Muslims and Food

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

Islam is the faith of nearly 15 per cent of the world’s population. It has a certain underlying unity, springing from the simplicity and straightforwardness of Muhammad’s message and the basic tenets of the faith, even though these have been richly elaborated over the centuries. This simplicity is evident in Muslim dietary laws. Muhammad knew Judaism well, but the Qur’ān (which was not his own work but was revealed to him by the messenger of God over a period of many years) avoids many of the prohibitions and prescriptions of the Jews (see jewish dietary laws).