In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Introduction
Food is the means of nourishment of the human body, and its effect is reflected on man’s behavior and conduct. Hence, good lawful food has a good effect on the human being, and evil food has an evil effect. For this reason, Allah, the Exalted, has commanded His servants to eat good lawful food, and has forbidden them from eating what is unlawful. Allah says in this regard, “O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth (that is) lawful and good…” [Al-Baqarah: 168], and “O you who have believed, eat from the good (i.e. lawful) things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is indeed Him that you worship” [Al-Baqarah: [Al-Baqarah: 172]. Meaning of Food
Linguistically, food is generally everything that can be eaten or drunk, and all kinds of food are originally lawful according to the general meaning of Allah’s saying, “It is He Who created for you all that which is on earth” [AlBaqarah: 29]. Allah, the Exalted, has allowed the believers to avail themselves of the lawful things as indicated in His saying, “They ask you, (O Muhammad), what has been made lawful for them. Say, ‘Lawful for you are all good foods…’” [Al-Ma’idah: 4]. Lawful and Unlawful
Allah has clarified to His servants what He has forbidden them to eat or drink, as He says, “…He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden you, excepting that to which you are compelled…” [Al-An’am: 119]. Thus, any kind of food, drink, or clothes that is not prohibited by Allah or His Messenger ( Peace be upon him) is considered lawful. It is impermissible to prohibit it. That is because Allah, the Exalted, has defined and explained to us what is prohibited. Whatever Allah prohibits is well explained. As it is impermissible to sanction what is prohibited, it is also impermissible to prohibit what Allah has decreed as lawful and has not mentioned as prohibited. The Rule of Thumb The rule of thumb in this regard is that any pure and harmless food is lawful, in contrast to the impure food
such as the meat of dead animals, blood, droppings, urine, liquor, hashish, and anything defile with an impure object. All such things are forbidden, as they are all evil and harmful, based on the following verse in which Allah, the Almighty, says, “Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine…” [Al-Ma’idah: 3]. As for the dead, it is the animal that dies without being slaughtered according to the legal way of slaughtering. It is forbidden by reason of being an evil food, as one’s purity is surely affected by the kind of food one eats. Prohibiting such kinds of food is one of the virtues of the Islamic Law.
Land animals are lawful except those types prohibited by the Lawgiver of the Islamic Law. Prohibited Animals
Some Muslim scholars have classified the land animals prohibited from eating in six categories: 1. 2.
Compelled to Eat Unlawful Foods
Animals particularly stated in the Quran and Sunnah, such as the domestic donkeys. Animals restricted by certain characteristics and criteria, like the fanged beasts of prey and the birds with talons. Hyena is an exception because it is not a predator beast by nature even though it has fangs. Examples of birds that have talons are eagles, falcons, and hawks. Whatever feeds on carrions, like vultures and crows. Whatever is pernicious and injurious, like rats, snakes and insects. Whatever is born as a result of copulation between two animals, one of which is lawful to be eaten and the other is prohibited, like the mule. Whatever the Lawgiver of the Islamic Law has ordered us to kill, like the five pernicious animals (the rat, snake, scorpion, rabid dog, and kite), and what He, the Almighty, has forbidden us from killing, like the hoopee, and the shrike.
However, if one is compelled to eat such a food, it is lawful for him to do so and the aspect of being impure and evil is nullified under the circumstances of necessity. This is because the evil impure effect of the evil food is only there when one is willing to accept eating such a kind of food. So, when one is obliged, under the circumstances of necessity, to eat such a good, one’s purity is not affected by eating it, as the bad effect only happens when one voluntarily eats such an evil food. Thus, when there is no choice other than eating evil food, there is no harm in eating it.
3. 4.
As for blood, it is the blood shed as a result of slaughtering an animal. People of the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance used to put it in the entrails, grill it, and eat it. However, whatever blood remaining inside the flesh of the slaughtered animal or in the veins is lawful. Rather, it is not considered impure even if one touches it with the hand or with a piece of cotton for example and it leaves visible traces.
All other animals and birds that are not included under the above mentioned categories are considered lawful according to the rule stating that any thing is deemed lawful until proved otherwise. The examples of such animals are horses, animals of grazing livestock, poultry, zebras, antelopes, ostriches, rabbits, and other wild animals. All these animals are considered good food, so they are included under the meaning of the Quranic verse in which, Allah, the Exalted, says, “...And makes lawful for them the good things” [Al-A’raf: [Al-A’raf: 157].
Moreover, it is prohibited to have any kind of food or drink that causes harm to the body, such as poison, intoxicants, hashish, or tobacco. In this regard, Allah, the Exalted, says, “…And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction…” [Al-Baqarah: 195]. Lawful Kinds of Food
Lawful kinds of food are divided into two categories: animals and plants, such as cereals and fruits. Thus, any harmless kind of food is lawful. Animals in turn are divided into two categories: land animals and sea animals.
5.
6.
The cows and camels that eat impurities are excluded from being lawful food. It is related on the authority of ‘Amr ibn Shu’ayb that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) forbade eating meat of domestic donkeys and forbade riding animal that eat impurities or eating its meat. It does not make any difference whether such animal is from the animals of grazing livestock, poultry or other animals. Moreover, its milk and eggs are also considered impure until the animal is detained for three days and fed on pure fodder only.
5. Eating onion, garlic, and suchlike foods with a bad smell is detestable, especially when attending mosques, as illustrated in the hadith in which the Prophet (Peace be upon him) says, “Whoever eats from this plant (i.e. garlic) should not enter our mosque” mosque” [Sahih Muslim]. If anyone is compelled by necessity to eat a prohibited food other than poison food, lest he should perish, it is deemed lawful for him to eat only the amount that will support him and keep him alive. The proof of this is shown in the noble verse in which Allah, the Exalted, says, “…But whoever is forced by necessity, neither desiring it nor transgressing its limit, there is no sin upon him…” [Al-Baqarah: 173]. Eating from Other’s Foods
Also, if anyone is compelled to eat from the food of others, provide that the owner of such a food does not face the same circumstances of compulsion; the former must be offered whatever may keep him alive in return for paying the price of the food. Furthermore, ShaykhulIslam Ibn Taymiyah says, “If the person in need of the food is poor, then he does not have to pay compensation in return for food, for feeding the hungry and clothing the naked is a collective duty, and it becomes an individual duty on the person other than whom no one can undertake such a duty” [Al-Ikhtiyarat 465].
He must be in need of such food as stipulated by the majority of Muslim scholars.
Accordingly, if any of the above-mentioned conditions is not fulfilled, one is not permitted to eat from such a garden. Hosting A Traveler
A Muslim should host a Muslim traveling through villages, for a day and a night. However, in towns providing accommodation, it is not obligatory because restaurants and hotels can be found therein, so the traveler is not in need of being hosted, in contrast to the case in villages and deserts. Hosting a Muslim passenger is a duty according to a hadith found in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Moreover, Islam has entitled the wayfarer a right among the ten entitled to Obligatory Charity money, as mentioned in the noble Quran in Surah An-Nisa: 36. The wayfarer meant here is the traveler who cannot afford to continue on his journey or return home. All praises be to Allah for this perfect religion and that wise and Devine Law, which is granted to Muslims as a guidance and mercy. Source: A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence, Volume 2 by Dr. Salih Al-Fawzan.
Moreover, if someone is compelled to use the properties of others without consuming such property, like using clothes to protect the body from coldness, a rope or a bucket to obtain water, or a cooking pot, he must be given such a thing at no cost, provided that the owner is not in need of them. This is because Allah, the Almighty, has dispraised withholding such things from the poor in the Quran. He says, “And withhold simple assistance” [Al Ma’un: 7]. A person passing by a garden is allowed to eat from its fruits provided that the following conditions are fulfilled: 1. 2. 3. 4.
It must have neither a fence nor a guard. The fruits must be either still on the trees or fallen on the ground but not collected. He must not climb a tree, but just pick the fruits without ascending. He must carry nothing of it with him.
A Glimpse at the Lawful and Unlawful
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