Miscellaneous

Disposing of shoes made of pig leather

Q: Sometime ago, we purchased leather shoes in a non-Muslim country. We did not ask in the store what type of leather is used, i.e. if it is pig leather or not.

I thus subsequently called and emailed the manufacturer multiple times, but for some reason they were not forthcoming on the type of leather used. They said they will get back to me but they never did.

What should be done with these shoes which might or might not be pig leather? Can they be given to a non-Muslim?

Wearing a soccer shirt with a cross symbol

Q: Please can you advise on the permissibility of wearing the England football shirt? Unfortunately many brothers have taken to not only wearing this, but also displaying the England flag on their houses during football matches. They also do this with the Union Jack flag during the Olympics/for celebration of the queens milestones (e.g. jubilee celebration).

The arguments put forth by these individuals are that the cross symbol is no longer solely representative of the Christian faith and identity as it is used more widely nowadays to represent other things and doesn’t just signify one is a Christian. As an example, they say that just because isis used the seal of the prophet Muhammad ﷺ does that mean everyone who uses the seal of the Prophet ﷺ follows isis? They also say that as wearing a necktie was once associated with the cross but no longer is today, in the same vein, wearing the St. George’s Cross of England flag no longer represents Christianity.

Please can you provide us with a clear cut answer as the brothers are unsure how to respond to some of these shubuhat.

Wearing shoes thinking that the word Allah is written on it

Q: I have these shoes that say Air Max on them. I feared at one point that the way it was written, it could be that it looked like the way if one wrote لله

If I wore these what would be the ruling? What if I wasn’t sure and wore them intending no disrespect. Also, what if I thought they didn’t intend to write that and I would leave the shoes in the bottom of a shoe shelf on top of other shoes?

Wearing Nike

Q: I have come across the fatwa on Nike. I have 3 questions:

1. Is the swoosh also impermissible?

2. If a person wears Nike, will he be commiting kufr?

3. What should I do with my Nike clothing?