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Can Muslims Eat Food Cooked by Non-Muslims?

25-06-1997

Question 71

Can Muslims eat in restaurants owned and directed by people who are not worshipping Allah, for example, Chinese restaurants keeping in mind that the type of food in these places is not prohibited in itself but the people making this food are non-Muslims?

Summary of answer:

There is no objection for a Muslim to eat from food that a non-Muslim, whether polytheist or otherwise, has cooked, as the issue of cooking does not involve slaughtering according to Islamic guidelines.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

There is no objection for a Muslim to eat from food that a non-Muslim , whether polytheist or otherwise, has cooked, as the issue of cooking does not involve slaughtering according to Islamic guidelines so that we would require the person to be from People of the Book among the non-Muslims.

In fact, it is only a matter of cooking, so the only issues that concern us are cleanliness and the avoidance of impurity, and likewise that nothing forbidden is mixed with the food such as wine or alcoholic beverages or lard .

May Allah protect us from harm, evil and the things he has forbidden.

Food & Nourishment
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