Like prayer and fasting, eating in Islam is also considered to be a matter of worship. A Moslem eats for surviving and maintaining strength and good health in order to be able to serve God at best and in turn contribute good deeds to other people. To serve that purpose, a Moslem must eat good, healthy and halal foods or nutrition. The Quranic term of halal means anything considered to be lawful, allowable according to Islamic shariah (jurisprudence). The same manner should also be applied when a Moslem uses pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. 

To follow this way of life consistently is frequently not easy, because in the modern processing of food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, especially in the West, the foods, the ingredients or the additives might be made from various sources, including from clearly unlawful (so called haram) sources as well. The Moslems are also commonly confused when they meet products with suspected or doubtful contents (mushbooh).