Site icon Halal or Haram

Is Nando’s Halal or Haram?

Undoubtedly, fast food is the most popular phenomenon of our age. Many fast-food restaurant chains have emerged and become famous overnight. Nando’s is one such popular South African fast-food chain that has restaurants across the globe.

The multinational fast food restaurant is famous for its flame-grilled peri-peri-style chicken. Established in 1987, Nando’s now has more than 1200 outlets in around 35 countries worldwide. In the UK, Nando’s opened its first restaurant in 1992 and now it operates nearly 300 restaurants across the UK.

Though its chicken-based recipes are famous across the country the UK Muslim community often wonders about the Islamic legal status of Nando’s recipes – all they halal or haram?

In this blog, we will discuss whether Nando’s menu is halal or haram so that you can make an informed decision while visiting one of its UK restaurants.

Nando’s Menu

Nando’s offers a range of chicken-based and other recipes. Some of its popular recipes include;  

Though chicken in Islam is halal, the chicken must follow the Islamic slaughtering method by Muslim men. Also, the toppings and sauces used in the cooking process may convert a halal chicken into haram if these sauces and toppings are procured from haram sources.

Is Nando’s Halal or Haram?

Fortunately, Nando’s has signposted halal restaurants both in restaurants and online. According to careful estimates, there are more than 70 halal restaurants across the UK.

Halal restaurants serve only halal chicken, while in some cases, non-halal restaurants may also serve halal chicken in minute quantities. Shazan Foods Ltd and Freemans of Newent Ltd supply halal chicken to these halal restaurants. These suppliers are authorised by the Islamic Institute of Jurisprudence and these two are the biggest UK suppliers of halal chicken. Both of these suppliers claim that the slaughtering of chickens by Muslim men is according to the permissible method of Zabihah.

But before slaughter, the Muslim men stun the chickens to minimize the pain and distress. As Muslims follow different madhabs (Fiqahs), it is advisable to consult their respective religious leaders about the legal status of slaughtering pre-stunned chickens according to their school of thought.

The halal restaurants only serve halal chicken, but it is advisable to look up any haram ingredient used during grill/cooking. Also, wine and other alcoholic beverages are haram, whether served in halal restaurants or haram restaurants.

You can locate halal Nando’s restaurant by visiting https://www.nandos.co.uk/halal. Or alternatively, you can connect to them via their live chat.

Islamic Principle of Halal and Haram   

Quran has clearly distinguished halal from haram. Allah (SWT), in Surah Al Baqarah, has clarified the halal and haram food for Muslims.

He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.(Quran 2:173) 

(Source of above-cited Quranic Verse: https://quran.com/2/173?translations=84,17,95,101,22,20)

This Quranic verse is the guiding principle for distinguishing halal food from haram in Islam. According to this verse of the Holy Quran, carrion i.e. dead meat, the blood, and swine (pig) meat are haram. And also, if you slaughter any halal animal and dedicate it to others than Allah, it is haram.

In the case of Nando’s – the chicken specialist – chicken is halal. Still, it must follow the Islamic Zabihah method of slaughter and should not even use a trace of haram ingredient while grilling, cooking, and serving.

Final Word

Holy Quran and Sunnah are the two primary sources of guidance for all of the Muslim populace. So, in light of the Quran and Sunnah, for a halal chicken recipe or any other fast food, all of its ingredients must be halal and must follow the Islamic Zabihah method.

If you are in doubt about any product of Nando’s then lookup for its ingredients and any halal certifications. Also, you must seek the help of an established Islamic scholar in your community who can give you proper guidance regarding the subject matter.

Exit mobile version