Your Meat Is Halal. But Is It Tayib?
Recipes
Lila's Kitchen
Roasted Aubergine & Potato with Tzatziki
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
- 1 aubergine, sliced (not too thick)
- 2 large potatoes, cut into wedges
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
For the tzatziki:
- 400g Greek yoghurt
- 2–3 cloves garlic, grated
- ½ cucumber, grated and drained
- Handful of chopped fresh dill
- Handful of chopped fresh mint
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Season the aubergine and potatoes with spices, salt, pepper and oil.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Roast potatoes for 25–35 minutes until golden and crispy. Shallow fry the aubergine until golden or roast it alongside potatoes.
For tzatziki: Mix the cucumber and herbs in a bowl, then add the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Adjust garlic and lemon to taste. Layer tzatziki with roasted potatoes and aubergine. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and finish with fresh herbs.
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An interview with Zeki Ismail, Owner of Abraham’s
For many Muslims, the question of meat begins and ends with one word: halal.
But for Zeki Ismail of Abraham’s, it’s only the starting point.
“Halal is a term in Islamic law,” he explains. “It simply means permissible. But when the Qur’an talks about food, it doesn’t always use the word halal on its own.”
Instead, the Qur’an repeatedly uses the phrase halalan tayyiban.
“The word tayyib is translated as pure, clean and wholesome,” Zeki says. “It’s not just about stuffing our faces. It’s about what we’re putting into our bodies and how that food came to us.”
Zeki draws a clear distinction between halal and tayyib. “When we study fiqh, we’re usually looking at the bare minimum— what’s obligatory. That’s the same with halal food. But tayyib goes beyond that. I’d consider it closer to a sunnah.”
For tayyib, animal welfare is central. “There are clear rules around slaughter, all aimed at minimising suffering,” Zeki says. He points to a hadith about a woman punished for mistreating a cat. “That shows how seriously Islam takes the treatment of animals.”
If there’s one food that clearly shows the difference between halal and tayyib, it’s chicken. Zeki explains, “Chickens are treated like a commodity. They’re kept under light for up to 22 hours a day to trick them into eating and are slaughtered at just weeks old. They’re not mature chickens – they’re fat babies.” Abraham’s chickens live outdoors in small flocks, free-ranging daily, eating grass and bugs. They’re slaughtered at two to three months, when fully mature.
Tayyib meat costs more. Zeki doesn’t deny it. “It takes longer to raise an organic chicken properly. There’s more labour, more time and more loss.”
His advice is to eat less. “The Prophet (pbuh) didn’t eat meat every day. Traditional societies didn’t either. If you want to eat pure food but can’t afford it regularly, eat meat less often. Follow the sunnah.”
O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth, lawful and good (halalan tayyiban).
Zeki is on a mission. “I’ve not taken a single penny out of this business… I get food out of it, so I’m not complaining,” he smiles. “We do this because we believe in wholesome food. There’s a spiritual aspect to it as well as an ethical aspect.”
Your meat is halal. But tayyib asks a deeper question: Does the way it was raised reflect your values?
What does ‘Tayib’ mean?
An Arabic word meaning good, pure, wholesome or good-natured. It is widely used in Islamic contexts to describe things such as food, actions or people that are excellent, pure and ethical. The word often suggests inner goodness and a wholesome quality.
What does ‘Tayib’ mean?
An Arabic word meaning good, pure, wholesome or good-natured. It is widely used in Islamic contexts to describe things such as food, actions or people that are excellent, pure and ethical. The word often suggests inner goodness and a wholesome quality.
