Is Doubtful Contamination or a Small Amount of Contamination Excused?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question 

Is doubtful contamination or a small amount of contamination excused?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Firstly it is important to understand the principle: all things are considered pure until proven otherwise. [Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa al-Nazair]

If you are reasonably sure or certain that there is cross-contamination between permitted and forbidden foods, then you must refrain from eating at such an establishment.

If, however, you are doubtful or there merely exists the possibility of cross-contamination, clarify the matter with the establishment by asking them. If they affirm cross-contamination, then you must refrain.

However, if they deny any cross-contamination, you are permitted to eat what is permissible.

What is Considered Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is obvious in certain methods of cooking. For example, french fries cooked in the same oil as chicken (non-halal chicken) nuggets occur in many fast-food restaurants.

However, other situations are not so obvious. Like, for instance, pizza. It is possible that the knife used to cut a pizza be the same knife used to cut through pepperoni (which can be from non-halal beef or maybe even pork).

The likelihood of this happens is not enough to declare the pizza forbidden (haram) to eat. However, going off the same example, if there are clear traces of the pepperoni on the knife and a visible transference of the pepperoni or its traces on the pizza – then that specific place on the pizza must be avoided.

These are from the advice we heard from our teachers. Apply this principle in other similar situations.

A Note on Caution

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “That which is permissible (halal) is clear; what is forbidden (haram) is clear; and what is between the two are ambiguous matters of which many have no knowledge. So whoever abandons those sinful matters which are ambiguous they are even more likely to abandon that which is clear (i.e. clearly forbidden). And he who brazenly delves into that which is possible sinful, is soon to fall into that which is clear (i.e. clearly forbidden)…. [Bukhari] 

Sahl said, “Whoever eats of the forbidden (haram) their limbs will disobey them, whether they like it or not or whether they know or not. And whoever’s food is permissible (halal) their limbs with obey them and they will be guided to all goodness.” [Ghazali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din]

From the above, we can see the great importance of only eating of the permissible. This is why caution is pertinent and was highly encouraged by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).

The Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Leave that which gives you doubt for that which does not give you doubt.” [Ahmad]

Summary

Seek out permissible and ideally wholesome food and strive not to eat from places that causes your heart to be unsettled. If you are forced to eat somewhere, apply the above principles. However, try to prevent this by thinking ahead and preparing accordingly.

Hope this helps

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

2051 – حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ المُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وحَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو فَرْوَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي فَرْوَةَ، سَمِعْتُ الشَّعْبِيَّ، سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي فَرْوَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «§الحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ، وَالحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَةٌ، فَمَنْ تَرَكَ مَا شُبِّهَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ، كَانَ لِمَا اسْتَبَانَ أَتْرَكَ، وَمَنِ اجْتَرَأَ عَلَى مَا يَشُكُّ فِيهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ، أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَ مَا اسْتَبَانَ، وَالمَعَاصِي حِمَى اللَّهِ مَنْ يَرْتَعْ حَوْلَ الحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ»
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ص53 – صحيح البخاري – باب الحلال بين والحرام بين وبينهما مشبهات – المكتبة الشاملة الحديثة
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وقال سهل رضي الله عنه من أكل الحرام عصت جوارحه شاء أم أبى علم أو لم يعلم
ومن كانت طعمته حلالاً أطاعته جوارحه ووفقت للخيرات وقال بعض السلف إن أول لقمة يأكلها العبد من حلال يغفر له ما سلف من ذنوبه ومن أقام نفسه مقام ذل في طلب الحلال تساقطت عنه ذنوبه كتساقط ورق الشجر
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ص91 – كتاب إحياء علوم الدين – كتاب الحلال والحرام

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2051 – حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ المُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وحَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو فَرْوَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي فَرْوَةَ، سَمِعْتُ الشَّعْبِيَّ، سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي فَرْوَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «§الحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ، وَالحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَةٌ، فَمَنْ تَرَكَ مَا شُبِّهَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ، كَانَ لِمَا اسْتَبَانَ أَتْرَكَ، وَمَنِ اجْتَرَأَ عَلَى مَا يَشُكُّ فِيهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ، أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَ مَا اسْتَبَانَ، وَالمَعَاصِي حِمَى اللَّهِ مَنْ يَرْتَعْ حَوْلَ الحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ»
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ص53 – صحيح البخاري – باب الحلال بين والحرام بين وبينهما مشبهات

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.