THE CONSEQUENCE OF NOT EATING HALAL
1.
Your
Supplication (Dua’) may not be answered
Abu Hurayrah narrated,
ذَكَرَ
الرَّجُلَ يُطِيلُ السَّفَرَ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى
السَّمَاءِ يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ
وَمَلْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ وَغُذِىَ بِالْحَرَامِ فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذَلِكَ
The Messenger
(saw) mentioned the case of a man who, having journeyed far, is
disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying]:
"O Lord! O Lord!" While his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful,
his clothing is unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he
be answered?" [Sahih Muslim] #2393
The Messenger
(SAW) said to the Companion Sa’d: “O’ Sa’d! Purify your food, your
supplication will be accepted. By the one in whose hand lays the life of
Muhammad, verily a servant places a morsel of Haram in his stomach (and
as a result) forty days of worship will not be accepted from him.”
[Imam Tabrani]
3.
If you
agree with the Mushrik (idolaters) that dead meat is halal, it will
render you a Mushrik
Allah (swt) says,
وَلاَ تَأْكُلُواْ مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ
اسْمُ اللّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَفِسْقٌ وَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ
لَيُوحُونَ إِلَى أَوْلِيَآئِهِمْ لِيُجَادِلُوكُمْ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ
إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ
Wala
ta/kuloo mimma lam yuthkari ismu Allahi AAalayhi
wa-innahu lafisqun wa-inna alshshayateena layoohoona
ila awliya-ihim liyujadilookum wa-in ataAAtumoohum
innakum lamushrikoona
'Eat not, Oh believers, of that meat on
which Allah (swt)'s name has not been pronounced at the time of
slaughtering the animal, for surely it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience
of Allah) and certainly the evil do inspire their friends to dispute
with you and if you were to obey them by making a dead (un-slaughtered)
animal lawful and eating it, then you would indeed be Mushrikoun
(polytheists)' [Surah Al Anam 6:121]
It is imperative that we ensure the meat
we is halal to the best of our abilities. It is sinful to eat meat which
is not slaughtered or cooked in accordance to Islam. Haram meat is void
of any blessings from Allah (swt) and this will have consequences on our
subsequent actions.
Normally it is not allowed to doubt
Muslims (i.e. our butchers), as the issue of halal slaughtering is one
known by necessity. However due to the society we live in and the fact
that the common practice is stun animals first, we must ask our butchers
whether the meat we have is un-stunned. It is not enough to accept that
if the butcher says it is halal, that it necessarily is so, or to agree
with the butcher’s opinion that to stun first and slaughter after is
lawful. We cannot plead ignorance on this issue when the text on the
issue is so clear-cut and the practice of Muslims for centuries was to
adhere vehemently to the ways of the Messenger (saw) and his companions
(ra).
Recently halal monitoring groups have
appeared highlighting the issue of un-stunned meat. These groups should
only be taken as reference point if they strictly adhere to the
conditions stipulated by Islam for slaughtering as well as the
slaughterer. No concessions should be made, because a Muslim does not
pray, or that only a non-Muslim is available to work in the slaughter
house, or that it is more convenient to have a taping of “Bismillah
Allahu Akbar” playing in the background rather to say it aloud each time
before the slaughter. It is important we read what these groups
stipulate in their conditions regarding halal meat.
We trust this short treatise explained the
key points related to the issue of Halal Meat, and Allah (swt) knows
best.
