Resources
Glossary
Plain-language explanations of the halal terms used across this website.
- Halal
- Permitted under Islamic law. For food, this covers what the product is made of, how it is made and stored, and what it touches.
- Haram
- Forbidden under Islamic law.
- Tayyib
- Wholesome, good and pure. Halal food is also expected to be tayyib, as in the phrase "halalan tayyiban".
- Syubhah (mashbooh)
- Doubtful. Used when the status of an ingredient or process is unclear, for example when its source is unknown, until it is verified.
- Dhabihah
- The Islamic method of slaughter.
- Niyyah
- Intention.
- Najis
- Ritually impure.
- Khamr
- Intoxicating drink. Scholars and certification bodies differ on how alcohol-derived ingredients should be treated, so the rules depend on the market.
- Istihalah
- Transformation of a substance into another substance. Scholars differ on whether and when it changes a substance's status, for example in the case of gelatine.
- Sertu
- Ritual cleansing of equipment or surfaces after contact with the most serious category of impurity. Schools of thought describe the method differently, so certification bodies set their own procedure.
- Halal certification body
- An organisation that audits a business and decides whether its products, processes or services meet halal requirements.
- Accreditation
- Independent confirmation that a certification body is competent and impartial.
- Surveillance audit
- An audit after certification that checks the business still meets the requirements.
- Non-conformity
- A requirement that has not been met. The business must correct it.
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