I wanted to ask if it would be acceptable or “halal” if buying meat from an alcholic beverage store owned by muslims who claim that their meat is zabiha.

I wanted to ask if it would be acceptable or “halal” if buying meat from an alcholic beverage store owned by muslims who claim that their meat is zabiha. Would it be halal to buy this meat if the muslim owners say that it is zabiha but being sold in a “Beverage store” which they own selling alcohol? How can this meat be halal?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

At the outset one should know that selling alcoholic beverage/liquor is totally impermissible for a Muslim according to all the madhaahib (schools of thought).[i] Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has said:

إن الله ورسوله حرم بيع الخمر والميتة والخنزير والأصنام  [ii]

‘Verily Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the selling of liquor, carrion, pigs and idols.’

إن الذي حرم شربها حرم بيعها  [iii]

‘Indeed the One who prohibited drinking it prohibited selling it.’

The above ahaadith of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) make it clear that selling liquor is strictly prohibited just as drinking it is prohibited, and that selling it is a violation of the Shariah. The jurists have laid down that a Muslim who commits a major sin or is persistent in commiting a minor sin is termed as a faasiq in the shariah.[iv] One who trades in liquor undoubtedly displays utter disregard for the command of the shariah and clearly proves his persistence in violating the shariah. Hence, such a person will be deemed a faasiq.

After the above is clear, one has to know that there are two issues in the query:

1)      Is the word of a faasiq acceptable if he informs that the meat/food is halal or haram.

2)      Buying something halal from a place associated with sins and immorality.

Each one of the two issues will be dealt with below inshallah.

First Issue

In regards to a faasiq giving information or report, Allah mentions in the Holy Quran:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا

‘O you who believe, if a faasiq comes to you with any news, investigate it fully (and ascertain the truth)’[v]

Allamah Aaloosi writes in the tafseer of this verse:

والظاهر أن المراد به هنا المسلم المخل بشيء من أحكام الشرع أو المروءة  [vi]

Translation:

‘It is apparent that it (faasiq) here refers to a Muslim who violates some commands of the Shariah or goes against the dictates of manhood and sense of honor’

Shamsul A’immah As-Sarakhsi writes:

فإن اعتبار دينه يدل على صدقه في خبره واعتبار تعاطيه الكذب وارتكابه ما يعتقد الحرمة فيه دليل على كذبه في خبره فتتحقق المعارضة بينهما ولهذا أمر الله تعالى بالتوقف في خبر الفاسق بقوله تعالى { فتبينوا }  [vii]

Translation:

‘Consideration of his (a faasiq’s) religion (i.e. Islam) demonstrates his honesty, whereas consideration of him committing acts of dishonesty and acts which he believes to be prohibited indicates his deceit and lie. So there is a contradiction. And because of this (contradiction) Allah the Almighty has commanded to pause (and investigate) the report of a faasiq by saying, “investigate it fully and ascertain the truth.”’

The learned jurists state that the information given by a faasiq is not acceptable in diyaanaat[viii]  (i.e. matters related to conduct between men and Allah) in which the information can be attained through ‘udool (plural of ‘adl i.e. upright – opposite of faasiq) such as sighting of the hilal (crescent). In other cases where the information can not easily be attained through the ’udool, the report of the faasiq is  acceptable only after one examines and investigates the matter and the conclusion is reached that the information given by the faasiq is certainly or most probably true[ix].  Examples of such matters are: water being pure or impure, food being halal or haram etc. The information of a faasiq in respect to the meat being halal or haram is also included in this.[x]

From the above it is clear that if some Muslims who own a liquor store tell someone that the meat they sell is halal, it will not be permissible to consume the meat unless and until the matter is investigated and the conclusion is reached that the meat is certainly or most probably halal; only then will it be permissible to consume it. However, even if it is established that the meat is halal, since the meat is being sold at a liquor store – a place of sin and immorality – the second issue comes up here: Is it ok to buy something halal from a place that is associated with sins and immorality?

Second Issue

One ought to know that Islam teaches us to abstain from going to places where one could be accused of engaging in sinful acts. Similarly Islam teaches that one should refrain from such acts that may cause people to assume evil assumptions. If per chance, one does happen to be in such a situation and someone sees him, he should clarify the matter so that the person does not harbor about him any ill thoughts in his heart. This is the teaching of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) as can be understood from the following hadith:

عن علي بن الحسين أن صفية بنت حيي زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أخبرته أنها جاءت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تزوره وهو معتكف في المسجد في العشر الغوابر من رمضان فتحدثت عنده ساعة من العشاء ثم قامت تنقلب فقام معها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقلبها حتى إذا بلغت باب المسجد الذي عند مسكن أم سلمة زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم مر بهما رجلان من الأنصار فسلما على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم نفذا فقال لهما رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على رسلكما إنما هي صفية بنت حيي قالا سبحان الله يا رسول الله وكبر عليهما ما قال إن الشيطان يجري من ابن آدم مبلغ الدم وإني خشيت أن يقذف في قلوبكما (رواه البخاري ؛ الرقم 5751)

Translation:

Ali bin Husain (Radiyallahu Anhu) says that Safiyyah (Radiyallahu Anha), the wife of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) informed her that she once went to visit Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) while he was in I’tikaaf in the masjid in the last ten nights of Ramadan. She conversed with him part of the night, then she got up in order to leave. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) stood up with her to see her off. When she reached the door of the masjid which was near the chamber of Umm Salmaa (Radiyallahu Anha), the wife of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), two men from the Ansaar passed by them. They gave salaam to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), and kept on going. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said to them, “Hold on! This is merely Safiyya Bint Huyyai.” They both said, “Subhan Allah O Messenger of Allah! (i.e. how can we think that she was someone other than one of your honorable wives?)” They considered great what Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said to them. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) then said, “Indeed Shaytaan flows in the blood of the son of Adam, and I feared that he may cast something (unbefitting) in your hearts.” (Bukhari #5751)

In order to protect ourselves from being the target of such accusations and assumptions, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) taught us that we should keep away from such places (even if our intention is legitimate) where one’s reputation could be tarnished by others. That is why Zaid bin Thaabit (Radiyallahu Anhu) said:

إني لأكره أن أرى في مكان يساء بي الظن  [xi]

Translation:

‘I dislike to be seen in a place where one could assume an evil assumption about me.’

Similarly, it is narrated by Rabee’ ibn Anas (May Allah be pleased with him):

مكتوب في الحكمة : من يصحب صاحب السوء لا يسلم ، ومن يدخل مداخل السوء يتهم ، ومن لا يملك لسانه يندم [xii]

Translation:

‘It is written concerning wisdom: He who accompanies an evil person is not safe. He who enters places of evil is accused. He who does not control his tongue regrets.’

Apart from the possibility of ones reputation being tarnished by being accused of buying and consuming alcohol, there is also a strong possibility that one going to a liquor store may be affected by the evil environment lurking there. Looking at alcoholic beverages can encourage a person to drink it – especially considering that the way alcoholic beverages are displayed and advertised in a liquor store is designed specifically to tempt and delight the senses. May Allah protect. That is why the jurists have stated that it is not permissible to look at alcoholic beverages in a way that one derives pleasure from it.[xiii] Moreover, we have been commanded to enjoin good and to forbid evil; however, by buying from a liquor store, even if it is something halal one is buying, one will only be encouraging the seller and the owner to continue with the impermissible trade. In short, it is highly reprehensible for one to enter a liquor store, or any place of immorality and evil for that matter.

Conclusion:

So the answer to your query is that it is not permissible to believe what the owners of the liquor store say regarding the meat being halal or haram and that one must conduct an investigation to determine the truth of the matter. If it is established that the meat sold in the liquor store is certainly or most probably haram, it will be impermissible to buy and consume the meat. And if it is established that the meat is certainly or most probably halal, it will still be highly discouraged and reprehensible to buy from there because of the elements mentioned above. If one fears that by going to the liquor store he may be tempted to buy alcohol, it will not be permissible to enter it at all. In short, one should refrain from buying meat from such a place, especially when halal meat is available elsewhere. However, should one still decide to buy the meat from such a place after establishing that the meat is halal, the meat itself will be halal.

Wassalam

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (M2)
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah

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