Can a Muslim Eat Food Cooked by a Hindu? Yes, and Here is Why
C.J Ahmed-05.04.2023
There is nothing haram in a Muslim eating food cooked by a Hindu and the evidence for this is in the following hadith,
Narrated `Aisha:
Some people said, "O Allah's Messenger (sal)! Meat is brought to us by some people and we are not sure whether the name of Allah has been mentioned on it or not (at the time of slaughtering the animals)." Allah's Messenger (sal) said (to them), "Mention the name of Allah and eat it."
(Bukhari)
It is very clear from this hadith that eating food prepared by a Hindu or any other non-Muslim is not haram in Islam. Nowadays, Most Hindus are vegetarian although the Hindu scriptures such a sthe Vedas and the Puranas do not forbid so. Hindus especially in Indiawere laater influenced by Jains and Buddhists and adopted vegetarianism as their diet. Even if some of them are non-vegetarian nd prepare meat and other non-vegetrian meals, thre is nothing wrong for a Muslim to eat such meals because Islam hasn’t forbidden it as evidnt from the above mentioned hadith. The next evidence is as follows,
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. 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 Hindus 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. If a Hindu gives you food don't question it or hurt his or her feelings, be kind and loving to them and respect their generosity and mention Allah's name and eat it because it is after all Allah azza wa jal who is providing you.
Furthermore, the Quran too mentions the following,
"He has only forbidden you what dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that over which any other (name) than (that of) Allah has been invoked; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring, nor exceeding the limit, no sin shall be upon him; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
(Al-Quran-2:173)
"Say: I do not find in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden for an eater to eat of except that it be what has died of itself, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine-- for that surely is unclean-- or that which is a transgression, other than (the name of) Allah having been invoked on it; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful."
(Al-Quran-6:145)
Islam is a religion of ease and not hardship and there isnothing haram in eating food prepared by Hindus or other non-Muslims.
There is nothing haram in a Muslim eating food cooked by a Hindu and the evidence for this is in the following hadith,
Narrated `Aisha:
Some people said, "O Allah's Messenger (sal)! Meat is brought to us by some people and we are not sure whether the name of Allah has been mentioned on it or not (at the time of slaughtering the animals)." Allah's Messenger (sal) said (to them), "Mention the name of Allah and eat it."
(Bukhari)
It is very clear from this hadith that eating food prepared by a Hindu or any other non-Muslim is not haram in Islam. Nowadays, Most Hindus are vegetarian although the Hindu scriptures such a sthe Vedas and the Puranas do not forbid so. Hindus especially in Indiawere laater influenced by Jains and Buddhists and adopted vegetarianism as their diet. Even if some of them are non-vegetarian nd prepare meat and other non-vegetrian meals, thre is nothing wrong for a Muslim to eat such meals because Islam hasn’t forbidden it as evidnt from the above mentioned hadith. The next evidence is as follows,
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. 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 Hindus 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. If a Hindu gives you food don't question it or hurt his or her feelings, be kind and loving to them and respect their generosity and mention Allah's name and eat it because it is after all Allah azza wa jal who is providing you.
Furthermore, the Quran too mentions the following,
"He has only forbidden you what dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that over which any other (name) than (that of) Allah has been invoked; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring, nor exceeding the limit, no sin shall be upon him; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
(Al-Quran-2:173)
"Say: I do not find in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden for an eater to eat of except that it be what has died of itself, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine-- for that surely is unclean-- or that which is a transgression, other than (the name of) Allah having been invoked on it; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful."
(Al-Quran-6:145)
Islam is a religion of ease and not hardship and there isnothing haram in eating food prepared by Hindus or other non-Muslims.