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Can I Give Impermissible Food to Non-Muslims?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Seekersguidance.org

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Assalamu alaykum

Would non muslims be obligated to cover any particular parts of their body as they do not have any legal private region? Having said this, would it be permissible for a muslim to look at the hair, for example, of an unrelated non muslim woman if no sexual inclination is found?

On the same note, would it be permissible to give non muslims haram food?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

Thank you for your question.

According to the dominant Usuli position non-Muslims are primarily made responsible for belief in the revelation sent to the final Messenger, Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace). In Muslims lands they follow the laws of trade, and the penal system would also apply to them (Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar).

However, a Muslim is expected to deal with them according to the laws of the Shariʿa, so the general laws of looking at members of the opposite gender would apply here (Salah Abul-Hajj, al-Bayan). It would be permissible to look at a member of the opposite gender when needed, such as a cashier in a supermarket. One is not expected to state at his shoes when handing over his money; rather the decorum, and good conduct of Islam should be exercised.

Giving Impermissible Food to Non-Muslims

The general rule is ‘that which is impermissible to acquire is impermissible to give’. Therefore actively giving some haram food to someone is not permissible (Zarqa, Sharh al-Qawaʿid al-FIqhiyya). However, one may leave it for them to take in an indirect manner. For example, if one unknowingly purchased some food which was impermissible, and was unable to return it for whatever reason, one could offer it to a non-Muslim colleague, and leave it next to their desk at work for them to take.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

This answer was collected from Seekersguidance.org. It’s an online learning platform overseen by Sheikh Faraz Rabbani. All courses are free. They also have in-person classes in Canada.

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