Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Hello Sir,

My question is :

Is it okay in islam for a muslim to eat food that is `prepared` by

a hindu,

bohri,

agha khani,

jew,
and christian. ?

people say since bohri and agha khani believe in some imams and say laanat on others, they are comitting shirk.

also, please clarify when one lives abroad, u make friends with different people with different religious backgrounds. how can one avoid spending time and or dining with them, in this day and age.

thanks,

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Food by hindu, bohra, etc

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Is it okay in islam for a muslim to eat food that is `prepared` by
a hindu, bohri, agha khani, jew, and christian. ?
Provided the food that is ‘prepared’ is halaal or lawful in its essence, regardless of who prepares the food, such food would be absolutely lawful and permissible for the believers to consume.

The permissibility or impermissibility of the food does not depend on who ‘prepares’ the food, but rather it depends on the food being halaal or not in its essence.

For example, even if a muslim (Allah forbid) slaughters or prepares swine or any animal which is declared haraam in Islam…..that food would be unlawful for the believers to consume.

The list of halaal or permissible foods in Islam in indeed endless! Allah and His Messenger (saws) have listed only the foods which are haraam or forbidden for the believers to consume. The law or principle in determining whether a food is halaal or haraam, the believers must look in the list of the haraam foods; and if not found in the haraam list, that food will be considered halaal for the believers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 3-4:

3 Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah, that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any forced by hunger with no inclination to transgression Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

4 They ask thee what is lawful to them (as food): say: Lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure: and what ye have taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) in the manner directed to you by Allah; eat what they catch for you but pronounce the name of Allah over it: and fear Allah; for Allah is swift in taking account.

5 This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you, and yours is lawful unto them.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 157:

157 Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet (Mohamed (saws)) whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures); in the law and the Gospel; for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil: he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him honor him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him, it is they who will prosper."

Thus, in light of the above Aayahs of the Holy Quran and the various authentic narrations of the Messenger of Allah (saws), here is the list of the haraam foods:

1. The meat of any animal that dies of itself or is not duely slaughtered (including fall, strangling, gored to death, etc.), regardless of who prepares it!
2. The flesh of swine, regardless of who prepares it!
3. The food on which any name other than Allah Subhanah’s has been invoked, regardless of who prepares it!
4. The food that is slaughtered by any other than the believers, Jews or Christians, regardless of who prepares it!
5. The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to eat the meat of any animal which hunts with its fangs (eg. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, etc.), regardless of who prepares it!
6. The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to eat the meat of any bird which hunts with its hunts with its claws (eagles, crows, etc.), regardless of who prepares it!
7. All the impure animals and insects (rats, cockroaches, etc.), regardless of who prepares it!
8. The Messenger of Allah (saws) also forbade the believers to eat dogs and domestic donkeys, regardless of who prepares it!

If the food does not fall in the list of the haraam, it will be considered halaal and permissible for the believers as food, regardless of who ‘prepares’ it.

It is practically impossible to name each and every halaal food, as the list is endless. But we will try to compile a list only as an indication. The following are absolutely halaal for the believers.

1. All vegetation is halaal food for the believer to consume, regardless of who ‘prepares’ the food.
2. The flesh of all animals and birds that are not listed in the haraam list, are halaal as food for the believers provided they fulfill the requirements of slaughter; regardless of ‘prepares’ that flesh.
3. All sea-food is halaal, whether it be fish, crabs, lobster, prawns, etc.; regardless of who catches or ‘prepares’ it.

Your Question: people say since bohri and agha khani believe in some imams and say laanat on others, they are comitting shirk.

Although some acts of our ‘Bohra’ or ‘Aga Khani’ brethren are unfortunately indeed tantamount to the abomination of shirk, in essence they claim to believe in the Supreme Oneness of Allah Subhanah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah….thus they will be considered muslims in the Sight of Shariah and the believers, and the food a believer slaughters or prepares will be considered absolutely lawful for the other believers to consume.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2526 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Three things are the roots of faith:

1. to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah"
2. and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits,
3. and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any actions.

None in creation has a right to ex-communicate or judge one an unbeliever in the life of this world after that person has accepted Islam as their deen and declared the ‘shahaadah’ or testimony of faith, regardless of their actions or sins. It is Allah Subhanah Alone Who has the right to declare whether that person was indeed a believer or not in His Majestic and Supreme Court on that Inevitable Day of Judgment in the Hereafter.

Your Question: also, please clarify when one lives abroad, u make friends with different people with different religious backgrounds. how can one avoid spending time and or dining with them, in this day and age.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah Mumtahina verses 1-3:

1 O ye who believe! Take not My enemies and yours as friends (or protectors) offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you and have (on the contrary) driven out the Prophet and yourselves (from your homes) (simply) because ye believe in Allah your Lord! If ye have come out to strive in My Way and to seek My Good Pleasure (take them not as friends), holding secret converse of love (and friendship) with them: for I know full well all that ye conceal and all that ye reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed from the Straight Path.

2 If they were to get the better of you they would behave to you as enemies, and stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you for evil; and they desire that ye should reject the Truth.

3 Of no profit to you will be your relatives and your children on the Day of Judgment: He will judge between you: for Allah sees well all that ye do.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah Mumtahina verses 8-9:

8 Allah forbids you not with regard to those, who fight you not for (your) Faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.

9 Allah only forbids you with regard to those, who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong.

In light of the above guidance of the Holy Quran, Allah Subhanah guides the believers to judge the non-muslims or disbelievers, including the People of the Book, under two categories:

Category-1: Those disbelievers who do not fight the believers regarding their faith, nor drive the believers out of their lands and homes; Allah guides the believers to deal with them kindly and justly….for indeed, Allah Subhanah loves those who are just.

Thus, if a non-believer or a non-believing nation is not at war with the believers, there is no harm in dealing with such people in a good, kind, and just manner; for indeed they are our brothers in humanity.

Category-2: But Allah has forbidden the believers to befriend those unbelievers who have declared war on the believers because of their faith in Islam, and who drive the believers out of their homes and lands; or those unbelievers who help and support these enemies to oppress the believers. These are the unbelievers whom Allah has guided the believers not to befriend.

Your Question: how can one avoid spending time and or dining with them, in this day and age.
Beloved brother, if the disbelievers you encounter in your daily life are not amongst those who are at war with the believers, nor are they amongst those who strive to drive the believers out of their homes and lands because of their faith, nor are they amongst those who help and support the enemies to oppress the believers, nor do they ridicule, mock or abuse Allah, His Messengers, or Islam in your presence….Islam does not prohibit you from spending time or dining with them.

It may perhaps be that your being just and kind with them might melt their hearts, and because of your truthfulness in character, morality, and manners might be a catalyst in their accepting Islam one day, Insha Allah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan