Ḥarām

Ḥarām (Arabic: حرام ) is an Arabic word, used in Islam to refer to anything that is prohibited by the faith. Its antonym is halāl.

The most obvious example of things that are harām are products forbidden by Muslim dietary laws, such as alcohol and pork. Pork-derived products such as gelatine are also forbidden by many scholars, while others view it as being permissible, or halāl. Colourants derived from insects such as carmine (one of the most common red food colorings) (made from the cochineal insect) are also considered as harām.

The category of harām also includes all manner of forbidden behaviours, from adultery to siding with a non-Muslim power against Muslims in war.

In 2005, the Fiqh Council of North America issued a fatwa that called "all acts of terrorism targeting civilians... haram in Islam" and said that "targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram."

"Haram" is also an expression used by non-Muslim Arabs in or upon receipt of news about certain kinds of situations, and is basically tantamount to the English expression, "for shame."

References

U.S. Muslim religious council issues fatwa against terrorism

Islamic law | Arabic words

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References