AskImamDarul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah (AskImam)

Is a homeless poor Muslim person allow to purchase Haram food for consumption?

· 1 Jumada II 1437 AH1 min readFatwa 35223English
Food and Drink

Question

If a homeless brother who is Muslim is bankrupt and can't afford anything at all. Will it be permissible for him to purchase and consume cheap food which was not slaughtered in an Islamic procedure at all ? Haram meals at fast-food places can be as less as $1.09 but halal food are usually in an average of $5-$7 being the least.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.

As a U.S citizen myself, I have consulted fellow U.S citizens on the issue. All were unanimous that one could fill himself with bread and chips and the like for within one dollar. It is not permissible for one to purchase haram food if he can purchase his own food. It is not necessary that he purchases from a halal outlet.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Zakir Husain

Student DarulIftaa
Michigan, U.S.A

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ(سورة النحل آية ١١٥)

Answered by
Zakir Husain
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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