Eating at a home whose owners sell alcohol?
Question and Answer:
Q. my parents and my sister get income from a shop where they sell food, household goods, alcohol and cigarettes. They are Muslims, but non-practicing ones. So may I eat at their home? For some time, I even stopped eating in their house and explained my mother that we are not allowed to eat at home of those who sell alcohol. She feels hurt and thinks that I am too strict in this issue. I often visit them and every time I am afraid that I eat the food bought with haram money. My husband just eats at their home without any questions and says that he doesn’t know what is right in this situation, and that I should ask a ‘alim if I wish to know the answer. Please reply me. What did Prophet (s.a.s.) and his companions use to do in such cases? (Russia)
A. You should continue advising your parents with love and concern that alcohol is Haraam and likewise, the sale of alcohol is also Haraam. Also enquire from them as to where the majority of their income comes from. If it is from the sale of alcohol, it will not be permissible to partake of meals at their home nor accept their gifts unless they assure you that the meals have been prepared or the gifts have been bought with Halaal money. If their majority income is from the sale of the permissible products in their store, you may partake of meals from their home in general and accept their gifts. (al-Muheet al-Burhani, Vol: 5, Pg: 367)
Q. my parents and my sister get income from a shop where they sell food, household goods, alcohol and cigarettes. They are Muslims, but non-practicing ones. So may I eat at their home? For some time, I even stopped eating in their house and explained my mother that we are not allowed to eat at home of those who sell alcohol. She feels hurt and thinks that I am too strict in this issue. I often visit them and every time I am afraid that I eat the food bought with haram money. My husband just eats at their home without any questions and says that he doesn’t know what is right in this situation, and that I should ask a ‘alim if I wish to know the answer. Please reply me. What did Prophet (s.a.s.) and his companions use to do in such cases? (Russia)
A. You should continue advising your parents with love and concern that alcohol is Haraam and likewise, the sale of alcohol is also Haraam. Also enquire from them as to where the majority of their income comes from. If it is from the sale of alcohol, it will not be permissible to partake of meals at their home nor accept their gifts unless they assure you that the meals have been prepared or the gifts have been bought with Halaal money. If their majority income is from the sale of the permissible products in their store, you may partake of meals from their home in general and accept their gifts. (al-Muheet al-Burhani, Vol: 5, Pg: 367)