Food and Drink

The consequences of eating haraam meat

4 days ago By user2

Q: I live in India, in a non-Muslim area. I have a lot of issues with vegetarian diet; bloating, excessive passing of gases, tinnitus increasing, stomach discomfort, skin issues etc. 

I have always eaten mostly meat-based diet, and it (Alhamdulillah) suits my health. I’ve been eating a mix of halal and non-halal meats (beef, mutton, chicken only, never pork). Unfortunately fish here is really toxic. My situation is such that I can have home cooked halal food once or maybe sometimes twice a day, but many a times I have to order food, and eat outside with people etc. 

I was feeling guilty for eating non-halal meats so I tried to stop eating non-halal meats. It’s been a couple of weeks since I lowered my meat intake to just the halal meat I am able to have cooked at home, and eating vegetarian at other times, and my health issues have become worse; lot of tinnitus, stomach issues, skin problems, lot of gas etc. 

I’m trying to leave the area I live in, once (Insha’Allah) I get an employment in an area where more halal options are there. But till then, can I go back to eating a mix of halal and non-halal meats (no pork) due to health issues? 

Partaking of food prepared by Hindus at the time of Diwali

2 weeks ago By user2

Q: Does Mufti saab approve of the below: 

1. ON OFFERING DIWALI GREETINGS 

Question: On the occasion of Diwali, is saying "Happy Diwali" to a Hindu haraam? 

Ruling: Yes, this is haram. The reasoning is that offering such a greeting constitutes an acknowledgement and an expression of happiness that the individual is upon beliefs of shirk. 

2. ON PARTAKING IN FOOD PROVIDED AT A WORKPLACE FOR DIWALI 

Question: At my workplace, Hindus leave food on a common table to share their joy for Diwali. Is it permissible to go to the table and take this food? 

Ruling: The act of going to take the food is haraam. This voluntary action is interpreted as an endorsement of, and happiness for, the shirk associated with the festival, analogous to offering Diwali greetings. 

However, the consumption of the food itself is a separate matter and is not inherently haraam, provided two conditions are met: 

· The food was not sacrificed to a false deity. 
· The ingredients of the food are not inherently impermissible (e.g., containing alcohol or pork). 

If either of these conditions is violated (the food was sacrificed or contains haraam ingredients), then both the act of taking it and its consumption become haraam. 

3. ON ACCEPTING FOOD DIRECTLY OFFERED BY A HINDU FOR DIWALI 

Question: If a Hindu brings food to me directly out of happiness for Diwali and I accept it, would this be haraam? 

Ruling: The permissibility in this scenario depends on your intention and the nature of the food. There are three potential situations: 

· Scenario A: Your intention is not in reverence to Diwali, but simply to accept an offer of food. In this case, the act of accepting and eating the food is not haraam, provided the food itself is permissible (not sacrificed to a false deity and containing no haraam ingredients). You are not held responsible for the giver's intention. 

· Scenario B: Your intention is not to revere Diwali, but the food itself is haraam (either because it was sacrificed to a false deity or contains haraam ingredients). In this case, both accepting and consuming the food is haraam. 

· Scenario C: Your intention is to revere or participate in the Diwali celebration by accepting the food. In this case, the act of acceptance is haraam, regardless of whether the food itself is technically halal.

Drinking water from bottles

4 months ago By user2

Q: We learnt that one should not drink water from a jug or bottle. Please advise regarding drinking from water bottles (the ones purchased from shops in 350ml / 500ml), juice bottles (children's school lunch bottles), flasks etc. that we find students are commonly using today. These come in various kinds of styles and sizes - some even going upto 1 and 2 litre bottles.

Subscribe to Food and Drink