Ruling on eating carrion and pork
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Fatwa No. ( 21341 )
Q: We received a message from some of our American brothers who embraced Islam in the prisons of the United States of America, discussing
a problem they face regarding the food provided to them in prison. Their problem is that the food always contains meat from American slaughterhouses, which is not slaughtered as required by the Shari'ah, but is carrion. They are hesitant to eat this food, but they find no alternative to it. Therefore, they are seeking a fatwa from an official authority that clarifies the Shari'ah ruling on this matter and serves as evidence that it is not permissible for a Muslim to consume carrion or pork; in order to convince the prison administration to provide alternative food suitable for Muslims to consume. We hope that Your Eminence will inform us in writing of the Shari'ah ruling on this matter and advise on rectifying the situation. May Allah reward you with good for us and for these brothers.
A: There is no harm in eating from the food provided by disbelievers and others, as long as one does not know that it contains something forbidden, such as pork, its derivatives, or meat slaughtered in a manner other than the Shari'ah method, or slaughtered by a non-Muslim who is not from the People of the Book. In that case, it is forbidden, and it is obligatory to avoid it. Since they know that the slaughter is not in accordance with the Shari'ah method, it is not permissible for them to eat from it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: We received a message from some of our American brothers who embraced Islam in the prisons of the United States of America, discussing
a problem they face regarding the food provided to them in prison. Their problem is that the food always contains meat from American slaughterhouses, which is not slaughtered as required by the Shari'ah, but is carrion. They are hesitant to eat this food, but they find no alternative to it. Therefore, they are seeking a fatwa from an official authority that clarifies the Shari'ah ruling on this matter and serves as evidence that it is not permissible for a Muslim to consume carrion or pork; in order to convince the prison administration to provide alternative food suitable for Muslims to consume. We hope that Your Eminence will inform us in writing of the Shari'ah ruling on this matter and advise on rectifying the situation. May Allah reward you with good for us and for these brothers.
A: There is no harm in eating from the food provided by disbelievers and others, as long as one does not know that it contains something forbidden, such as pork, its derivatives, or meat slaughtered in a manner other than the Shari'ah method, or slaughtered by a non-Muslim who is not from the People of the Book. In that case, it is forbidden, and it is obligatory to avoid it. Since they know that the slaughter is not in accordance with the Shari'ah method, it is not permissible for them to eat from it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.