What it is and where it comes from
Tallow is fat from cattle or sheep, melted and cleaned. Suet is the hard raw fat around the kidneys, and dripping is fat collected while roasting. The animal is halal, so the question is the slaughter.
What scholars say
- Halal certifiers: only fat from animals slaughtered in the halal way.
- Some scholars accept fat from cattle and sheep slaughtered by Jews and Christians (Quran 5:5). Many others hold that ordinary Western slaughter does not meet that condition. Follow your mosque or school.
Where you find it
Chips fried in beef dripping, pastry, suet puddings, mince pies, dumplings, some margarine, and bird food.
What to look for on the label
Look for a halal logo or ask the shop. Vegetable suet, made from palm or sunflower oil, is a plant alternative.
This is a guide, not a fatwa. Recipes change, so check the label, look for halal certification, and ask your local imam where scholars differ.