Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

My question is about Easter. At Easter, Christians celebrate their belief that Jesus came back to life after his death. Christians distribute chocolates and cakes among their friends. Is it Halal for Muslims to consume Easter chocolates, cakes etc. assuming that the food item itself is Halal.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Consuming easter food

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 173:

173 He hath only forbidden you dead (meat), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah; but if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 3:

3 Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead (meat), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah, that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death,; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form), or that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any forced by hunger with no inclination to transgression Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Even though cakes and chocolates, etc. are halaal food in its essence for the believers to consume, because a name other than Allah’s has been invoked on it; these foods would be forbidden and haraam for the believers.

Even if one were to distribute food in the name of (Allah forbid) Prophet Mohamed (saws), such food would fall under the same category as being food on which a name other than Allah’s has been invoked; thus regardless of what type of food it is or whose name other than Allah Subhanah has been invoked, all such food would be haraam for the believers to consume.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan