Haram
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''Haram'' (; ar, حَرَام, , ) is an
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
term meaning 'Forbidden'. This may refer to either something
sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowledge; or, in direct contrast, to an
evil Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...
and thus "
sinful In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
action that is forbidden to be done". The term also denotes something "set aside", thus being the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew concept he, , ḥērem, label=none and the concept of (cf. sacred) in
Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (c. 449 BC), to the ''Corpus Juris Civilis'' (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor J ...
and
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
. In Islamic jurisprudence, ''haram'' is used to refer to any act that is forbidden by
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
and is one of the five Islamic commandments ( ar, الأحكام الخمسة, al-ʾAḥkām al-Ḵamsa) that define the
morality Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of cond ...
of human action. Acts that are haram are typically prohibited in the religious texts of the
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
, and the category of haram is the highest status of prohibition. If something is considered haram, it remains prohibited no matter how good the intention is or how honorable the purpose is. Sins, good, and meritorious acts are placed on the (weighing scales) on the Day of Judgement and are weighed according to the sincerity of the doer. Views of different or legal schools of thought can vary significantly regarding what is or is not haram based on the scholarly interpretation of the core religious texts (Quran and
hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
).


Overview

Actions that are haram result in harm one way or another and are therefore considered a
sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
if carried out by a
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. By bringing up the word "benefit" as an opposite to "sin", verse 2:219 of the Quran clarifies that ''haram'' is that which is harmful, in opposition to that which brings benefit; therefore, sin is that which hurts others or oneself. An Islamic principle related to haram is that if something is prohibited or forbidden, then anything that leads to it is also considered a haram act. A similar principle is that the sin of haram is not limited to the person who engages in the prohibited activity, but the sin also extends to others who support the person in the activity, whether it be material or moral support. The five categories of ar, الأحكام الخمسة, al-ʾAḥkām al-Ḵamsa, label=none or the hierarchy of acts from permitted to non-permitted are: # ar, واجب / فرض, farḍ/wājib, label=none – Compulsory / "duty" # ar, مستحب,
mustaḥabb ''Mustahabb'' () is an Islamic term referring to recommended, favoured or virtuous actions. ''Mustahabb'' actions are those whose ruling (''ahkam'') in Islamic law falls between ''mubah'' (neutral; neither encouraged nor discouraged) and ''waji ...
, label=none – Recommended, "desirable" # ar, مباح, mubāḥ, label=none – Neutral, "permissible" # ar, مكروه,
makrūh In Islamic terminology, something which is ''makruh'' ( ar, مكروه, transliterated: ''makrooh'' or ''makrūh'') is a disliked or offensive act (literally "detestable" or "abominable"). This is one of the five categories (''al-ahkam al-khams ...
, label=none – Disliked, "discouraged" # ar, حرام, ḥarām, label=none – Sinful, "prohibited" The two types of haram are: * ar, الحرام لذاته, al-ḥarām li-ḏātihi, label=none – Prohibited because of its essence and harm it causes to an individual **
Adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
,
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
,
theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
* ar, الحرام لغيره, al-ḥarām li-ġayrihi, label=none – Prohibited because of external reasons that are not fundamentally harmful but are associated to something that is prohibited ** Ill-gotten wealth obtained through sin. Examples include money earned through cheating, stealing, corruption, murder, and interest, or any means that involve harm to another human being. Also, a deal or sale during Friday's prayers (). It is prohibited in Islam for a Muslim to profit from such haram actions. Any believer who benefits from or lives off wealth obtained through haram is a
sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
ner. ** Prayer in a house taken illegally. The religious term ''haram'', based on the
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
, is applied to: * Actions, such as cursing, fornication, murder, and disrespecting one's parents * Policies, such as (usury, interest) * Certain food and drinks, such as pork and alcohol. * Some
halal ''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with ''haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification kno ...
objects, foods, or actions that are normally halal (permissible) but under some conditions become haram. For example, halal food and drinks during the day in
Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
or a cow or another halal animal that is not slaughtered in the Islamic way and in the name of Allah (God). * Certain inaction, such as abandoning the without a valid reason.


Culture

Linguistically, the root of the term ''haram'' (compare Ancient Hebrew , meaning 'devoted to God', 'forbidden for profane use') is used to form a wide range of other terms that have legal implications, such as (a harem) and (a state of purity). In addition, the same word (''haram'') is used in the Quran to denote the sacred nature of the Ka'ba and the areas of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. This category of sacred, holy, and inviolable also includes spouses and university campuses. As such, the legal use of the root is based on an idea of boundaries between the profane and the sacred, as opposed to prohibitions, as is normally assumed. Colloquially, the word ''haram'' takes on different meanings and operates more closely as a dichotomy with ''halal'', which denotes the permissible. In Arabic-speaking countries, saying "haram" can mean 'what a shame' or 'what a pity' (this meaning has been adopted by
Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew ( he, עברית חדשה, ''ʿivrít ḥadašá ', , '' lit.'' "Modern Hebrew" or "New Hebrew"), also known as Israeli Hebrew or Israeli, and generally referred to by speakers simply as Hebrew ( ), is the standard form of the He ...
slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...
as well and is alike to the Italian use of ). The term can be used formally as a method for chastising strangers who behave inappropriately, or between friends as a form of teasing. The word is also used to instruct children in how to behave by telling them that harming other children or animals is haram, among other things. The binary concepts of halal and haram are used in a number of cultural phrases, most notably (boy) and (girl) . These phrases are often used to refer to appropriate spouses in marriage, and stand in contrast to or , which are used as insults. In this case, the term ''haram'' is used to mean ill-mannered or indecent, instead of strictly meaning 'unlawful'. Halal and haram are also used in regards to money (). means ill-gotten money, and brings destruction on those who make their living through such means. These cultural interpretations of what is haram influence and are influenced by the legal definitions used at a local level. This means that popular conceptions of haram are partly based on formal Islamic jurisprudence and partly on regional culture, and the popular conceptions, in turn, change how the legal system defines and punishes haram actions.


Forbidden categories of actions


Food and intoxicants

In the Quran and reports by early Muslims, forbidden meat includes pork, carnivores (lions, tigers, wolves, dogs, cats, etc.), non-ruminants (donkeys and horses), animals that were slaughtered in the name of a god other than Allah, animals that died due to illness, injury, stunning, poisoning, or slaughtering not in the name of Allah. Herbivores or cud-chewing animals like cattle, deer, sheep, goats, and antelope are some examples of animals that are halal and only if they are treated like sentient beings and slaughtered painlessly while reciting the and
Allahu Akbar Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", a ...
. If the animal is treated poorly, or tortured while being slaughtered, the meat is haram.


Marriage and family

Islam is very strict in prohibiting , whether it be adultery or sexual intercourse between two unmarried individuals. In terms of marriage proposals, it is considered haram for a Muslim man to propose to a divorced or widowed woman during her (the waiting period during which she is not allowed to marry again). The man is able to express his desire for marriage, but cannot execute an actual proposal. It is also forbidden for a Muslim man to propose to a woman who is married to another man. It is considered haram for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man. This is due to the idea that the man is the head of the household, the one who supports the family, and the man is considered responsible for his wife. Muslims do not believe in giving women to the hands of those who do not practice Islam and having them responsible over Muslim women because they are not concerned with protecting the rites of the religion.


Inheritance

It is considered haram for a father to deprive his children of inheritance. It is also haram for a father to deprive the women or the children of a wife who is not favorable to him an inheritance. Additionally, it is haram for one relative to deprive another relative of his inheritance through tricks.


Business ethics

, any excessive addition over and above the principal, such as usury and interest, is prohibited in Islam in all forms.
Interest In finance and economics, interest is payment from a borrower or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct ...
goes against the Islamic pillar of , which allows wealth to flow from the rich to the poor. is prohibited because it keeps wealth in the hands of the wealthy and keeps it away from the poor. It is also believed that makes a person selfish and greedy. All business and trade practices that do not result in a free and fair exchange of goods and services are considered haram, such as
bribery Bribery is the Offer and acceptance, offering, Gift, giving, Offer and acceptance, receiving, or Solicitation, soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With reg ...
, stealing, and
gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...
. Therefore, all forms of deceit and dishonesty in business are prohibited in Islam. Many Islamic jurists and religious bodies, including
Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta (also the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, ar, اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء, al-Lajna ad-Dāʾima lil-Buḥūṯ al-ʿIlmiyya wa ...
of
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, have considered MLM trade to be haram, the reasons behind which are as follows: in this process, followings are related – exchange without labor and labor without exchange, contract on another contract or condition on another condition, similarity with (interest), similarity with
gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...
, widespread uncertainty of profits and losses, not everyone benefiting equally, financial fraud and torture, lying and exaggeration, etc.


Clothing and adornment

In Islam, both gold adornments and silk cloths are prohibited for men to wear but are permissible for women as long as they are not used to sexually attract men (other than their husbands). The prohibition of these adornments is part of a broader Islamic principle of avoiding luxurious lifestyles. It is considered haram for both men and women to wear clothing that fails to cover the body properly (which stated in clothing guidance, the term ) and clothes that are transparent. Additionally, Islam prohibits excess beautifying that involves the altering of one's physical appearance. In some Sunni sects, physical alterations that are considered haram such as tattoos, shortening of teeth, cosmetic surgery etc. Some Islamic sects also prohibit the use of gold and silver utensils and pure silk spreads in the household in order to avoid luxurious lifestyles in the home. Statues are also prohibited in homes, and some Muslims are prohibited from participating in making statues because they think it negates .


Shirk

Worshipping anyone or anything other than God, known as , is a major sin for a Muslim.


See also


References

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External links


Laws of Islam concerning food
Arabic words and phrases in Sharia Islamic terminology Sharia legal terminology