Food & Drink

My family and I were caught in a house fire in our home but thankfully, we are all fine. We were advised to slaughter a sheep as a way of thanking God for our well-being. Can we buy meat and distribute it instead of slaughtering? If this is permissible, what is the amount of meat we should distribute and is it permissible to keep some of it for the family as we do during ‘Eid?

Is it permissible for Muslims to eat Prasad distirbuted by temple custodians in India?

Eating new manufactured edible gold and silver, is it permissible?

I am travelling to study in the US and will be staying in the university dorms where they provide a meal plan to the students with a weekly menu. I will not be able to know the components or the ingredients of each dish, so I might end up something by mistake that is not halal. Is it permissible to eat chicken?

Can I take gelatin coated vitamin capsules?

Can I use red wine vinegar in cooking?

Is it permissible to use carminic acid which is extracted from an insect as a natural food colorant?

Is eating crab permissible?

Is it permissible to eat the meat of alligators and crocodiles?

Is it permissible to consume products that have alcohol used as solvents and such?

What is the ruling on eating insects?

What is halal meat? Is the sheep or goat slaughtered by Christians lawful to eat?

Is it permissible to catch frogs, slaughter them, and export them to lands where they are eaten?

How much alcohol is a Muslim permitted to drink?

Food mixed with alcohol, is it permissible?

Can I sit with my friends at a table where alcoholic drinks are served?

I work in the field of milk cooling and its distribution to processing companies. These companies refuse to purchase milk with high PH levels so I resort to adding ammonia or caustic soda to reduce its acidity to the required level—a common practice in this industry. I am also aware that water is added to the milk I purchase from farms and that its PH is higher than the required level. Are such additions permissible? Is it permissible to add water to milk?
 

What is the ruling on eating Kosher food?

I own a slaughterhouse for chickens. Can the birds be machine slaughtered and still be lawful to eat?

It is known that the aqiqah for a male newborn comprises slaughtering two sheep. Is it permissible for a person who is unable to afford the price of two sheep at the time of the aqiqah to slaughter only one and delay the second until he is able to afford it? Please answer providing evidence and opinions of scholars.

I traveled to London recently. My friend told me that the dressing I used on my salad comprised many ingredients including white wine vinegar. Was it unlawful to eat it?

What are the rituals of aqiqah?

Is eating octopus and squid permissible? What about ostrich, frogs and turtles?

Should the words "halal food" that appear on cans be taken for granted?

The ingredients that go into some European types of cheeses include rennet. Rennet is derived from the stomach of calves and used in the making of cheese. I would like to know whether it is permissible for Muslims to eat these cheeses since the calves are not slaughtered according to Islamic precepts.

Is it permissible to eat the meat of Christians when they don't mention God's on it?

Here in Australia, most animals whose meat is labeled as “halal” are machine slaughtered. Does writing God's name on the blade of the slaughtering machine make the meat permissible to eat?

Some Muslim restaurateurs living in the US serve pork and wine in their restaurants, as the majority of their customers are non-Muslims. Kindly explain whether this is permissible.

Is it permissible to eat crabs as they are not only sea creatures but also survive on land?

Is it permissible for today’s Muslims to eat the meat slaughtered by Christians and Jews?

Is it permissible to eat hunted pigeons?

Is breeding pigs forbidden?

Why does Islam prohibit pork?

What is the ruling on an aid shipment containing canned turkey meat delivered from an American charity organization to its branch in Jordan for distribution to the poor and needy?

Is it permissible to eat seafood?

Is eating marshmallow made of gelatin lawful?

Good Day
I want to ask if there is any thing in Islam that instructs the Muslims not to eat at the Christians. Are Muslims not allowed to eat at their homes?

Assalam ailkom wa rahmatullah wa baraktoh,
Please could you give me the legal verdict about eating gelatin, or products that contain gelatin have read a lot of this subject and I don't know what I should do. And can you eat gelatin from an animal that isn't halal slaughtered or pig gelatin?

Many food products abroad may not contain animal derived ingredients and one can verify this by it being listed as vegetarian, but alcohol is used as a solvent- not as a flavoring- in many products and it's not always easy to find out. Is it permissible to consume products that have alcohol used as solvents and such?

Assalam Alaikom,
I'd like to ask for fatwa about something called " shellac "
shellac is just from some insect that produces this sticky stuff for its cocoon. It's used in making pills and glues and insulators and sticky sweets. It sounds like it's in all the pills of medication we take but I read it gets dissolved in alcohol so I was so worried, is it prohibited? Would you please help me with that? Thanks

People get addicted to coffee just as they do to alcohol. Why alcohol is forbidden?

What is the ruling on eating, drinking, or adding pork fat to food?

The European Union issued a new law which indicates feeding the fish in the farms with pork. Is it permissible to eat pork-fed fish?

Assalamo Alaikom,
Is eating Alligators permissible (Halal)? We are travelling to Sub-Saharan Africa and a non-Muslim friend recommended several exotic dishes one of which is alligators/crocodiles and the sort.
Jazakom Allahu Khairan

From which quranic or hadith interpretation can we say that eating crab is halal?

Salam Alikom
I live in Canada and I wanted to get a Fatwa on whether meat bought in the store is halal or not. The Canadian Meat Inspection Regulations has the following rules for slaughtering.
- Every food animal that is slaughtered shall, before being bled,
a) be rendered unconscious in a manner that ensures that it does not regain consciousness before death, by one of the following methods in a manner that causes immediate loss of consciousness;
i) delivering a blow to the head by means of a penetrating or non-penetrating mechanical device,
ii) by exposure to a gas or a gas mixture, or
iii) by the application of an electrical current
b) or be killed by one of the methods set out in paragraph (a) or, in the case of a bird or a domesticated rabbit, by rapid decapitation.
Thank you and Jazakom Allah Kheir

I would like to know whether it is permissible to use Carminic acid as a natural food colorant. Please take into account that it is extracted from the female insect known as Dactylopiuscoccus Costa. Carminic acid is sometimes used to dye saffron and other foodstuff.

I live in London. And I come across meals that have (spirit vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or cider vinegar) among the ingredients. My question is, can I as a Muslim eat those meals or not? And can I use them in cooking?

Can I take a vitamin that is put in a capsule made of gelatin?

I am a Canadian Muslim and the Food and agriculture organization [FAO] in the USA confirmed that many insects have nutritional value, are edible and fight malnutrition. For instance, in the United States, there are biscuits made from white ants. Is it permissible to eat insects? Is thislawful? Whatarethe insects which are impermissible for consumption?

One of my friends says that wine is not haram (Prohibited) in Islam because Quran does not say it is haram. Please provide us your opinion that wine is totally prohibited in Islam or it is not likely in Islam. If you say it is haram then how do you support your opinion?

Background

I work in the field of milk cooling and its distribution to processing companies. These companies demand certain PH levels for the milk, 13% which is the level of acidity upon milking. However, PH levels rise to 20 % or even more from the time of milking until the milk reaches the temperature necessary for transporting it to the processing companies. As milk processing companies refuse to purchase milk with such high PH high levels, I resort to adding ammonia or caustic soda to reduce acidity to the required level—a common practice in this industry (the milk processing companies are aware of this practice). I am also aware that water is added to the milk I purchase from farms and that its PH is higher than the required level.

Questions

- Are such additions permissible?
- If so, in what percentage is the addition of these ingredients permissible?
- Is it permissible to add water to milk?
 

Are we allowed to eat sea creature while we know that some fish eat other fish?

This year, some banks have come up with a new way to slaughter sacrificial animals on behalf of Muslims by issuing "bonds". Their advertisements mention that these bonds put an end to haphazard slaughtering. The bank slaughters the animal on behalf of the bond holder. What is the ruling of Islamic law on such bonds? Does a Muslim fulfill the sunna by offering a sacrifice in this manner or must he slaughter the animal himself?

What is the ruling for buying the sacrificial animal by weight i.e. weighing it and
calculating its price per kilogram? Please note that the price of meat per kilogram is predetermined. There is a prevalent opinion in our country on the non-obligatoriness of buying the sacrificial animal by weight and paying for the[rent of the scales]. May Allah reward you well!

When I was working in one of the cities of Saudi Arabia I had a discussion with some of its residents on certain religious issues including eating camel while in a state of ablution. Some of the people there are convinced of the prohibition of eating camel neck meat because the Messenger of Allahonce placed his noble feet on a camel's neck. I would like a clarification of the legal ruling for this issue

I am seeking your opinion about feeding non Muslims as I have a lot of friends and neighbors who are not Muslims. Is there any evidence proving this issue?

We, Polish Muslims, would like to bring to your attention that Muslims in Poland find difficulty dealing with the question of slaughtering and its legal permissibility, whether it be poultry, cows, or calves. We have found a Polish company willing to cooperate with us in this matter. Our question is: Is it sufficient to utter the name of Allah at the beginning of that day’s slaughter [in the morning] while intending what will be slaughtered throughout the entire day? We would also like to inform you that the chickens after the electrocution regain consciousness rather than dying. We have witnessed this with our own eyes, and this was after they had passed through an electrified water tank. 

For the sake of reassuring all Muslims, we would like to print ‘halal’ on the exterior of the packages after obtaining an official fatwa from you.

A person has established a safari park that includes all kinds of animals, both wild and tame. Is it permissible for him to feed the wild animals porcine meat?

A man made a vow and said, "If my son recovers from his illness, I will feed the congregants attending Friday Prayer at this mosque." Is it permissible for the rich to partake of this food? Is it permissible for the rich to eat from the offering of a person who says, "If my son recovers from his illness, I will sacrifice a sheep on the day of 'Eid ul-Adha."? I would like an answer based on Hanafi jurisprudence.

What is the ruling on using extracts (ex. vanilla extract), for baking and cooking? As most are made with alcohol.

What is the ruling for Giving away all of the sacrificial animal in charity without eating from it ?

Our association defends the rights of Muslims in East Turkistan – which is still under occupation by Communist China – whether these rights are related to Turkistanis at home or abroad. Moreover, we have a large mosque in Turkey named “al-Turkistan Mosque”. We offer scholarships for a number of students. The society does not have any financial resources and depends on donations. For this and other reasons, over the the past years we took to collecting the skins of sacrificial animals and spending [the proceeds] on the matters mentioned above. However, we have not done so this year because some people said that collecting the skins for the association is not permissible – even when it is to benefit a mosque or something else

How much alcohol is a Muslim permitted to drink?

Concerning the animal offered for the 'aqiqa [sacrifice offered on the birth of a child] of three girls, which is preferable in Islamic law—offering three sheep or one calf equivalent in value to the three sheep but which will provide more meat?

Is it permissible to catch frogs and, after slaughtering, export them to lands where they are eaten?

Is it permissible to commission a butcher to slaughter the udhiya (sacrificial animal) on behalf of its owner?

Q1:
Is it permissible to commission a legal entity to slaughter a sacrificial animal and distribute its meat on behalf of others?
Q2:
What is the legal statement for this responsibility?
Q3:
Based on the costs which include slaughtering, skinning, cutting, packaging, transportation, distribution etc…, what is the ruling for the following:
If prices are higher than those determined for the above, is it permissible to make up for this difference in price by reducing the number of sacrificial animals to be slaughtered?
Q4:
If the costs fall below those determined for the above, is it permissible to use the surplus money for other purposes such as to buy food for deserving recipients?
Q5:
What should be done if some of the sacrificial animals die before they are
slaughtered?
Q6:
When does the time for slaughtering start and when does it end?
Q7:
What is the legal ruling if there is a difference in location?
Q8:
Is there a time limit for the distribution of the meat of the sacrificial animal?
 

Is it permissible to slaughter gazelle and use their meat for human consumption?

1- Chickens are hung upside down on a moving conveyer belt before slaughter; although they are shackled, the birds are still able to move their heads and wings.
2- Two machines are used for slaughter: The first subdues the birds by temporarily submerging them in electrically charged water tanks. This pre-slaughter process merely immobilizes the birds including their heads and wings; the birds neither drown nor die. Next, they are conveyed to an automated extremely sharp blade designed to cut their throats without completely severing their heads.
3- A cassette recorder, fixed above the slaughter machine, will play "In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest" [Ar.Bismillah-Allahuakbar] several times.
Does this method of slaughter conform to Islamic law [Ar. Shari'ah] and what is the ruling for it?

How is the sacrificial animal divided? Is [every part] divided into thirds i.e. the liver into thirds, the head into thirds, etc…? How is it divided into thirds?

Is it obligatory to perform ablution after eating camel meat if it is eaten while in the state of ablution?

Is it permissible to sacrifice young animals that are plump? Or must they meet the age requirement of sacrificial animals even though they may be lean?

It is a fact that the sun rises in countries located in South-East Asia before the Islamic countries in the Middle-East and Africa. Consequently, the day of 'Eid al-Adha starts her before yours (in Egypt) and we perform the 'Eid prayer, say the takbirs (i.e. saying Allahu akbar) and slaughter the sacrificial animals approximately four hours before you. My question is, if we to slaughter on the day of 'Eid after performing the 'Eid prayer, will this sacrifice be slaughtered before its proper time or not? Is it permissible for us to slaughter the sacrificial animals immediately after performing the 'Eid prayer, or should we wait until you perform 'Eid prayer (in Egypt)?

What is the legal ruling for two persons sharing in a buffalo calf for sacrifice on 'Eid al-Adha, each on behalf of his household?

What is halal meat? Is the sheep or goat slaughtered by Christians halal?

What is the last date for a valid sacrifice ?

What is the manner of dividing the meat, innards, and skin of sacrificial animals?

I have a question about the ruling concerning the eating of meat which is not halal. For years I have heard conflicting things. Some claim that we could only eat Christian meat back in the times when they used to kill their meat religiously and others say that it is okay to eat it no matter what.

I bought an udhiya (sacrificial animal) and then found out that it had a defect. Therefore, I sold it and spent its price without giving out from it in charity. What is the ruling [for this] in Islamic law?

An organization collects cash donations to buy the udhiya[1]on behalf of the donors; it offers to buy sheep on an individual basis or cows and camels on both an individual and cost-share basis. The association is responsible for buying, slaughtering and transporting the animals as well as distributing their meat on behalf of the commissioner. Is it obligatory to charge the commissioner with the expenses of slaughtering, transportation and the like? 

[1] Sacrificial animal.

1. How is the meat of slaughtered animals distributed?
2. Is it permissible for the owner to eat from it?

For the past two years, the Egyptian Food Bank has been implementing the "Sacrifice animal project" which involves slaughtering sacrificial animals on behalf of others from both inside Egypt and abroad. The meat is distributed among deserving recipients according to the ruling obtained in a previous fatwa (no. 1732 for the year 2006). 

Because the price of imported animals is cheaper than local market prices, this year, the Egyptian Food Bank intends to import some of the sacrificial animals (they will be slaughtered in the exporting country according to Islamic law and at the legally prescribed time for slaughtering) and distribute their meat over the course of the year. The imported meat will not arrive until one month after the 'Eid, therefore the bank will purchase animals from the local market and distribute their meat on the days of 'Eid.

After conducting a price comparison study, we found that animals from the Bank's farms cost 950 EGP per head, (cheaper than local market price) and that the cost of the imported animals is even less. For this reason, we would like to know whether it is permissible to fix the price of the sacrifice bond to 950 EGP and invest the difference in the following:
Feeding the poor throughout the year.Spending part of the money on administrative costs and advertising related to the project. Other projects undertaken by the Food Bank.
The Food Bank will import a complementary number of sacrificial animals from Australia. It will pay 50% of the price and the remaining sum will be paid after the animals arrive in Egypt.
 

I own a chicken slaughterhouse where the birds are machine slaughtered without any human intervention. I would like to know the ruling for mechanical slaughtering, taking into account that the person operating the slaughter machine utters "Bismillah, Allahu Akbar" [In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest] once.

Is it permissible to present my brother with a sheep for the 'aqiqa [sacrifice made for a newborn] of his newborn since he cannot afford it himself?

Can Muslims eat Kosher food since it is slaughtered in the correct manner and certified. I only buy kosher turkey lunch meat. Being American I'm so used to eating sandwiches.

I understand the permissibility of Meat of AhlalKitaab; however, the religion of the "blade or machine" cannot be known hence doesn't that
become impermissible?

 We reviewed request no. 37 which includes the following:

    What is the ruling for the following?

• Donating sacrificial animals to foreign refugees in Egypt.
• Giving them alms.
• Establishing endowments and channeling the proceeds for their benefit.
• Giving them from zakat funds.