muslims, but kosher should be OK if there's no alcohol in it. This is just my view based on my reading of the Quran. It's simple and sometimes the scholars seem to complicate it. All that stuff about non-people of the book being "unclean" quite offends me.
Salam alaykum Sis,
ReplyDeleteI always eat halal meat, even when I'm ill. If there's no halal food available, I eat vegetarian food, fish and seafood. I also like nuggets or hamburgers when I'm sick, LOL! I'm so glad McDonald's sells halal chicken here in Scandinavia.
Halal McDonalds! LUCKY! Although sometimes I think that is an oxymoron lol. McDonalds in the states is scary!
ReplyDeleteLK: I've never been to a McDonald's in the States, but I believe you Sis :D
ReplyDeleteHere only chicken is halal, but that's fine :) McHalal - I'm loving it!
My parents are not veg, so they cook meat from time to time. I had the thought that I would feel more comfortable if I could be sure the slaughter took place in a humane manner. It would be too much to ask my nice Jewish stepmother to get halal meat, but kosher? I decided to inquire. Unfortunately, she says, it is too far away and too expensive...
ReplyDeleteI have noticed Kosher tends to cost more than halal...not sure why. It has a lot more regulations that could be it.
ReplyDelete