"In the past when people ate meat they knew where it came from and more importantly who slaughtered it," says Muhammad Ridha at his four-acre small-holding in Somerset. "These days very few Muslims can honestly say they know where their meat comes from, who reared the animal, what it was fed on and who slaughtered it."

The 31-year-old from Crydon has just set up one of the country’s first organic halal businesses, Abraham Natural Produce. Ridha rears chickens and goats and sources geese, turkey and lamb from local small-holders and farmers who share his vision for organic and eco-friendly farming.

He says the business came about by accident after he and his family uprooted from London and moved to Somerset in a bid to live a more sustainable lifestyle. "One of the reasons we set up the business was because we didn’t trust that the meat we were buying from local butchers was genuine halal," says Ridha.

Visits to local abattoirs and conversations with people in the meat industry confirmed Ridha’s suspicions. "I found that not only is much of the meat not even halal, but a lot of it is from poor quality animals that have been treated unjustly. Many animals are being reared in dreadful conditions, without seeing daylight or eating a blade of grass. There is no compassion exercised towards these animals."

Ridha says that this attitude of compassion towards an animal is essential to remain in keeping with the “tayiib” aspect of the Koran. "'Tayiib' means something that is wholesome, natural and good. Animals that have been reared in terrible conditions are not wholesome or natural."

Every animal for Abraham Natural Produce is slaughtered by Ridha personally at a local abattoir to ensure that the meat is 100 per cent hahal. “Halal” refers to the way in which an animal is slaughtered – the arteries and neck are cut in a certain way to minimise pain and the drain the blood, and a prayer must also be offered.

According to Ridha, many abattoirs pay lip service to the halal requirements and Muslims should be more wary when they see meat carrying the halal logo.

"We passionately believe that 'you are what you eat'. Food that has been produced unethically will have a negative effect on you, spiritually and physically. It is high time Muslims returned to eating meat that is pure, natural, organic and slaughtered correctly."

The transparency of Ridha’s business has impressed customers such as Maha El-Matwally, who came across Abraham Natural Produce by chance on the internet.

"I was really surprised," she says. "Normally you either have halal meat or organic meat. It’s very unusual to find a combination of both. I can eat meat with peace of mind now.

"I'm glad it's seasonal, too. When I asked for chicken I was told that they were still growing. I was only able to buy lamb. This is reassuring because you know that the meat you are buying hasn’t been contaminated or pumped with hormones."

While roast dinners are going down a treat with her family of four, El-Matwally is eager to spread the word to her Muslim friends.

"Eyebrows go up when you tell people about this," she says. "They are swimming against the tide and going back to how halal meat was prepared originally."

For Ridha, this is what it’s all about - going back to the roots of halal. "If an animal is slaughtered in the right way there will be blessing in it," he says. "It’s about finding a method of farming that sits with the ethos and spirit of Islam."

For more information visit: www.organic-halal-meat.com

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