Question:
Assalamualaikum wbt,
I receive the following from my friend through Facebook share. I hope to get your opinion regarding this matter. Thank you.
"If you receive food from your non-Muslim neighbour, and they say there is no pork in it, would you eat, for example?
Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi wrote in a fatwa, portions of which may be found in al-Halal wa al-Haram fi al-Islam, "It is not required of the Muslim to inquire about what he has not witnessed, such as how was the animal killed, did the manner of slaughter meet the Islamic conditions, or was the name of Allah mentioned while slaughtering or not? If the animal was slaughtered by a Muslim, even if he is ignorant or sinful, or by someone from among the People of the Book, eating it is halal for us."
According to a hadits, the companions asked the Prophet (s.a.w.), "People bring us meat and we do not know whether they have mentioned the name of Allah over it or not. Shall we eat it or not?” And the Prophet (s.a.w.) replied,
“Mention the name of Allah over it and eat.”
That food is rizq. It is bad adab for a Muslim to interrogate someone about the food when it is Given and bad adab before Allah (s.w.t.) since He is the Provider of rizq. So, religion is simple, but Muslims, in their ignorance, make it difficult.”
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
It’s true. It is permissible to eat food given by non-Muslims, as long as the food is permissible. From Anas RA:
أَنَّ امْرَأَةً يَهُودِيَّةً أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِشَاةٍ مَسْمُومَةٍ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهَا
“A Jewess came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) with poisoned mutton and he took of that what had been brought to him (Allah's Messenger).”
Sahih Muslim (2190)
Although at the end of the narration, the Prophet PBUH is poisoned after eating the meat given by the Jewish woman, it is still a proof that it is permissible to accept and eat food from non-Muslims.
However, this does not deny the priority of being warak in accepting and eating food. It is prioritized to accept or buy food from the people of taqwa which is prepared with taqwa. Scholars state:
لا تأكل إلا طعام تقي ولا يأكل طعامك إلا تقي"
“You should not eat unless it is the food from the people of taqwa and a person should not eat your food, unless from the people of taqwa.” Refer Ihya Ulum al-Din (2/13)
Wallahua’lam.