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Going to restaurant playing music and serving alcohol for family

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Ilyas Patel

I know there are many fatwas regarding this topic and how it goes against piety but I wanted to know what I am supposed to do for family dinners. Convincing my parents to go to a Halal restaurant is possible but what about background music and serving alcohol? I mean most Halal restaurants in my area do play background music etc… When I asked a fellow pious friend about this he said: “Don’t you buy groceries from places that sell pork? Don’t you buy clothing from places that may have sections that sell revealing clothing to women? If you look hard enough, you’ll be able to trace a sinful action almost everywhere your money or services are going, and you’ll be forced to live in a cave. Do your best to avoid directly supporting haram or supporting places that particularly make profits from haram.” I don’t mean to be disobedient but doesn’t the arguement have some sense? I want to know if my friend’s stance on this issue in within the limits of the Shariah? Please guide me on what to do in my situations…I’m struggling here to please my family (Which they feel I hardly do since I never go with them to movies, bowling, etc…) and also to achieve piety.

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

In the name of Allah Most Compassionate Merciful

I hope you are fine and in the best of health and iman.

Yes, your friend is right in many ways. It would be very difficult to completely live, do things in a strict pious way. One should try one’s best to avoid going to a restaurant, which has background music, or places where music is widespread.

However, one’s intention in going to these places,(except for going to the cinema and alcohol serving restaurants) is to eat, do shopping or lightly entertain ourselves with the intention of bonding family ties, do shopping, etc, it would be permissible. One’s intention going to these places is not to listen to the music as such. There is a well-known shariah principle that ‘matters are determined according to intentions.’

Be hopeful and ever increasing in duas, that with the intention of family bonding and showing your love, wisdom, and attitude; inward and outward through these things, it will help your family become more aware of the shariah.

And Allah alone knows best

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.