Guide
How to Read SalamXP
SalamXP shows what we know, and how well we know it — not a single yes/no "halal" stamp. This page explains the evidence system behind every badge and icon on the site, so you can judge for yourself how much to rely on it.
Why We Show Evidence Levels, Not Just "Halal" or "Not Halal"
A single "halal" label hides an important question: says who, and how do they know? A restaurant that declares itself halal on its own sign is a very different level of evidence from one with a certificate from a recognized Islamic authority — but both often get displayed identically elsewhere.
SalamXP shows the underlying evidence level instead, so you can decide what's enough for your own situation. Some travelers are comfortable with a Muslim-owned restaurant; others want a certificate with a named issuer. Both are reasonable — the evidence should be visible either way.
Context, not judgment. The decision always remains yours.
The Evidence Ladder
Every place we show halal-related information for is placed on this ladder, based on the strongest evidence we actually have on file:
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not suitable | Evidence on file conflicts with a halal meal — for example, pork or alcohol on the main menu, or the venue itself states it does not serve halal food. |
| Not yet assessed | We don't have enough information on file yet to place this venue on the ladder at all. |
| Self-declared halal | The venue states it is halal (a sign, menu, or listing) — with no outside evidence we've been able to check. |
| Muslim-owned / operated | The owner or operator is Muslim, or the venue sits in a Muslim community, with supporting evidence beyond a verbal claim. |
| Listed by a third-party source | The venue appears on an external halal directory, travel platform, or in independent reviews — not a religious-authority certification. |
| Certified by a commercial/tourism body | A documented certificate exists from a private agency, platform, hotel, or tourism-standards body — not a religious certifying body. |
| Certified by a recognized Islamic authority | A halal certificate exists from a named Islamic religious certifying body. This is the strongest evidence level we track — but even a real certificate can go stale if a menu or kitchen changes, so we still recommend checking on-site when it matters. |
Scope — What the Evidence Actually Covers
A certificate or claim without a scope is incomplete — "this place has a halal certificate" doesn't tell you whether that covers the whole kitchen or just one packaged product. Where we know it, we show the scope alongside the evidence level:
- The whole restaurant — the entire venue is covered.
- Selected menu items only — only specific dishes are covered, not the full menu.
- Packaged product only, not the kitchen — covers a retail product, not what's cooked on-site.
- Catering / off-site service only — covers catering, not the venue itself.
- The central kitchen only, not the dining venue — a supply kitchen is covered, not necessarily the restaurant you're sitting in.
- The supplier only, not the restaurant itself — an ingredient supplier is halal-certified; the restaurant using it may not be.
- Not yet checked — we haven't confirmed scope yet. Ask on-site if it matters for you.
Trust Source Tags
Next to the evidence badge, you may see one of four small tags — this tells you where the information came from, separate from the evidence level itself:
- Checked by SalamXP — our team confirmed this directly, on-site or with the certifying body.
- Shared by the Owner — the venue owner or operator told us directly.
- From an Outside Source — we found this on a third-party platform or directory, not confirmed by us or the venue.
- Not Verified — we don't yet know the source well enough to say. Treat this the same as "not yet assessed."
Facility Icons
Small icons show practical facilities where we have confirmed information — prayer space, a gender-separated prayer area, a wudu (ablution) area, or an alcohol-free environment.
An icon only appears when we have confirmed information that the facility exists. If an icon is missing, that does not mean the facility is absent — it means we simply don't have confirmed information either way yet. We never guess, and we'd rather show nothing than show something we can't back up.
What SalamXP Is — and Isn't
SalamXP organizes and displays evidence that others — venues, certifying bodies, and outside platforms — have provided. We are not a religious authority, not a government body, and not a halal-certification issuer ourselves. Nothing on this site is an official religious ruling (fatwa), a government certification, or a guarantee that any authority — religious, governmental, or otherwise — will accept a document or claim shown here.
Even our strongest evidence level, a certificate from a recognized Islamic authority, can go out of date if a kitchen, supplier, or menu changes after our records were last updated. When a decision genuinely matters to you, we recommend confirming directly with the venue or the certifying body itself — the same caution we'd want someone to take on our behalf.
When You're Not Sure
If the evidence level or scope shown isn't enough for your situation, a few things usually help:
- Ask on-site about the specific dish, supplier, or kitchen setup you care about.
- If a certificate is shown, ask to see it and check the expiry date and scope in person.
- When in doubt, treat the situation with the same caution as if no evidence were shown at all — evidence can be real and still be incomplete.
Corrections and Updates
Evidence changes — certificates expire, ownership changes, menus change. If something on SalamXP looks outdated, incorrect, or you have better evidence than what we've shown, please tell us:
Email: info@salamxp.com