I go to a Muslim owned restaurant but not sure whether food is halal or not. I ask the owner if food is halal and he replies in the affirmative. Should I take his word for it and eat food? Or suspect that food isnt halal and reject him?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, the information of an adil (just and upright Muslim)is accepted in issues of halal and haraam. If the Muslim owner is a just and upright practicing Muslim and he has adequate knowledge of halal and haram, and there is no genuine reason to doubt his information, then you could rely on his information and regard the food in his restaurant as halal. However, if any one of the above conditions are not found for example, the person is not a practicing Muslim and he is known not to be generally upright, and/or he lacks proper understanding of halal and haram or there is a genuine reason for doubting his information, then one should exercise precaution[1].
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Hafizurrahman Fatehmahomed
Student Darul Iftaa
Netherlands
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لَا يَرِيبُكَ
سنن الترمذي ت شاكر (4/ 668)
“Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt”
حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح (ص: 35)
قوله: ” لبقائه ” أي اللحم على الحرمة أي التي هي الأصل إذ حل الأكل متوقف على تحقق الذكاة اشرعية وبتعارض الخبرين لم يتحقق الحل فبقيت الذبيحة على الحرمة