![Islam prescribes some dietary guidelines to Muslims by forbidding certain foods (Haram) and permitting others (Halal). This has made it challenging for Muslims, living in non-Muslim majority regions to consume only Halal Food. But fortunately, there are some reliable certification organizations in America such as Islamic Services of America, who examine foods claiming to be Halal. ISA affixes a symbol of compliance on the product once the food is verified. Halal consumers can utilize those products without any concerning doubt. Foods mentioned in the holy Qur'an. From realizing the right way of worship to the right food to eat, people seek guidance from the Qur’an and Sunnah in every aspect of their life. They then formulate ways to use and share their knowledge as much as possible. For example, the Muslim & Qur’an app informs Muslims of accurate prayer times, while Halal certification guarantees that the food is free from any ingredient prohibited under Islamic law. Halal food manufacturers must know which foods are prohibited or permitted in Islam. The most reliable source which guides them in making 100 percent Halal food is the Holy Qur’an. Below we mention 10 foods that are deemed naturally Halal in the Holy Qur’an: Seafood It is lawful in Islam to catch and eat seafood for the benefit of humans. A verse in Surah Al-Maida confirms that fish and other seafood are allowed for Halal consumers. Lawful for you and those in the journey is to catch and eat water game as a provision. [5:96] Our beloved Propher Muhammad (PBUH) used to like milk very much. Milk Milk produced from Halal animals is permitted in Islam. Milk is a Sunnah food (the benefits and blessings of milk are mentioned in the Sunnah) and is mentioned multiple times in the Holy Qur’an. At one place, Allah says: Indeed, there is a lesson for you in cattle. Between their dung and blood, and inside their bellies, there is pure milk for you to drink, and that is palatable for drinkers. [16:66] Dates Dates are also strongly recommended by the Holy Qur’an as healthy and lawful food. Their consumption becomes tenfold in the month of Ramadan because Muslims break their fast by eating Dates as a Sunnah. It is mentioned 22 times in the Qur’an which shows its deep-rooted significance in Islam. Push the trunk of the palm toward you and you will find fresh, ripe dates. [19:25] Grains Grains are mentioned numerous times in Qur’an. One reference related to corn is mentioned in a verse of Surah Naba: And We send down from rainclouds pouring water, producing by it grain and various plants. [78:14-15] Garlic is Halal by nature and prescribed in herbal medicines. Herb and Root Vegetation Halal consumers can eat each green herb, edible legume, onion, garlic, and other root vegetation. In Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah says that: So call your Lord to raise herbs, cucumbers, garlic, onions, and lentils from the earth, for us. [2:61] Figs Allah has named a whole chapter of the Qur’an on the topic of figs, named Surah At-Tin. The first verse of the Surah starts with this Halal fruit: By the fig and olive… [95:1] Grapes Halal consumers can also eat grapes and delight their taste buds because a verse of Surah Al-Mu’min states that: We produced gardens of palm trees and grapevines for you, wherein you can find ample fruits to eat. [23:19] Honey has a lot of medicinal benefits and honey itself is cure to many diseases. Honey Honey is mentioned in the Qur’an as a source of healing. Surah An-Nahl, the 16th chapter of the Qur’an, contains many instructions from Allah, related to the consumption of honey. And, from its (honeybee) belly, juice of different hues has been issued, which is a source of cure for people. [16:69] Aromatic Plants There is a variety of edible aromatic plants that are Halal in Islam. It is evident in the 55th chapter of the Qur’an (Surah Rahman). And grains that contain shells and scented plants. [55:12] And grain with husks, and aromatic plants. [55:12] Our beloved Propher Muhammad (PBUH) used to love gourd. Gourd The Gourd was the favourite vegetable of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The word](https://i0.wp.com/www.halaltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Untitled-design.jpg?resize=400%2C266&ssl=1)
The Quran names many foods as lawful and good. Ten of the best known are fish and seafood, milk, dates, grain, vegetables such as lentils and onions, figs and olives, grapes, honey, fragrant plants and the gourd. Below is each food with the verse that mentions it, in the original Arabic and in English translation, with a link to the full reference.
This article was first published in July 2022. It has been updated with the original Arabic of every verse, the Saheeh International translation with full references, two verified hadith, notes on where scholars differ and current market data.
Reviewed by Hafiz Maqsood Ahmed.
The list matters because of how Islamic dietary law works. The starting point is that food is permissible unless a text forbids it, so the Quran’s list of prohibitions is short: carrion, blood, pork, animals dedicated to other than God, and intoxicants. Our guide to what the Quran and hadith say about halal sets out those rules in full. The foods below are not the only lawful foods; they are the ones the Quran singles out by name, often as signs of God’s provision.
Being named in the Quran does not settle every question about a product on a supermarket shelf. Milk can be made into cheese with animal rennet, dates can be coated with glazes, and honey can be blended or flavored. Once a natural food is processed, the ingredients and the process decide its status, which is why food companies selling to the $1.53 trillion market for Muslim food and beverage spending, as measured for 2024 by the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2025/26, still seek halal certification.
English translations below are from Saheeh International, via Quran.com. Translations convey meaning; the Arabic is the Quran itself. Where only part of a verse is quoted, it is marked.
1. Fish and seafood
The Quran makes the catch of the sea lawful, including for pilgrims, who are barred from hunting on land while in the state of ihram.
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ ٱلْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُۥ مَتَـٰعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِلسَّيَّارَةِ
“Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers” (opening of the verse) (Surah Al-Ma’idah (5), Verse 96)
The schools of Islamic jurisprudence read “game from the sea” differently. The Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools permit most sea creatures, including shellfish. The Hanafi school generally permits only fish, so many Hanafi Muslims avoid shrimp, crab and lobster, though Hanafi scholars differ on shrimp. Fish does not require ritual slaughter.
2. Milk
The Quran presents milk as a sign of God’s design: pure and pleasant to drink, though it is produced inside the animal between waste and blood.
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ لَعِبْرَةً ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَآئِغًا لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ
“And indeed, for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies – between excretion and blood – pure milk, palatable to drinkers.” (Surah An-Nahl (16), Verse 66)
Milk from halal animals is lawful. The questions arise later, when milk becomes cheese, yogurt or whey and enzymes or cultures of animal origin are added.
3. Dates
Dates appear repeatedly in the Quran, most famously in the story of Mary, who is told during labor to shake the palm tree for fresh dates.
وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَـٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا
“And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.” (Surah Maryam (19), Verse 25)
Dates are also tied to the fast of Ramadan. Anas ibn Malik narrated how the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) broke his fast:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُفْطِرُ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رُطَبَاتٌ فَعَلَى تَمَرَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ .
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to break his fast before praying with some fresh dates; but if there were no fresh dates, he had a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, he took some mouthfuls of water.”
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud, Fasting (Kitab Al-Siyam), Hadith 2356 (in-book reference: Book 14, Hadith 44). Grade: hasan sahih (Al-Albani). Sunnah.com.
The fruit is also big business. Saudi Arabia exported dates worth 1.938 billion riyals (about $517 million) to more than 125 countries in 2025, according to figures reported by the Saudi Press Agency, citing International Trade Centre data, and published by Arab News on Oct. 3, 2026.
4. Grain
Grain is named as one of the products of rain, alongside other vegetation.
لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا
“That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation.” (Surah An-Naba (78), Verse 15)
Grain in its natural state is halal. Bread and baked goods made from it can include additives, such as L-cysteine or animal-fat emulsifiers, that raise separate questions.
5. Herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils and onions
This list comes from the story of the Children of Israel in the desert, who grew tired of manna and quails and asked Moses for the foods of the earth.
فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا
“So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions.” (part of the verse) (Surah Al-Baqarah (2), Verse 61)
The verse is a reproach for preferring lesser things over what was given, not a ruling on vegetables. Scholars cite it as evidence that these everyday foods were part of ordinary diets and are lawful.
6. Figs and olives
Surah At-Tin, the 95th chapter of the Quran, takes its name from the fig and opens with an oath by two fruits.
وَٱلتِّينِ وَٱلزَّيْتُونِ
“By the fig and the olive” (Surah At-Tin (95), Verse 1)
The olive tree appears elsewhere in the Quran as well, including in the well-known Verse of Light, Surah An-Nur (24), Verse 35, which describes “a blessed olive tree” whose oil glows.
7. Grapes
Grapes are listed among the gardens God created for people, alongside date palms.
فَأَنشَأْنَا لَكُم بِهِۦ جَنَّـٰتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـٰبٍ لَّكُمْ فِيهَا فَوَٰكِهُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
“And We brought forth for you thereby gardens of palm trees and grapevines in which for you are abundant fruits and from which you eat.” (Surah Al-Mu’minun (23), Verse 19)
Grapes and grape juice are lawful. Wine is not: the Quran forbids intoxicants in Surah Al-Ma’idah (5), Verse 90, and scholars apply the prohibition to anything that intoxicates. That distinction is why grape-based ingredients, such as wine vinegar or grape-derived flavorings, receive close attention from certifiers. Our list of haram foods many Muslims miss covers several of them.
8. Honey
A whole chapter of the Quran, Surah An-Nahl, is named for the bee. It describes honey as a drink of many colors that contains healing.
يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ
“There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people.” (part of the verse) (Surah An-Nahl (16), Verse 69)
Honey is lawful. Scholars and certifiers focus on what may be added to it, and on honey-based products that include other ingredients.
9. Grain with husks and fragrant plants
Surah Ar-Rahman lists the gifts of the earth, from fruit and palm trees to grain and fragrant plants.
وَٱلْحَبُّ ذُو ٱلْعَصْفِ وَٱلرَّيْحَانُ
“And grain having husks and scented plants.” (Surah Ar-Rahman (55), Verse 12)
Translators render the last word, rayhan, as “scented plants,” and some commentators link it to basil and other aromatic herbs. Herbs and spices are lawful in their natural state.
10. Gourd
The gourd appears once in the Quran, in the story of the Prophet Jonah, after he was cast ashore.
وَأَنۢبَتْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَجَرَةً مِّن يَقْطِينٍ
“And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine.” (Surah As-Saffat (37), Verse 146)
According to a hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) particularly liked gourd. Anas described a meal at the home of a tailor:
قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَتَبَّعُ الدُّبَّاءَ مِنْ حَوَالَىِ الصَّحْفَةِ . قَالَ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أُحِبُّ الدُّبَّاءَ مُنْذُ يَوْمَئِذٍ .
“Anas said: I saw Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) going after the pumpkin round the dish, so I have always liked the pumpkin since that day.”
Reference: (Closing part of the hadith.) Sahih Muslim, The Book of Drinks (Kitab al-Ashribah), Hadith 2041a (in-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 199). Sunnah.com. A parallel narration is in Sahih al-Bukhari, Food, Meals (Kitab al-At’imah), Hadith 5379 (in-book reference: Book 70, Hadith 7). Sunnah.com.
The 10 foods at a glance
| Food | Quran reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and seafood | Surah Al-Ma’idah (5), Verse 96 | Schools differ on shellfish |
| Milk | Surah An-Nahl (16), Verse 66 | Check enzymes in cheese and whey |
| Dates | Surah Maryam (19), Verse 25 | Traditional food for breaking the fast |
| Grain | Surah An-Naba (78), Verse 15 | Check additives in baked goods |
| Herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, onions | Surah Al-Baqarah (2), Verse 61 | Everyday vegetables |
| Figs and olives | Surah At-Tin (95), Verse 1 | Olive also in Surah An-Nur (24), Verse 35 |
| Grapes | Surah Al-Mu’minun (23), Verse 19 | Wine is forbidden |
| Honey | Surah An-Nahl (16), Verse 69 | Described as containing healing |
| Grain with husks and fragrant plants | Surah Ar-Rahman (55), Verse 12 | Herbs and spices |
| Gourd | Surah As-Saffat (37), Verse 146 | A food the Prophet liked |
Several of these foods, including dates, figs, olives and honey, are also discussed for their nutritional value in our piece on Quranic foods for health. For a broader view of eating within Islamic rules, see our explainer on what a halal diet is.
The Halal Times does not issue religious rulings. Readers with questions about their own practice should consult a qualified scholar.
