[Q 667] Can the Dish Be Called Haleem?

QUESTION:

A point of confusion for many is: A dish made by cooking meat and lentils together is commonly known as “Haleem.” Is calling it “Haleem” sinful in Islam?

ANSWER:

Calling a dish made from meat and lentils “Haleem” is not sinful. Firstly, it should be understood that Ḥalīm is one of those attributive Names of Allah Almighty whose use for others is permissible. The Noble Qur’an itself describes Sayyiduna Ibrahim عليه السلام and Sayyiduna Isma‘il عليه السلام as Ḥalīm.
Secondly, Ḥalīm, when used as one of the Names of Allah Almighty, is an Arabic word meaning “Forbearing” or “Most Clement.” However, the word Haleem used for the dish is an Urdu word referring to “a food prepared by cooking wheat, chickpeas, meat, spices, ginger, and similar ingredients together.” In this context, the meaning intended is not the Divine Attribute of Allah Almighty; rather, the Urdu meaning of the food is what is intended and understood. Therefore, there is no disrespect in using this name.
Many words have different meanings in different languages. When a word is used in one language, the meaning from another language is not intended. For example, Wakil and Hakim are also among the attributive Names of Allah Almighty. However, in Urdu, Wakil refers to a lawyer, while Hakim refers to a practitioner of traditional medicine. In these cases, the meanings intended are entirely different.
Nevertheless, it is better and more appropriate to use names such as Daleem or Khichra for this dish.

Allah تعالیٰ says in the Noble Qur’an:

وَاللّٰهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ

Translation Kanzul Irfan: “And Allah is Self-sufficient, Most Forbearing.” (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:263)

Regarding this verse, Tafsir Sirat al-Jinan states:
“Two attributes of Allah تعالیٰ are mentioned: that He is free of need from the charity of His servants, and that He is Most Forbearing, not hastening to punish sinners.”

(Tafsir Sirat al-Jinan, vol. 1, p. 398, Maktabat al-Madinah, Karachi)

Regarding Sayyiduna Ibrahim عليه السلام, Allah تعالیٰ says:

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ

Translation Kanzul Irfan: “Ibrāhīm was very tender-hearted, forbearing.” (Surah al-Tawbah, 9:114)

Regarding Sayyiduna Isma‘il عليه السلام, Allah تعالیٰ says:

فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِيمٍ

Translation Kanzul Irfan: “So We gave him glad tidings of a forbearing boy.” (Surah al-Saffat, 37:101)

Imam Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رحمة الله عليه states in Fatawa Ridawiyyah:

“كل كلام يحمل على عرف التكلم”

“Every statement is understood according to the customary usage and linguistic convention of the speaker.”

(Fatawa Ridawiyyah, vol. 28, p. 339, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

He also states:
“There are hundreds of Arabic words that are used in Urdu with meanings different from their Arabic meanings. Seeking those Urdu meanings in an Arabic dictionary is foolishness. Rather, one should ask the native speakers of Urdu.”

(Fatawa Ridawiyyah, vol. 28, p. 339, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

The Urdu dictionary defines Haleem as:
“A food prepared by cooking wheat, chickpeas, meat, spices, ginger, and similar ingredients together.”

(Rekhta Urdu Dictionary, entry: حلیم)

The Urdu word Wakil means:
“A qualified lawyer who represents a party in court and whose profession is legal advocacy.”

(Feroz al-Lughat, p. 1481)

Mufti Amjad Ali A‘zami رحمة الله عليه writes:
“It is permissible to use certain Divine Names as personal names for people where their application to others is allowed, such as ‘Ali, Rashid, Kabir, and Badi‘, because when these names are used for people, the meanings intended are not the same as those intended when they are used for Allah تعالیٰ.”

(Bahar-e-Shari‘at, vol. 3, p. 602, Maktabat al-Madinah, Karachi)

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Answered by: Qazi Muteeb Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 25th June 2026.