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:

Assalamu alaikum wa barkatullahi wa barakatu,

I`m a reverted muslim. I was earlier from a family of brahmins and was accostumed to eating white pumpkins( Kaddu ). But it is not used in my husband`s house, they say it is against Islam to eat white kaddu but the reason exactly is not know. Could you please help me in finding out whether we can eat white pumpkins or not. if not why is it so.

Thanks,

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Answer:

Is pumpkin halaal?

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.

Your Question: Could you please help me in finding out whether we can eat white pumpkins or not.

Beloved Sister, when one wishes to determine what foods are halaal (lawful) or haraam (unlawful) for the believers to consume, one must check the list of haraam (unlawful) foods found in the Quran and the Sunnah. If the food is not found in the haraam list, it would be absolutely lawful and legal for the believers to consume it as food.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 3-4:

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); 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.

4 They ask thee what is lawful to them (as food): say: Lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure: and what ye have taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) in the manner directed to you by Allah; eat what they catch for you but pronounce the name of Allah over it: and fear Allah; for Allah is swift in taking account.

5 This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you, and yours is lawful unto them.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 157: Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet (Mohamed (saws)) whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures); in the law and the Gospel; for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil: he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him honor him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him, it is they who will prosper."

Thus, in light of the above Aayahs of the Holy Quran and the various authentic narrations of the Messenger of Allah (saws), here is the general list of the haraam foods:

The meat of any animal that dies of itself or is not slaughtered (including fall, strangling, gored to death, etc.)

The flesh of swine

The food on which any name other than Allah Subhanah’s has been invoked

The food that is slaughtered by any other than the believers, Jews or Christians.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to eat the meat of any animal which hunts with its fangs. (eg. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, etc.)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to eat the meat of any bird which hunts with its claws. (eagles, crows, etc.)

All the impure animals and insects. (rats, cockroaches, pests, etc.)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) also forbade the believers to eat dogs and domestic donkeys.

If the food does not fall in the list of the haraam, it will be considered halaal and permissible for the believers as food.

It is practically impossible to name each and every halaal food, as the list of halaal food is indeed endless. But we will try to compile a list only as an indication. The following are absolutely halaal for the believers.

All vegetation is halaal food.

All animals and birds that are not listed in the haraam list are halaal as food for the believers provided they fulfill the requirements of slaughter.

All sea-food is halaal, whether it be fish, crabs, lobster, prawns, etc.

The pumpkin (white or other wise) is from amongst the vegetable kingdom, and all products from vegetation are considered perfectly lawful and halaal as food for the believers.

Your Statement: But it is not used in my husband`s house, they say it is against Islam to eat white kaddu but the reason exactly is not know.

Depending on one’s taste and choice, one may choose to eat any amongst the halaal foods one wishes…..but if for any reason one does not wish to eat amongst the lawful foods, one cannot of oneself declare that it is unlawful in Islam as food; for Allah and His Messenger (saws) alone have the right to declare what is lawful and unlawful in Islam and no one else!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 87-88:

87 O ye who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you, but commit no excess: for Allah loves not those given to excess.

88 Eat of the things which Allah hath provided for you lawful and good: but fear Allah in Whom ye believe.

Just as it would be a grave sin to declare something lawful which Allah and His Messenger (saws) have Declared haraam (swine, wine, dead, blood, etc.); it is also a grave sin to declare haraam what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have made lawful for the believers to consume.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verses 116-117:

116 But say not for any false thing that your tongues may put forth "This is lawful and this is forbidden" so as to ascribe false things to Allah. For those who ascribe false things to Allah will never prosper.

117 (In such falsehood) is but a paltry profit; but they will have a most grievous Penalty.

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan