Point 11: Effect of Haram Food
It is of course a fact that we are responsible only for our own actions and not for the actions of others. When we happen to have the pleasure of consuming food at some one else’s home, the food served to us is Halal and allowed to us, even if we know that it is made from illegitimate and Haram money. However, from a Tazkiyah point of view, our interest should go beyond whether the food is Halal or Haram. We need to be wary of any possible effects of products of Haram money on us, even if we are consuming them as a guest. The experience of people, who have done well in the path of Tazkiyah shows that taking care in what we eat and where we eat it, is very important. Such people, for instance, would be reluctant to eat in a home where, they know that the host does not care about paying Zakah just out of arrogance, or makes money unethically.
It needs to be emphasised that technically speaking, the food that is made out of Haram money by some one else is not Haram for us. However, the advice of those who are advanced in the path of Tazkiyah for people striving to purify their souls is that due to the potential adverse effects that it might have on the soul, they should avoid such food. Obviously, this tip refers to a clear and definite Haram money being used for food, not a guess, suspicion or an assumption.
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It is of course a fact that we are responsible only for our own actions and not for the actions of others. When we happen to have the pleasure of consuming food at some one else’s home, the food served to us is Halal and allowed to us, even if we know that it is made from illegitimate and Haram money. However, from a Tazkiyah point of view, our interest should go beyond whether the food is Halal or Haram. We need to be wary of any possible effects of products of Haram money on us, even if we are consuming them as a guest. The experience of people, who have done well in the path of Tazkiyah shows that taking care in what we eat and where we eat it, is very important. Such people, for instance, would be reluctant to eat in a home where, they know that the host does not care about paying Zakah just out of arrogance, or makes money unethically.
It needs to be emphasised that technically speaking, the food that is made out of Haram money by some one else is not Haram for us. However, the advice of those who are advanced in the path of Tazkiyah for people striving to purify their souls is that due to the potential adverse effects that it might have on the soul, they should avoid such food. Obviously, this tip refers to a clear and definite Haram money being used for food, not a guess, suspicion or an assumption.
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