At a first glance, it might seem that Islam is a religion made of severe restrictions and rules to respect from everyday private life to public life. This is what many non-Muslim people tend to think when it comes to Islam.
However, Islam features also a list of Halal things, which are things that Muslims can do. All the rest is called Haram, which means things or actions that aren’t allowed according to Islamic laws. Let’s dive into these two essential concepts to understand more about Islamic culture.
Halal Vs. Haram – Easy Definition
When you hear the word Halal in Arabic, know that it is referred to lawful and permitted things or actions. It means that you can engage in that situation, eat that food, or play that game because the Quran doesn’t prescribe any prohibitions to it.
On the other hand, we have Haram: this word evokes all that is strictly forbidden by Islamic laws. Haram can refer to a lot of things or situations or facts, depending on what you mean in your particular set of circumstances. Usually, both Halal and Haram are used as two universal terms for respectively good and bad things. Unfortunately, there are also a few things that aren’t clearly Halal or Haram, which generates a lot of confusion among Muslims as well as non-Muslim people.
If It’s Online It’s Halal, If It’s Physical It’s Haram
One of the most controversial activities that many people can’t clearly understand is gambling. We all know that gambling is definitely forbidden by Quran, but we should also keep in mind that gambling at that time was playing real-money games against another person. Of course, when you play a game for real money to win over someone else, you are going to get that person’s money without working or, if you lose the game, it’s the other person to get your money that way. This is forbidden not only in the Islamic culture but also according to the Holy Bible for both Jews and Christians.
But what about today’s gambling? After thousands of years from the appearance of the Quran, things have been changing a lot and gambling isn’t an exception. In the past time, you could play roulette or poker against someone else, but today you may want to join a virtual gambling site and play against an automated game based on algorithms. You are not playing against anyone, in other words. That’s what makes the biggest and most important difference between gambling in the traditional way and online gambling. Gambling in Islam is actually allowed as long as it’s playing against an automated system and online gambling is exactly like that.
So, today’s Muslims who want to access online sports betting or other forms of gambling can easily do it as it’s not Haram for them. They must keep in mind that playing those games or betting on physical people/games is Haram, though.
Clearly Halal And Haram Things
Luckily, most things and activities in the Islamic perspective aren’t difficult to be attributed to the Halal universe or its opponent, the Haram universe. Here are the most typical things you can and can’t do according to Islamic laws:
- Food and drinks
You can eat every food that has been processed, made, or manufactured by using tools and machinery cleansed following the Islamic rules.
Islam doesn’t allow drinking alcoholic beverages in any form as well as eating non-Halal food. Lard, bacon, ham, and any other meat or derived from the meat of pigs are absolutely Haram. When you are unsure about the origin of a meat-based dish, you should avoid eating it anyway. Also, meat from carnivorous animals and birds is considered Haram. - Cosmetics and makeup
Also, the use of cosmetics is another habit that is under is subject to the difference between Halal and Haram. Wearing some makeup isn’t forbidden unless it’s for provoking men’s attention. Harmful chemicals in cosmetics are also forbidden as they bring negative health consequences to the body. Besides, cosmetics that are made with components from dead animals are strictly forbidden in Islam. We should always keep in mind that women can embellish themselves but only in their homes and for their husbands, otherwise, it’s considered to be a way to attract everyone’s attention on the street. Finally, women can wear makeup for their husbands but can’t do any makeup publicly.
As you can see, Halal and Haram are two pillars in the Islamic perspective of life. Basically, Halal and Haram control the entire existence of people, their attitudes, habits, and daily actions. If you are going to an Islamic country, prepare yourself by studying some basic laws so you won’t offend locals by doing Haram things.
