In the interests of the safety of its citizens, warnings for various reasons are issued by the relevant authorities. These could be anything from civil unrest, criminal activity, scams, pandemics, road hazards, food safety, travel advisories and the one known to all, the weather warnings.
The purpose of such warnings is to alert the public on the possible impact that could occur. In the case of weather warnings, risk and danger will be mitigated through preparation such as type of clothing, carrying of umbrellas, avoidance of low lying areas, planning alternate travel routes, arming oneself with emergency response contact numbers, etc.
All this in the interest of one’s safety and prevention from physical harm. Moreso is the shelter from spiritual harm which could jeopardize our Faith. A Halal lifestyle remains to be of the most important requirements for those who seek the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala. Undeniably, the very act of consuming Halal is a testimony to our belief in Allah Almighty and obedience to His Revelation.
The year-end holidays are upon us and heralds in school and business closures, local and overseas travel, as well as stay at home family reunions. It is a time of rest and recreation. However, there is no break from the command of consuming Halal, even on holiday, as occasions and times do neither abrogate nor relax this obligation. The risk of consuming Haram, albeit inadvertently, is highest at this time of the year. Misconceptions, misinformation and a lax attitude can cloud one’s judgment and lead to complacency in making food choices. This has prompted us to issue this cautionary warning.
1. Whether outlets advertised as Halal Friendly are approved by GİMDES?
Halal Friendly can be Haram deadly.
2. Whether having a cup of coffee in an establishment serving alcohol is permissible?
Give such places a wide berth. Get the Islamic ruling here:
“A conscientious Muslim does not shop at a place where alcohol or haram substances, which Allah has forbidden, are sold.”
The Allah Almighty has said in the Holy Quran: “O believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions are all evil of Satan’s handiwork.”
3. Whether a place that is Muslim owned needs certification?
Whilst we cannot cast aspersions on anyone, rather place your reliance on our proven 40-year independent third party quality assurance system, GIMDES.
4. Whether we can consume Kosher when Halal is unavailable as it is the safest and closest to Halal?
The illustrates that substituting Kosher for Halal is a grave error which compromises one’s faith.
“So eat only of what is slaughtered in Allah’s Name if you truly believe in His revelations. Why should you not eat of what is slaughtered in Allah’s Name when He has already explained to you what He has forbidden to you—except when compelled by necessity? Many ˹deviants˺ certainly mislead others by their whims out of ignorance. Surely your Lord knows the transgressors best. Do not eat of what is not slaughtered in Allah’s Name. For that would certainly be ˹an act of˺ disobedience. Surely the devils whisper to their ˹human˺ associates to argue with you.1 If you were to obey them, then you ˹too˺ would be polytheists.” (Surah Al-An’am 118, 119, 121)
5. Whether we can use food apps to order from the Halal menus of delivery services?
Currently there is no service provider certified for the exclusive delivery of Halal food. This means that no protocols are in place which regulate the service to prevent contamination with Haram items or even receiving one’s order from a non-Halal vendor.
7. Whether we can just say Bismillah and Eat?
Get an understanding of this oft misunderstood Hadith from the information below.
The basis of superstitions and myths arise from an inherited practice of the past, cultural traditions, hearsay and misrepresentation of teachings based on flawed understanding of text without context and interpretation by Learned Ulama.
One such myth is that the simple uttering of bismillah, “just say bismillah and eat” over any food renders it Halal for consumption. This statement is a direct quote of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said these words to his noble Companions (Allah be pleased with them all). As narrated By ‘Aaishah (Allah be pleased with her): “A group of people said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), “Some people bring us meat and we do not know
whether they have mentioned Allah’s Name or not on slaughtering the animal.” He said, “Mention Allah’s Name on it and eat.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The problem lies in the fact that it is usually quoted out of context. Those people had embraced Islam recently and it was felt that they may have inadvertently omitted the ‘bismillah’ when slaughtering. The Prophet (peace be upon him) thus dispelled the doubt on the slaughter conducted by those Muslims and responded to the specific situation accordingly.
The reliance on the belief of saying the name of Allah over any meat regardless of its source and preparation and that somehow it has the power to make the meat permissible is seriously flawed. There is no basis for this and it is a misunderstanding of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) statement.
“Those who have brought the truth and have acknowledged it are those who have fear of Allah.” (Surah Az-Zumar, Verse 33)
8. Whether generic Halal signs can be trusted?
Anybody can print or download Halal logos from the internet for display to attract Muslim patrons. Without contractual agreements and consequent audits, they are not worth the paper they are printed on. Remember, a body nourished by even a single morsel of Haram becomes worthy of Hellfire!
Don’t Throw Caution into the Wind – Stay Halal.
