Is It Really Worth Being Careless?

As the Muslim community continues to grow at a very rapid pace here in the GTA, the demand to fulfill their dietary needs is also on the increase at a similar pace. While some sincere brothers have taken up the task of providing their community with genuine halal consumables, other retailers and distributors see this demand as an opportunity to increase their cash flow and financially benefit themselves. Thus they obtain their stock from cost-efficient non-halal or doubtful sources and sell it off to the Muslim consumer, providing them the false surety that they are being sold genuine halal. The gullible Muslim consumer takes their word at face value and purchases the product feeling that it is unnecessary to investigate further whether they are really being told the truth or not. Subsequently he puts himself in harms way both in this world and the world hereafter. In this world, due to intaking such a product deprives himself from having any of his good deeds and duas accepted by his creator while in the hereafter he suffers the greatest loss ever imaginable i.e. refusal from being admitted into Paradise. All this is confirmed in the following traditions:

1.Abu Hurairah RA related,” Allah's Messenger PBUH said: Verily Allah is pure and He accepts only what is pure and indeed Allah has given those orders to the believers, which he has given to the Messengers. He has said, “O Messenger, eat from the pure foods and work righteous”. He -also- has said: “O you who have believed, eat from the pure things which we have provided you.” Then (the Prophet PBUH) made mention of a man who undergoes a lengthy journey in a state that he is disheveled and dusty. He spreads his hands towards the sky (calling), “O my lord, O my lord”, however his food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothes are haram and he has been nourished with haram! So how will his call be answered?” (Muslim)

2.S'ad RA relates: Allah's messenger PBUH said ' O S'ad purify your food (and as a result) you will become one who's supplications are accepted. I swear by He in whose hands the soul of Muhammad PBUH lies, verily a servant (of Allah) tosses a haram morsel in his stomach (due to which) no deed is accepted from him for 40 days “(Tabarani)

3.Abu Baker RA narrated that Allah's Messenger PBUH said “That body will not enter Paradise which has been nourished with Haram “(Baihaqi)

4.Jabir RA reported, “Allah's Messenger PBUH said: “That flesh will not enter Paradise which has grown from Haram, and all that flesh which has grown from Haram, the fire (of hell) is more worthy of it. “
(Ahmed, Darimi, Baihaqi)

It is due to such heavy consequences that Allah has repeatedly emphasized the consumption of halal in His book. The following are some examples of such verses;

1.“O Messengers, eat from the pure foods and work righteousness” (Holy Quran 23:51)

2.“O you who have believed, eat from the pure things which we have provided you” (Holy Quran 2:172)

3.“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth (that is) lawful and pure” (Holy Quran 2:168)

4.“So eat of that (meat) upon which Allah's name has been mentioned, if you are believers in His verses” (Holy Quran 6:118)

5.“And do not eat that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed it is a grave disobedience”. (Holy Quran 6:121)

In the light of the mentioned verses of the Holy Quran and ahadith it becomes evident that strictly adhering to the consumption of halal and being careful and cautious about it is extremely important for each and every muslim. However, when the issue of investigating what you eat comes up, three questions are commonly asked by the general public;

1. If I see a product marked as halal or I am given assurance by the distributor or retailer that the product is halal, am I not supposed to believe him?

The answer is that even then you must investigate. The main reason being is that today we are living in an era in which deceiving, cheating and being unfaithful has become prevalent within our society. This unfortunate state of affairs is something that was foretold by our beloved Prophet PBUH in the following hadith; Imran bin Hussain RA reported that Allah's Messenger PBUH said, “The best of this nation is the generation within whom I have been sent then those people who will come after them. Then a people will emerge who will make vows and not fulfill them, they will deceive and they cannot be trusted…” (Al hadith)

When the current situation is such, we as Muslims have no choice but to be at the top of our guard and practice upon the following verse. “O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information then investigate…” (49:6) Unfortunately today swearing oaths in the name of Allah is seen as a cheap bargain to earn a few dollars. Therefore when we have the right to be inquisitive and the resources to investigate, exercise them!

2. If I was deceived by the retailer into believing that a product is halal when in reality it wasn't and I ate that product, will the sin of this action not be restricted to the retailer or will I also be held responsible?

The answer is that both parties will be sinful and held accountable except that the retailer will receive double the amount of sin than that of the consumer. This point is made clear in the following hadith' Jarir ibn Abdullah RA reported, “Allah's Messenger PBUH said, “…and whosoever introduces an evil practice in Islam, he will shoulder its sin and the sin of all those who will act upon it, without diminishing in any way their load (of sin).” (Muslim). Therefore in the light of this hadith the consumer will receive the sin of consuming haram and the retailer will be penalized for selling the haram product and simultaneously receive the same sin the consumer earned for eating that product. May Allah save us all. Ameen

3. If I purchased a non halal consumable, will it not be sufficient to say 'Bismillah' before eating it in order to render it halal due to the following hadith? ; Aisha RA narrated, “A group of people said to the Prophet PBUH, “Some people bring us meat and we do not know whether they mentioned Allah's name or not upon it (i.e. when slaughtering it)?” So he PBUH replied, “Mention Allah's name on it and eat.” The people who were being referred to had embraced Islam recently,” (Al-Bukhari)

The answer is no. This hadith, unfortunately, is one of the most misused and misunderstood hadith by the general public. Therefore it is extremely important to be acquainted with the correct implications of this hadith, and in general any hadith, before jumping to any conclusions. In the afore mentioned hadith, the people who had approached the Prophet PBUH were inquiring about the meat they were receiving from a tribe which had newly embraced Islam, whether the requisites of Zabeeha, the most important of them being the recital of Bismillah at the time of slaughter had been fulfilled. The reason they posed this question was that they were uncertain whether these new - muslims were aware of this ruling or not. Therefore in the light of this uncertainty what were they to do with this meat, consume it or throw it away? Their questioning was not in regards to how to make non Zabeeha meat halal. The Prophet PBUH answered their question in the most eloquent style by reminding them of their responsibility which was to recite bismillah before eating and then partake of the meal. Indirectly the Prophet PBUH had told them that this concern should not arise when the meat is being provided by a good muslim. When a consumable is provided by a good muslim there should stand no doubt that the consumable is shariah compliant and Islamically edible. The answer of the Prophet PBUH by no way means that by saying bismillah on non-zabeeha items, the item will be rendered halal. May Allah give us all the correct understanding. Ameen!

Jami’yyatul Ulama Canada,
Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians

From Jami’yyatul Ulama Canada