حلال
Ḥalāl
Topic
The Quran forbids carrion, blood, pork and meat over which a name other than God’s was invoked, and permits the rest.
What it means
“He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that over which other than God has been invoked; but whoever is compelled, without desire or transgression, there is no sin on him” (2:173, 5:3, 6:145, 16:115). The food of the People of the Book is lawful for Muslims, and theirs for Muslims (5:5). Alcohol is forbidden (5:90). The Quran also says, “eat of the good things, and do good” (23:51).
What the sources say
The reasons given are obedience and the care of body and soul, and the Quran is silent about medical explanations. The permission under necessity is broad: a Muslim who has no other food may eat what is forbidden.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 28, listed as ḤARĀM; p. 30, listed as ḤALĀL. The definition is restated here.