Muslims eating prasad

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta

Muslims eating prasad

Question

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

Answer

Prasad, literally meaning a gracious gift, denotes anything (typically edible food) offered to a deity, saint, Perfect Master, or an avatar, and then distributed in his or her name to their followers or to others.
In Islam, it is generally permissible for Muslims to eat food offered to them by non-Muslims following the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who accepted dinner and lunch invitations from non-Muslims. If the food offered to Muslims contains the meat of legally slaughtered animals, it then becomes lawful for Muslims to consume it; otherwise, it is impermissible.
The fact that these food offerings are part of other people’s religious rituals, does not invalidate their permissibility for Muslims because the matter is related to the intention of the Muslim while eating it. In other words, a Muslim who accepts the food should eat it with the intention of accepting the invitation of other people and not as part of his or her belief in the sanctity of the religious ritual during which the food was offered.
Sharing people’s social occasions and accepting their invitations is a praiseworthy and recommended act of kindness as it shows the integration of the Islamic faith with societies that hold different religious beliefs.
And God Almighty knows best.
 

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