A renowned scholar from Calif, USA announced that it is okay to eat food from fastfood places as long as they take Allah’s name and my family members have it doing this. Also, family members/friends have been bringing an issue that if one goes to a fellow Muslim’s home & whatever he serves, the guest must eat but, if one knows that this person maybe serving haram food (non-zabihah meat for example), is it permissible for the guest to eat it or should he politely refuse the host? Please help me. Jazakallah!
Respected Brother-in-Islam
Assalaamu Álaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu
1. Shari?ah has emphasised on exercising precaution in consuming Tayyib food. Tayyib food is that which is Halaal beyond doubt. At the outset, one does not know the position of the food served in fast foods outlets being Halaal or Haraam. Therefore, it is not permissible to eat from such outlets. The scholar is incorrect in his view.
2. Kindly refer our reply to a similar question – below
And Allah Taãla Knows Best.
Was salaam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.
Allah Taãla says in the Noble Qurãn:
?Today I have made permissible for you pure things and the food of those who were given the Book (Ahlul-Kitaab) is also Halaal for you?. (Qurãn 5:4)
Overtly the above Aayat reads that the Zabeeha of the Ahlul-Kitaab is permissible, but the fundamental principle must be understood in order to understand the Qurãn i.e. ?One part of the Qurãn explains the other?. Therefore, this verse should be understood in the light of another verse relating to the same matter:
?Do not eat unless Allah’s name has been taken and this (not taking Allah’s name) practice is transgression? (Quran 6:121)
While the former verse explicitly states that the Zabeeha of the Ahlul-Kitaab is permissible and the latter says, ?Do not eat unless Allah’s name has been taken?, in the light of both these verses, it is understood that the Zabeeha of the Ahlul-kitaab is permissible only if the name of Allah is taken at the time of slaughtering. The Ahlul-kitaab used to take Allah’s name when slaughtering an animal, therefore, their Zabeeha was also Halaal for Muslims. It is for this same reason that an animal slaughtered by the Mushrikeen, etc. is not permissible. The Ahlul-kitaab of today are recognized by name, less faith. There is no guarantee that they take the name of Allah/God when slaughtering an animal. Furthermore, they cannot be anymore trusted in matters pertaining to Halaal/Haraam.
Since there is uncertainty in the above slaughter manner, the Jurists are unanimous that it is not permissible to consume meat which is doubtful. Unless there is certainty that the Ahlul-kitaab read the ?Tasmiyah? i.e. take the name of God when slaughtering an animal then only will the meat be permissible. We suggest that the Muslims in the U.S.A. and U.K. slaughter the animals themselves. A committee be appointed and look into ways to facilitate for Halaal meat slaughtered by Muslims. This will make them independent from Christian/Jewish sources.
Another proposition may be that the meat sold on the market are packed, sealed and stamped by a Muslim organisation consisting of reliable scholars and Úlama who have proper Islamic knowledge of the principles pertaining to Halaal/Haraam of the Shariáh.