Halal means lawful or permissible according to Islamic law. Food certified as halal by an authorized body is known as halal food.
The word “halal” is derived from Arabic هَلُلا halaal meaning lawful, and مِطْمَع minṣām meaning permitted.
Is Kangaroo Meat Halal?
Kangaroo meat. Credit: canva
Kangaroo meat is considered halal if it has been slaughtered properly. The animal must be killed with one quick cut to the throat, severing both carotid arteries, jugular veins, and windpipe.
The deceased kangaroo should also not see another dead animal during this process to avoid emotional distress.
It is not halal if it has been shot at point-blank range or clubbed to death, as these methods do not meet the requirements of Islamic law.
Below are some explanations, requirements, fatwas, and limitations regarding whether kangaroo is halal.
Islam Stack Exchange
Land animals are all considered Halal and fulfill the following requirements:
have flowing blood in them
survive on grass and leaves
do not prey on other animals (i.e., non-predatory terrestrial animals)
is not poisonous or impure
does not consume mostly impure things to the extent that it creates a foul odor in its meat and milk
Such as a camel, cow, goat, buffalo, sheep, deer, etc. Donkeys and pigs are exceptions from this general ruling. These are considered Haram for consumption.
Allah Most High says:
“And the grazing livestock He has created for you; in them is warmth and [numerous] benefits, and from them you eat.” [Surah An-Nahl 16:5]
According to all the unanimous linguistics agreements, Allah Most High uses the term ‘cattle,’ which refers to non-predatory animals.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Eating the meat of animals is lawful unless there is evidence prohibiting it. Since kangaroo is not from the cat family and does not aggress with its teeth, it is lawful to eat its meat since it eats plants and grass.
Turkey’s Directorate-General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has issued a fatwa stating that kangaroo meat and grasshoppers are “halal” food. Still, Islam bans eating “badgers, martens, weasels, beavers, and sea otters.”
“Islamic scholars agree that ‘halal’ animals that are not mentioned in the Quran and in the hadith [the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] are those that don’t eat feces and carcasses, and which are therefore neither wild nor coarse,” the Diyanet’s High Committee of Religious Affairs Directorate said in response to a citizen’s question.
As such, the fatwa continues, kangaroo is classified in the same category as other “grass-eating, clean animals like deer, gazelle, and antelope.” Grasshopper is also categorized as “halal” because “there is a special provision in the Sunnah,” it adds, referring to the way of life prescribed as normative for Muslims based on the teachings and practices of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
The fatwa describes badgers, martens, weasels, beavers, and sea otters as “naturally wild.”
Although Islamic scholars have differing views about these animals, the fatwa argues, “As these animals are wild and carnivorous, it’s not appropriate to eat their meat.”
Kangaroo is a halal animal because there is no basis for its prohibition. The only condition is that it should be slaughtered with all requirements of Islamic slaughtering.
If you shoot the deer with the rifle, mention the name of Allaah, and hit the deer, and it dies from that shot, then it is halaal and permissible to eat it. However, you must slaughter it properly if you catch up with it while still alive.
Yes, the meat of kangaroos and wallabies is halal. Kangaroos and wallabies are comparable to rabbits in that they are herbivores. They also share certain other features of rabbits. It is mentioned in the books of hadith that once, when the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) was gifted a roasted rabbit, he instructed his companions to eat it.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best.
Conclusion
Practical Limitation
Most kangaroo meat comes from Australia. Kangaroos slaughtered for meat are ordinarily shot by commercial hunters (see BBC and the Australian government Code of Practice). Australia doesn’t have kangaroo farms; it doesn’t need them:
Currently most kangaroo meat is sourced from wild animals as a byproduct of population control programmes. — Wikipedia
Ordinarily, kangaroos will not be slaughtered Islamically. However, they will almost certainly be killed by non-Muslims and possibly by irreligious people without saying, Bismillah. This wouldn’t meet the strict rules regarding hunting for food in Islam (see Islam Q&A).
In this context, the vast bulk of kangaroo meat will be Haram to eat.
Yes, it is halal. However, as in other halal beef, deer meat, and other meat, there are limitations and conditions to make them halal.
Kangaroo meat is Halal, if:
They are slaughtered Islamically
They are shot by mentioning the name of Allah
If the kangaroos are shot or killed by commercial hunters, most probably non-Muslims, then it will be Haram to eat.
Why Do People Eat Kangaroo?
Nutrition
Kangaroo is the leaner alternative to beef. The leanness of the meat is the most notable distinction between it and beef.
The second significant distinction is a higher iron and a high zinc content, which are essential for cell production in the blood.
For fitness enthusiasts wanting to boost their lean muscle mass, kangaroo is healthy meat with a higher protein content per 100g than beef.
Taste
The delicious meat has a unique flavor that may be gamy, and the dark red meat is lean compared to its high protein content.
It is similar to deer or lamb but will have a stronger flavor than beef. On the other hand, Kangaroo flesh will not be as strong in taste as gamey wild boar or elk.
K-ROO products are processed fresh at our processing facility in Adelaide.
