Answered by: Maulana Muhammad Imad Ali
Question:
I have been invited by work mates for a meal at lunch time at Turtle Bay. This is a Caribbean style restaurant which also serves alcohol. They have vegetarian options but I would like to know what the shari’ah point of view is and follow that Insha’Allah.
Answer
Alcohol and pork are forbidden in Islam.
The prohibition of which is proven in the Qur’an as Allah the Almighty states;
‘Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience.’ (Surah al-Maidah, Verse 3)
‘O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.’ (Surah al-Maidah, Verse 90).
Allah also said in the Qur’an:
“O people eat of what is in the earth permissible and good.” (Al Baqarah V168)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentioned in a hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Umar:
“Allah sends His curse on liquor, its consumer and its server, its seller and purchaser, its squeezers, its handlers, transporters and orderers, on all of them.” [(Sunan Abi Dawud pg:162 vol:2).
Regarding your question one should try and avoid going and eating in such places due to the issue of alcohol being served. You can suggest an alternative restaurant where alcohol is not being served to your colleagues.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Muhammad Imad Ali
Checked and Approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham