Is Wearing Nike Shoes Halal in Islam?
C.J Ahmed-14.06.2023
There is nothing haram in wearing Nike shoes an the main concern that has come to Muslims is the controversy that some of the Nike shoes has had the name of Allah (swt) in it. The controversy is a big misunderstanding which dates back in 1997 when a Nike branded shoe had the name “Air Max” but was stylized and it resembled the rabic name “Allah” but was nothing but unintentional.
There have been calls by some to boycott Nike on this like boycotting Coca cola and all f these are based on conspiracy theories. One example is the deviant Ikhwani, Yusuf al Qardawi and Shia Heretics like Syed Ali Khamenei issued fatwas asking Muslims to boycott American made products like coca cola because the money is going to Isreal. I can go on and on about the Shirk and Kufr of these two individuals but because this article is supposed to be brief, I prefer not mentioning them here.
Abu Bakr (rali) told us: Jareer told us, from Mughirah, from Abu Waa’il and Ibrahim, who said: When the Muslims came, they got some food from the Magians, their cheese and bread, and they ate and did not ask about that. The cheese was described to ‘Umar (rali) and he said: Mention the name of Allah over it and eat it.
(Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah-5/130 and Imam ibn Hibban graded it as an authentic hadith because the narrators are of Bukhari and Muslim)
The above hadith of the rightly guided caliphs proves clearly that the sahabah did not question food given to them even if they happened to be non-muslims. Eventough the some non-Muslims oppressed the Muslims, neither did the prophet (sal) or the four rightly guided caliphs told the Muslims to boycott products. The Magians were idol worshippers and could have used haram ingredients in preparing food but the general principle is to eat the food given by anyone including Jews by simply mentioning Allah's name and there is no need for making a fuss over it. Some Muslims nowadays make a huge fuss going after halal and make their lives very problematic and filled with hardships. The prophet (sal) and his companions never issued halal certificates for food items like nowadays and the way of the prophet (sal) and his companions was practical and easy to follow. Nowadays the halal certification is made more as a business venture and this form of halal certification we see in various countries has no basis in the Quran or the authentic hadiths.
The Prophet (sal) used to love sweets and the below hadith pro ves this,
Narrated `Aisha (rali),
“Allah's Messenger (sal) used to love sweet edible things and honey.” (Bukhari)
The other foolish argument is that coca cola contains alchohol. There is nothing wrong in driking alcohol and only drinking intoxicants is what is haram. alcohol is completely halal in Islam because the alcohol evaporates due to the heat and once the alcohol has evaporated; there is nothing wrong in eating the food. Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported,
“Allah's Messenger (sal) took hold of my hand one day (and led me) to his residence. There was presented to him some pieces of bread, whereupon he said: Is there no condiment? They (the members of his household) said: No, except some vinegar. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Vinegar is a good condiment. Jabir said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard it from Allah's Apostle (sal). Talha said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard about it from Jabir.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (sal) asked his family for condiments. They (the members of his household) said: “We have nothing with us but vinegar. He asked for it, he began to eat it, and then said "Vinegar is a good condiment, vinegar is a good condiment.”
(Sahih Muslim)
The process of alcohol evaporating due to cooking is similar to the intoxicants containing in alcoholic beverages such as in wine and beer disappearing due to the fermentation process in turning them into vinegar. If eating food made using alcohol is haram, then the prophet (sal) would not have eaten vinegar because vinegar is made using alcohol. The biggest confusion among Muslims on alcohol is due to not understanding the difference between alcohol and intoxicants. The below hadith will explain this difference.
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
"I heard `Umar while he was on the pulpit of the Prophet (sal) saying, "Now then O people! The revelation about the prohibition of alcoholic drinks was revealed; and alcoholic drinks are extracted from five things: Grapes, dates, honey, wheat and barley. And the alcoholic drink is that which confuses and stupefies the mind." (Sahih al Bukhari)
From the above hadith is should be understood that alcohol that causes intoxication is what is haram and alcohol that does not qualify to the level of intoxication is not haram. There is a level of alcohol which is non- intoxicant and that level of alcohol is not haram. Banana for an example contains 0.2 g of alcohol per 100 g but this level of alcohol is harmless and only will turn into an intoxicant if it is fermented and turned into wine or some other intoxicant. The other example is eating grapes. Islam never forbade grapes but only forbade intoxicants.
There is nothing haram in wearing Nike shoes an the main concern that has come to Muslims is the controversy that some of the Nike shoes has had the name of Allah (swt) in it. The controversy is a big misunderstanding which dates back in 1997 when a Nike branded shoe had the name “Air Max” but was stylized and it resembled the rabic name “Allah” but was nothing but unintentional.
There have been calls by some to boycott Nike on this like boycotting Coca cola and all f these are based on conspiracy theories. One example is the deviant Ikhwani, Yusuf al Qardawi and Shia Heretics like Syed Ali Khamenei issued fatwas asking Muslims to boycott American made products like coca cola because the money is going to Isreal. I can go on and on about the Shirk and Kufr of these two individuals but because this article is supposed to be brief, I prefer not mentioning them here.
Abu Bakr (rali) told us: Jareer told us, from Mughirah, from Abu Waa’il and Ibrahim, who said: When the Muslims came, they got some food from the Magians, their cheese and bread, and they ate and did not ask about that. The cheese was described to ‘Umar (rali) and he said: Mention the name of Allah over it and eat it.
(Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah-5/130 and Imam ibn Hibban graded it as an authentic hadith because the narrators are of Bukhari and Muslim)
The above hadith of the rightly guided caliphs proves clearly that the sahabah did not question food given to them even if they happened to be non-muslims. Eventough the some non-Muslims oppressed the Muslims, neither did the prophet (sal) or the four rightly guided caliphs told the Muslims to boycott products. The Magians were idol worshippers and could have used haram ingredients in preparing food but the general principle is to eat the food given by anyone including Jews by simply mentioning Allah's name and there is no need for making a fuss over it. Some Muslims nowadays make a huge fuss going after halal and make their lives very problematic and filled with hardships. The prophet (sal) and his companions never issued halal certificates for food items like nowadays and the way of the prophet (sal) and his companions was practical and easy to follow. Nowadays the halal certification is made more as a business venture and this form of halal certification we see in various countries has no basis in the Quran or the authentic hadiths.
The Prophet (sal) used to love sweets and the below hadith pro ves this,
Narrated `Aisha (rali),
“Allah's Messenger (sal) used to love sweet edible things and honey.” (Bukhari)
The other foolish argument is that coca cola contains alchohol. There is nothing wrong in driking alcohol and only drinking intoxicants is what is haram. alcohol is completely halal in Islam because the alcohol evaporates due to the heat and once the alcohol has evaporated; there is nothing wrong in eating the food. Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported,
“Allah's Messenger (sal) took hold of my hand one day (and led me) to his residence. There was presented to him some pieces of bread, whereupon he said: Is there no condiment? They (the members of his household) said: No, except some vinegar. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Vinegar is a good condiment. Jabir said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard it from Allah's Apostle (sal). Talha said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard about it from Jabir.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (sal) asked his family for condiments. They (the members of his household) said: “We have nothing with us but vinegar. He asked for it, he began to eat it, and then said "Vinegar is a good condiment, vinegar is a good condiment.”
(Sahih Muslim)
The process of alcohol evaporating due to cooking is similar to the intoxicants containing in alcoholic beverages such as in wine and beer disappearing due to the fermentation process in turning them into vinegar. If eating food made using alcohol is haram, then the prophet (sal) would not have eaten vinegar because vinegar is made using alcohol. The biggest confusion among Muslims on alcohol is due to not understanding the difference between alcohol and intoxicants. The below hadith will explain this difference.
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
"I heard `Umar while he was on the pulpit of the Prophet (sal) saying, "Now then O people! The revelation about the prohibition of alcoholic drinks was revealed; and alcoholic drinks are extracted from five things: Grapes, dates, honey, wheat and barley. And the alcoholic drink is that which confuses and stupefies the mind." (Sahih al Bukhari)
From the above hadith is should be understood that alcohol that causes intoxication is what is haram and alcohol that does not qualify to the level of intoxication is not haram. There is a level of alcohol which is non- intoxicant and that level of alcohol is not haram. Banana for an example contains 0.2 g of alcohol per 100 g but this level of alcohol is harmless and only will turn into an intoxicant if it is fermented and turned into wine or some other intoxicant. The other example is eating grapes. Islam never forbade grapes but only forbade intoxicants.