Halal o Haram (The Lawful and the Unlawful)

The terms "haram" (unlawful) and "halal" (lawful) are legal designations in Shariah. What is prohibited is haram; what is not, is halal-this is a universally accepted principle without dispute. The real issue lies in application: what specifically falls under each category? Scholars of the past and present have differed on this. Key questions include:What is the purpose behind declaring some things lawful and others unlawful, even though all are God's creations? Who holds the legislative authority to declare something halal or haram, and by what sources? Has the Shariah provided a definitive list of what is haram and what is halal, or is this left open to interpretation? If a list exists, where is it, and how can it be compiled? If not, how are we to make rulings on countless matters? One critical aspect in this discussion is the Quran's use of the exclusive particle "innam¿" when listing prohibitions in two specific passages. In Surah al-Baqarah, it says: "He has only forbidden to you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than God." In Surah al-A¿raf, it states: "My Lord has only forbidden indecencies-whether open or secret-and wrongful oppression, and that you associate with God that for which He has sent down no authority, and that you say about God what you do not know." In conclusion, the purpose, interpretation, and classification of halal and haram form the three fundamental areas of inquiry. Historically, these issues have either been overlooked or addressed only superficially in traditional jurisprudence. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi has undertaken a comprehensive study of all aspects of Shariah and has clearly articulated the purpose of halal and haram, providing research-based answers to both classical ambiguities and modern questions. He has explained where and how such rulings should be derived, the limits of interpretive authority, and what happens when scholars exceed their bounds. He also distinguishes between foundational rulings and their extensions, showing what has been explicitly defined in revelation and what has been left to human reasoning. This book presents Ghamidi's perspective on the subject of halal and haram.