Food and Drink

Eating and drinking Haraam

Q:

  1. Is there a hadith which says a person who eats or drinks haram, his dua and salah is not accepted for 40 days?
  2. After eating haram, if the person repents straight away will his dua and salah be accepted or it will still not be accepted until after 40 days?

Vanilla extract

Q: To clarify if a product has vanilla extract/flavouring is it necessary to find out (before eating) if the vanilla extract is from dates or grapes? (GMWA have yet to come across flavourings sourced from dates and grapes in the UK market.)

Respecting one's guests

Q: How should one treat ones guest? Does the guest have any rights? Does the Ahadiths mention any thing regarding ones guest also if one shows disrespect to his / hers guest is it a sin? Is it correct to ask if you'll will have anything? If mufti saheb could narrate any incedient in the live of nabi [Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam], the sahabaa [Radiyallahu Anhum] and in the lives of great uleama of deoband on how they took care of their respected guess?

Doubts regarding food items

Q: "Most food products nowadays contain some type of flavouring - natural, artificial, or a combination of both. Many of these flavourings contain alcohol, which is used as a carrier or solvent for the flavouring." (foodguide.org.uk) 

Any product which contains the ingredient "Flavouring" has a chance of alcohol being used in the making process. (The flavouring can be a vanilla flavouring.) This includes chocolates, crisps, biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks. 

I am aware that if alcoholic flavourings which are from dates or grapes are not permissible

The GMWA foodguide (http://www.foodguide.org.uk/?page=viewquestion&id=200) have written:

" Flavourings from dates and grapes?

Alhumdulillah, to date from over 15 years of experience in the field, we have yet to come across flavourings sourced from dates and grapes in the UK market.

We don't issues fatwas at the drop of the hat, but pertinent information is necessary for a decision. Furthermore, we do not charge the companies or consumers for this service, it is totally a Lillah service.

To summarise:

Alcoholic Flavourings: They are permissible due to necessity and public predicament as they are so widely used in the food industry. Alcohol Extracts e.g. (vanilla, yeast and others): They are permissible due to necessity and public predicament as they are so widely used in the food industry."

My questions is:

Is it necessary to do tahqeeq (research) about every food product which contains the ingredient "Flavouring" or contains a alcoholic flavouring before eating it?