Question
If non-halal food was brought into one’s home, does the cooking, storing, and handling of this food cause the spreading of impurities throughout the kitchen? If so, how does one purify the kitchen?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Firstly, non-halal meat only affects that which it comes in direct contact with if it is wet. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]
Dry meats, or merely moist meats, do not contaminate any surface because the transference of impurity only occurs when the wetness of the impurity is visible on the object contacted. This is not the case with merely moist or dry meats. [Ibid.]
Secondly, transference of impurity only occurs with direct contact of the wet meat with a surface. By this, it can be deduced that the microwave, the fridge, the freezer, or the like are not contaminated as the meat was merely stored in these things and not in direct contact with them. Steam and moisture do not cause the oven or microwave to be impure. [Ibid.]
Purifying Impure Surfaces
Any plates, countertops, or other smooth surfaces affected by impurity are considered pure when wiped. This applies even if water was not used. [Ibid.]
Note that the assumption is that everything is pure unless there is clear evidence to the contrary. Evidence such as visible impurity. [Ibid.]
Summary
One wiping of smooth surfaces contacted by impurities suffices. Microwaves, refrigerators, and freezers do not need purifying. Meat that was merely moist or dry does not cause surfaces to be impure.
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani