Q: 47 – Title: My question is very simple, I have come from Dubai and I feel to eat meat, I would like to ask you will that be okay if I buy meat from Wal-Mart and cook it at home. I feel its 200% haraam but I would like ask professional like you.

Question

My question is very simple, I have come from Dubai and I feel to eat meat, I would like to ask you will that be okay if I buy meat from Wal-Mart and cook it at home. I feel its 200% haraam but I would like ask professional like you.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

It is not permissible to purchase and eat the meat sold in such stores/restaurants in the U.S. since the meat is not slaughtered in the name of Allah. Many times, people get confused over the verse of the Quran in Surah al-Maaidah which states:

“The food of the People of the Book is lawful for you” (5:4)

From this verse, they conclude that all meat in such stores/restaurants (of animals which are permissible to consume) is permissible. This is wrong for several reasons.

Allah Ta’ala clearly follows up the abovemetioned verse in Surah al-An’aam, where He states:

فكلوا مما ذكر اسم الله عليه إن كنتم بآياته مؤمنين (118) وما لكم ألا تأكلوا مما ذكر اسم الله عليه وقد فصل لكم ما حرم عليكم إلا ما اضطررتم إليه وإن كثيرا ليضلون بأهوائهم بغير علم إن ربك هو أعلم بالمعتدين (119) ...... ولا تأكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه وإنه لفسق وإن الشياطين ليوحون إلى أوليائهم ليجادلوكم وإن أطعتموهم إنكم لمشركون (121)

“So, eat (the flesh) of that (animal) upon which the name of Allah has been invoked (when slaughtering), if you do believe in His verses. What should cause you to avoid eating of that upon which the name of Allah has been invoked, while He has spelled out to you all that He has made unlawful for you, except that to which you are compelled by extreme necessity? Surely, there are many who misguide people on the basis of their desires without having knowledge. Surely, your Lord is the best Knower of those who cross the limits………Do not eat that (meat) over which the name of Allah has not been pronounced. This is surely a sin. The satans inspire their friends to dispute with you. If you were to obey them, you would be Mushriks. (6:118-119, 121)

These verses clearly mention that it is only permitted to eat that meat upon which the name of Allah is invoked at the time of slaughtering, and that eating meat in which the name of Allah has not been pronounced at the time of slaughter is a sin. According to the Hanafi Madhab, if a Christian or Jew were to slaughter meat, they must take the name of Allah in order for it to be Halaal. Furthermore, many people in Western countries claim to be or are labeled as Christians, but they do not have firm beliefs in God, a revealed book, etc. Therefore, they are only Christians by name but have similar beliefs to Atheists. These people cannot be considered the people of the book and their meat will be Haraam. Finally, most of these large chain store and restaurant corporations receive meat in large quantities. It is likely that their meat is machine slaughtered, as is a popular method nowadays. It is highly unlikely during machine slaughtering (in which a maximum number of animals are slaughtered in the shortest amount of time) that the conditions for validity of the slaughter are fulfilled.

We strongly urge you to go to your masjid and to be in contact with a reliable scholar and other reliable Deen-conscious Muslims in your area who can guide you to a facility where Halaal meat is provided.

Concluding, the meat from such places mentioned in your query will be impermissible as the conditions of a valid slaughter are likely not fulfilled. It is ever so important for us as believers to be extremely cautious with regards to what we eat. Not only is it stated that if a morsel of Haraam food is in one’s body, then forty days of worship will not be accepted, but it is also stated in a Hadith that a body which is nourished with Haraam will not enter paradise. These are severe consequences indeed for those who are not careful in this regard. May Allah Ta’ala protect us all.

حدثنا محمد بن محمد التمار قال : نا قرة بن حبيب قال : ثنا عبد الواحد بن زيد قال : ثنا أسلم الكوفي ، عن مرة الطيب ، عن زيد بن أرقم ، عن أبي بكر الصديق قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : « لا يدخل الجنة جسد غذي من الحرام »

(Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat-Tabraani)

يا سعد أطب مطعمك تكن مستجاب الدعوة ، والذي نفس محمد بيده ، إن العبد ليقذف اللقمة الحرام في جوفه ما يتقبل منه عمل أربعين يوما

(Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat-Tabraani)

And Allah knows best

Wassalaamu `alaykum

Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah