As you already know, meat comes from animals. And of course, we can’t eat the meat of an animal while it is alive.

Muslims are allowed to eat the meat of animals such as cows, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, and deer, but the animal must be made to die in a special way first.

A Muslim should cut the throat of the animal with a sharp knife. While cutting the throat, the Muslim person must read a prayer which has Allah’s name in it, such as “Bismillah Allah-hu-Akbar”, which means “In the Name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest”. The animals that are made to die in this special way are called Zabihah (za-bee-hah).

If there is meat from an animal that is not Zabihah, it should not be eaten by Muslims. This means that Muslims shouldn’t eat the meat from animals that are made to die by people who are not Muslims and the meat from animals that die by themselves. If we are not sure whether or not the meat is from a Zabihah animal, we shouldn’t eat it.

Muslims are not allowed to eat Haram animals such as pigs and reptiles, so they cannot be Zabihah. Only Halal animals are allowed to be Zabihah.

Most of the meat sold in supermarkets these days is not from Zabihah animals. Also, the meat at McDonald’s, Burger King, and other such restaurants is also not from Zabihah animals. Muslims must not eat meat or food that contains meat from these places, unless it is known for sure that the meat is from a Zabihah animal.