'A.-M.

About the real range of terms Hall in Islamic Tradition

Allh does not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean, and to complete His favour to you, that ye may be grateful. (Qurn, V-6)

In todays view of modern mans self-made (and very strange) customs, the ones connected to food and alimentation are surely the strangest. Vegetarianism, Veganism, etc. are just the main trends between the most well-known ones, and it is useless saying how all such diets totally invented by individual taste nothing have to do with the alimentary impositions which, with the other rites, concur to regulate, by the light of divine (and not merely human) laws, mens life in a traditional environment. It is the same for other alimentary impositions belonging to modern pseudo-religions, like Theosophy, Scientology, contemporary Kabbalah (which have no relations with the original ancient Jewish esotericism), and the ones of every tradition which lost its genuine orthodoxy (like Buddhist and Hindus schools opened to western people, and the many churches derived from Protestantism). As every decision assumed by an only human point of view, it does not matter if its inventor called it rite1, because in spite of its apparent moral or ethical value it cannot absolutely reach that ordering of individual psychic and physic components which is the preparatory purpose of every sacred law (indispensable condition of every other step in a real spiritual path). So, if we are able to conceive correctly such evident incompatibility between traditional and modern (or secular) point of view, maybe we can understand why the most part of our contemporaries is more inclined or tolerant towards self-owned diets, instead that towards the ones based upon a sacred law. By the light of this, it should be simple to understand why a term todays everywhere known like Hall (which, as we will see, is not only connected to food stuff) is usually received like a limitation of individual freedom (in eating everything people want), a masochistic choice of men to submit themselves to a mere book or, for many Muslim unfortunately weakened in their traditional life by modern way of life, an unsustainable weight with which cohabiting for not disowning own tradition. Now, as in an orthodox tradition like Islm every single daily moment can be ritualized by individual and community rites, as the time dedicated to meal is a complete rite in itself (as many Prophet Muhammads hadth testify), but it seems also in Muslim community there are people who dont know that if there is a Hall way to eat, there is also a Hall way to dress, to pray, to be charitable, to fast, etc., and this is the reason we compiled this synthetic article about the real range of term Hall. Now, Hall is an Arab term meaning lawful, permissible, and in Ahkm2 it indicates all ways to act concordantly to Tradition (that is concordantly to Qurn and Sunna), and by this point of view it is an antonym of Harm, which in fact means forbidden and concerns all actions and attitudes strictly condemned by Holy Sources. But between Hall and Harm there are other categories of Ahkm - like Mustahab or favored, Mubh or neutral, Makrh or disliked, etc.
1 Rite derived from Sanskrit word Rita, which means conformable to order. 2 Literaly judgements; in Islamic Jurisprudence Ahkm are precepts directly derived from right interpretation of Holy Sources (Qurn and Prophetic Sunna).

which can be treated in a different way by main Islamic schools (in arab Madhhab) and show very clearly how essential in such questions scruple (in Arab Wara) is. In fact Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) has underlined it said: D m yarbuka il l yarbuk, that is Leave what cause you doubt for what doesnt, and being Hall and Harm clear questions, is just by scruple (clearly submitted to the Holy Qurn, the knowledge of Prophet Muhammad and the one of ancient Imms) that Muslim people can orient themselves through the sea of not-certain matters. But to conceive correctly the real nature and range of term Hall, it is necessary to understand at first towards what we have to consider such lawfulness, and it should be quite simple understand it just thinking to the strict relation between Spirit, Temple and Body, like expressed in every orthodox tradition:
Dont you know that your body is the Temple of Holy Spirit which is in yourselves, which comes from God and which doesnt belong to yourselves ? In fact you have been bought at a high price, so glorify God in your body3.

The Heavens and the Earth cannot contain Me, but the heart of my humble and faithful servant can contain Me4.

This Divine Presence inside servants individuality (to be more precise, in the centre of such individuality, considered in all its possible extension, physical and, moreover, subtle5) sacralize it at the same time as a Divine instrument because its have to act in manifested world - and as the final (in order of creation) Divine masterpiece for its perfect proportions in relation to the cosmos that contains it. Then, it should be evident why many Islamic writes (especially the ones belonging to Sufism, or Islamic Esotericism) use the Arab term Haykl to indicate temple and body at once, and this because they are both an image of the cosmos, and like it they are both created and maintained by the Divine Presence (in Arab As-Sakna) in their centre - the Sancta Sanctorum of Christianity. So, it is not random that Arab term Harm is often used to indicate also sacred ground, holy site, etc. (i.e. Masjd al-Harm, the Sacred Mosque of Mecca). The same root R-H-M (R, H, Mm) appears in words like Ihrm (pilgrims cloth and state of ritual consecration), Mahram (unmarriageable people with whom Shara forbids sexual intercourses), Harem (Turkish translation of Harm, female domestic sphere forbidden to not-relative men), and many others which remind immediately the image of two areas divided by a closed circle: the first one inside it, the second one outside it. The first one will be Harm for everything (or everyone) have not the specific qualities to be allowed to enter inside (like Ihrm condition for the pilgrim), and it will maintain its sacred value (in terms of real presence of spiritual influences) until it will be able to make respect all essential conditions of its Harm nature (that is: its orthodoxy). In the second one (outward world), only who or which possesses the above-mentioned qualities will be able to enter in Harm ground or sacred condition in general, qualities which Islamic Fiqh (or sacred jurisprudence) generally synthetizes as Hall. Some reader could ask himself why we did not talk about Wjib (or Fard) matters which regarding questions of obligatoriness are surely the most important of Ahkm (i.e. the imperativeness of five daily Salawt) but it was not accidental, because in this article we are interested only to conditions subjected to change, and to how universality implied in Islamic Tradition allows everyone to find a correct way to follow it, any difficult could appears.
3 St. Paul, Epistle to Corinthians I, 6, vv. 19-20. 4 Hadth Quds. 5 We use this word with the same means given it by French writer Ren Gunon, that is the totality of individual modalities not concerning the physical one (i.e. thought and its modalities like reasoning, memory and imagination), and in which resides the direct principle of physical manifestation.

Moreover, we would invite here the readers to dont be too rigid in considering such categories, because in traditional questions it is better to avoid every sort of systematic thought or mentalism (because sacred knowledge is unable to be systematized, because of its universality). Science divisions in Fiqh, Ahkm, etc. could be useful to Ulem (erudites), Qd (judges) and other scholars who have to settle important questions or controversy in the Islamic community, but outside such categories common believers should just looking for a science which could be really useful to them - that is in their daily duty to Allh (SWT). In fact Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) often said: Rabb zidn illmn (Oh Lord, increase my Science), but he said also: Allahumma inn audhu bika min ilmi l yanfa (Oh Allh, I ask Your protection against Science which is not of use). This because there is a knowledge for every moment, as in comparison with it every individual is a different case, this is the reason why talking to anyone according to his own understanding possibilities is a rigorous traditional instruction. Now, coming back to our primary issue, as we said yet Hall matter (like others Ahkm) could regard human behaviours in praying, speaking, dressing, loving, trading, eating, fasting, etc., because every question could be faced in many way, more or less well-directed (that is more or less in accordance with divine principles showed by Qurn)6. For reasons of space we cannot talk at length here about any single aspect of Islamic traditional life, but we will try to show the abovementioned real range of Hall term talking about its most well-known reference, that is in relation to food and alimentation.
O ye who believe! make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, but commit no excess: for Allah loves not those given to excess. Eat of the things which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good; but fear Allah, in Whom ye believe7.

Also if the four main Madhhab can sometimes diverge about other Ahkm categories, no substantial differences concern Hall and Harm ones on food and alimentation, all of which are clearly synthesized by the following Koranic verses:
Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah's". But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- thy Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful8.

Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has been invoked the name of other than Allah; that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety9.

In short, forbidden substances are: pork meat and its by-products (like lard, animal fats, some gelatines, etc.), blood and blood meats, carrions (carcass of death animal belonging to abovementioned Koranic categories), and in general animals not sacrificed in the name of Allh (SWT). But as the same Koranic verse openly expresses, if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful
6 For a very detailed description of Muslim correct attitude and Hall concept-practice in Islamic Pillars and Faith we suggest to refer to first chapters of al-Ghazl Ihy 'ulm ud-dn (The Re-vivification of Traditional Sciences). A partial digital edition of the work is available at Al-Ghazl website: http://www.ghazali.org/site/ihya.htm 7 Qurn al-Karm, V, 87-88. 8 Ivi, VI, 145. 9 Ivi, V, 3.

disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, - thy lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Also in this case, as we said yet it is a question of necessity and personal scruple, in fact not only believers are allowed (in hard situations) to eat the meat of animals not sacrificed in accordance to Islamic rules (that is by dhabha, or ritual slaughter)10, but in severe survival dangers also the others which are usually forbidden. Horse, mule and donkeys meat is also included in forbidden food (like clearly affirmed, for example, in Mliki Madhhab)11, and some Islamic scholars include also some kind of fish (shellfish for example) and frogs, but it is a controversial question on which we did never find a sure source. Talking about drinks instead, Qurn is quite categorical about the prohibition of intoxicant beverages (that is the ones obtained by fermentation):
O ye who believe! Strong drink [intoxicants] and games of chance [gambling] and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succede12.

And it is the same in Prophetic Sunna:

Wine, is the key of all evil (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, v. 238; Ibn Madja, Ashriba, bab i). Who drinks wine in this world without repenting it, shall not drink it in the other world (Bukhari, Ashriba, bab i; Muslim, Ashriba, trad. 73, 76-78, etc.). Cursed is he who drinks, buys, sells wine or causes others to drink it (Abu Da'ud, Ashriba, bab 2; Ibn Madja, Ashriba, bab 6; Ahmad b. Hanbal, i. 316; ii. 25, 69, 71, 97, 128, etc.). Who drinks a draught of wine on purpose shall have to drink pus on doomsday (Tayalisi, No. 1134). Prayer of him who drinks wine is not accepted by Allh (Nasa'i, Ashriba, bab. 43; Darimi, Ashriba, bab 3), and faith is incompatible with drinking it (Bukhari, Ashriba, bab i; Nasa'i, Ashriba bab 42, 44)13.

Only vinegar makes exception, in fact Jabir b. 'Abdullh reported: Allh's Messenger (SAWS) took hold of my hand one day (and led me) to his residence. There was presented to him some pieces of bread, whereupon he said: Is there no condiment? They (the members of his household) said: No, except some vinegar. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Vinegar is a good condiment. Jabir said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard it from Allh's Apostle (SAWS). Talha said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard about it from Jabir 14. But to be considered Hall, vinegar must not be added up of additional wine or other intoxicant substances (often used in industrial production to quicken the preparation procedure), in fact: It is prohibited to use wine for manufacturing vinegar15. It results that transformation of ethanol into acetic acid have to be a natural process. Talking about Hall-Harm questions in beverages matter, it is important to signal that in these last centuries many Muslim scholars (let alone wine and spirits dealers) tried to avoid traditional
10 Narrated 'Aisha: A group of people said to the Prophet, "Some people bring us meat and we do not know whether they have mentioned Allah's Name or not on slaughtering the animal." He said, "Mention Allah's Name on it and eat." Those people had embraced Islam recently. Bukhri, Vol. 7, Book 67, n. 415 11 Not for their impurity, but probably for the different function Allh (SWT) gave them: And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use for show; and He has created (other) things of which ye have no knowledge, Qurn al-Karm, XVI, 8; and moreover: It is Allah Who made cattle for you, that ye may use some for riding and some for food, ivi, XL, 79. 12 Ivi, V, 90. 13 Encyclopedia of Islm, voice Wine in Islm edited by Prof. A.J. Wensinck. A digital version is available on Answer Islm site at: http://answering-islam.org.uk/Books/MW/wine.htm. Many hadth sources which follow are also extracted by Encyclopedia of Islm. 14 Muslim, Book 23, n. 5094. 15 Tirmidhi, Buyu', bab. 59; Ahmad b. Hanbal iii. 119, 260 bis.

restrictions saying a very small percentage of alcohol unable to cause drunkenness is allowed by sacred law16, but this is absolutely wrong, in fact Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said: Kull muskir harm kathruhu wa-qalluhu (All drinks which may cause drunkenness are prohibited in large or small quantity)17. Instead, if some madhhab and Muslim scholars are a little tolerant about the presence of a little percentage of alcohol in medical remedies (i.e. in the homeopathic ones), it is because the most part of fiqh sources consider it just as Makrh (inadvisable), and not completely Harm18. Unfortunately we have no time here to deepen this question, related to that very faceted Islamic matter known as Tawakkul virtue, or confidence upon Allhs will. All these references testify clearly how Hall-Harm questions are strictly connected to environmental possibilities. By honouring constantly such sacred injunctions, Muslim maintains his inner free from any subtle and physical impurity, consecrating its above-mentioned function of Temple. By this way, he allows it to receive spiritual influences derived by traditional rites performance, and if his intention is pure19, by eating, drinking, praying, thinking, dressing, etc. in Hall way (that is in accordance with Divine Law), his inner and outward will be always in the best condition to ask and (if Allh wants) to obtain his Lords Mercy (SWT).
Allh does not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean, and to complete his favour to you, that ye may be grateful20.

Before finishing, we would try to rectify two of todays greatest mistakes in regard to real nature of traditional alimentary (and not) rules. The first, probably the most simple and rough, concern another grotesque interpretation of the most part of our contemporaries, who consider every sacred alimentary restriction as derived just from hygienic reasons. Thinking in this way means to overturn every normal order, because every kind of divine ordering proceed gradually that is by different steps - from its Source (Divine Being) to more and more limited realities, until individual condition (which, as we saw yet, concerns both subtle as corporeal modalities). So, if a hygienic advantage could appear by performing rites (i.e. ritual ablution or slaughter), it will be only a very subordinate and negligible fact (or, at least, another external manifestation of inner equilibrium derived from spiritual influences), because it is only Supreme Principles will which determines manifestation, and not the contrary. Sacred rules - and spiritual influences regulated by them - always go down and never climb up again. The second mistake, surely the strongest to rectify, is instead related to many modern Muslims use to judge arbitrarily traditional behaviours of not-Muslim people connected to other traditions of past and present21. We dont talk about evident heterodoxies of some famous Islamic factions, which are so engaged to protect their own idea of orthodoxy until be quite totally unable to see how far they actually are from it22, but at the contrary about more sly and deceitful tendencies which claim
16 Today, also in Muslim world the most part of beverages sold as soft drink and soft beer contain instead a little part of alcohol (and it is the same for many alimentary products, particularly flours, breads and doughs, which are sold as Hall also if they contain animal fats derived from pork). 17 To analyse thoroughly such question see Bukhari, Maghazi, bab 60; Muslim, Ashriba, trad. 67-75; Ahmad b. Hanbal, i. 145; ii. 16 bis.; iii. 38; iv. 87; v. 25 sq. vi 36 etc. 18 See Muslim, Ashriba, trad. 12; Ahmad b. Hanbal iv. 311, 317 bis etc. 19 Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said : The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended, Bukhri, Vol. 1, Book 2, n.51. By this point of view, it is clear that everything depends from original intention, because its keeps future actions fruits in itself. 20 Qurn al-Karm, V, 6. 21 As we said yet, we consider here only genuine traditions, that is past and present real orthodoxies. 22 This is really an example of that extreme mentalism we described before (usually added up by a very exaggerated moralism and individualism). By reasoning excessively just by individual way on fiqh matters, these people arrived to consider as bidah (innovation, always forbidden by Islamic sacred jurisprudence) everything they are unable to draw correctly (and directly) near sacred sources, even arriving to condemned as innovators the most venerable Shuykh of the past also. We know obedience to Qurn, Prophets Sunna imitation and subjection to ancient

to adapt outwardly the Islamic point of view (in matter of theological beliefs, rites and behaviours) to not-Islamic (but always traditional) realities also. People who act in this way compare arbitrarily isolated elements of different traditions (i.e. Islamic and Christian ones), trying at any cost to underline not-Islamic traditions' deviation by showing how they have ever been very far from a right application of Islamic Shara [!] Now, the Qurn is very clear when its affirm that:
Those who believe [in the Qur'n], and those who follow the Jewish [scriptures], and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allh and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve23.

So, for people belonging to not-Muslim traditions (as always we are talking of just genuine traditions, like original Hinduism, Confucianism and Buddhism, and the ones belonging to Abrahamic branch, not the ones merely invented by man), the effective preservation of its own orthodoxy24 is a sufficient condition to be considered absolutely valid 25 (being all true traditions nothing but different rays which lead to the unique Centre of Cosmic Wheel, as clearly symbolized by above-mentioned Koranic verse). Now, by this very simple point of view26 it should be evident how useless is using the sacred law of a specific tradition to judge another one, because being every tradition just an adaptation (for specific times and spaces) of that Primordial Tradition that Islm calls ad-Dn al-Fitr, every single sacred law's validity must be considered in itself, and not related to another one. For example, to underline such external diversity between different sacred laws, in Qurn is written that:
For those who followed the Jewish Law, We forbade every [animal] with undivided hoof, and We forbade them that fat of the ox and the sheep, except what adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone: this in recompense for their wilful disobedience: for We are true [in Our ordinances]27.

Now, if we are expert in Torah (Jewish sacred law), we will be able to judge if a particular traditional - in this case Jewish - element could be more or less near to Jewish orthodoxy, we could at most underline a symbolic similitude with an element belonging to another tradition (like Islamic
Shuykh and Imms teachings could be often difficult in our times, someone could say even heavy, but heavier is certainly this wave of ignorance and arrogance which literally poisons todays Islamic community. Say: Who hath forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah, which He hath produced for His servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He hath provided) for sustenance? Say: They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of Judgment. Thus do We explain the signs in detail for those who understand, Qurn al-Karm, VII, 32. Qurn al-Karm, II, 62. We can say orthodoxy is the maintenance of tradition in its original aspect, that is the correct preservation of its rites, symbols, sacred (or at least liturgical) language and sacred law (if its has one, i.e. Christian revelation never concern a personal sacred law, in fact it did annex to itself Roman right for society administration, and this is one of multiple interpretation of Jesus saying: Give to Cesar what is Cesars, and to God what is Gods, Gospel of Mark, 12:17). It could be a good reflection point thinking what could happen when in a tradition totally depending from a unique Spiritual authority, this one is no more able to distinguish clearly orthodox elements from heterodox ones. Being him the final and unique reference point for common believers, how could they maintain genuine orthodoxy on their own ? It will be possible for them? Or their tradition will surely incur in dangerous schism more and more far from original value (until its extinction) ? It is very curious that also if Hindu and Islamic sacred texts are the only ones that affirm clearly such fundamental unity of tradition doctrine, Hindu-Islamic war conflicts did reach a large severity in last century history. Surely religious matters have been used just for political (that is secular) purposes, being very far from spiritual nature the real reasons and benefits behind such commercialization of traditions. Qurn al-Karm, VI, 146.

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one, i.e. there are many analogies between Islamic and Jewish letters science), but we can never use, for example, an Islamic Shara element to judge a Jewish (or Christian, or Hindu, or Buddhist) orthodox or heterodox behaviour. Like every other Messenger before him, Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) brought a Revelation which had to confirm every other passed genuine tradition (in this case as final form of the orthodoxy for the last part of present world life), but that in the same time have to be adopted just by Muslims (and obviously by not-Muslim born people who will embrace Islm).
O people of the Book! Now has come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much [that is now unnecessary]. There has come to you from Allah a Light and a perspicuous Book28.

So, it is only a witness of pure ignorance saying that Jewish are misled just because (for example) they drink wine, Christians are misled because they dont practice the circumcision, Hindu are misled because their society have to be based upon castes division, etc.
And thou wilt see every sect bowing the knee: Every sect will be called to its Book: "This Day shall ye be recompensed for all that ye did29.

Today it is possible many tradition absolutely orthodox in origin deviated until losing all their real spiritual contents30, but also in this cases it needs to consider each tradition as a singular case, or it risks to incur in one of following, disagreeable Koranic example: And most surely many would lead (people) astray by their low desires out of ignorance31, Is it then the judgment of ignorance that they desire?32, etc. Before finishing, we have to underline a last very thin danger which could derive by superficial reading (and above all understanding) of Sufism writes concerning precise alimentary conduct for people reconnected to it. It have to be clear all these indications are always strictly destined just to this last category of person, and to be more precise they are often simple witnesses of a Spiritual masters' precise order towards a particular disciple of him (because in Sufism, like in every other genuine Initiatic path, every initiated is a particular case, and what is useful to him could be useless, or also dangerous for another one). So, being such ordinances strictly connected to disciple's own intellectual, subtle and physical predisposition, and having such alimentary diet to act in a very precise way on it, anyone should be tempted to practice it arbitrarily. With this write, we hope we showed you a little how a usual fiqh category like Hall could assume, if correctly understood, a very extended application range, arriving until to general and personal way to meditate about traditional principles like the ones we mentioned. In fact, people often forget that Actions are only by intentions, and every man has only that which he intended 33, as they forget Allh (SWT) said: I'm near to my servant's idea about me. So we are supposed to think it could also exists a Hall way to take care of own intentions, as there could be a Harm one, and that there is a Hall way to reflecting about Allh's reality (SWT), and a Harm one too34, etc. Nowadays many Muslim people are so impatient to act that they usually neglect theory pretending to pass directly to practice, and this is surely the worse thing, because by this way the most part of them is absolutely unable to recognize real traditional limits. Don't they do better to
28 Ivi, V, 15. 29 Ivi, XLV, 28. 30 It seems to be today's condition of Jewish and Christian tradition. 31 Ivi, VI, 119. 32 Ivi, V, 50. 33Hadth Nawwi, 1. 34 Like expressed, for example, by Prophet's hadth: Reflect on Allh's Attributes, not on His Essence.

search for traditional knowledge at first and only later, after they purified their intentions with it, trying to act according to traditional teachings ? Don't they know Allh (SWT) said: O people of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth.35, as He said (SWT): They are lost indeed who kill their children foolishly without knowledge, and forbid what Allah has given to them forging a lie against Allah; they have indeed gone astray, and they are not the followers of the right course. 36? And there are many kind of children, many way to be fool and without knowledge, as there are many way to forbid Hall aliments, Hall behaviours and Hall way to serve It that Allh (SWT) gave to Muslim community.
Then We put thee on the (right) Way of Religion: so follow thou that (Way), and follow not the desires of those who know not37.

35 Qurn al-Karm, IV, 171. 36 Ivi., VI, 140. 37 Ivi, XLV, 18.