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:

Many muslims reside in the west(usa etc). Of course in some places the variety of halal food is great and available and in some places to limited degree. 1) Non-halal shops although run/owned by muslims in some cases (like burger joints, pizza places, shawarma bars etc.) also offer pork/bacon/ham food and alcohol. Is it permitted for any muslim to run a shop of that nature? Is the profit haram seeing you may not eat it but you are serving it. 2) Secondly if muslims eat at these places, is that ok, seeing burgers, pizzas are fried on/in the same pan/oven. They dont keep seperate pans/ovens for non pork & for pork food. The oil often runs from pizzas as does the oil run from burgers on the pan & when the next item is put on it too is in touch with the previous oil. I was wondering what does islam say about that? 

(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:

Eating pork cooked with halaal meat

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 : Is it permitted for any muslim to run a shop of that nature?

When Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared intoxicants and the flesh of swine ‘haraam’, it would be absolutely prohibited for the believers to trade or do business with a fundamentally ‘haraam’ product.

Your question: Is the profit haram seeing you may not eat it but you are serving it.

If one deals in a fundamentally haraam product, the earnings from such business will also be considered haraam.

Your question: Secondly if muslims eat at these places, is that ok, seeing burgers, pizzas are fried on/in the same pan/oven. They dont keep seperate pans/ovens for non pork & for pork food. The oil often runs from pizzas as does the oil run from burgers on the pan & when the next item is put on it too is in touch with the previous oil.

The key word is ‘seeing’! If one is absolutely convinced that the same pan or oil used to prepare the haraam food, is used in the preparation for the halaal food; it would be better and purer for the believers to abstain from such food. The halaal food will not become forbidden simply on a doubt; but if one has asked the waiter/cook, or if one has seen it with his own eyes, or if one is convinced that the halaal food is cooked in the same pan or oil as the haraam food; then it would be impermissible for the believers to eat this impure food.

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