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:

Dear Brother Burhan As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Can we eat sweets or food distributed on the occasion of Birthday celebration or New Born Baby of our Non Muslim & Muslim colleague or friends?

(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:

Eat food birthdays non muslims

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 none 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 willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then he is guiltless.  For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Provided the food itself is lawful in its essence, and it has not been dedicated to the name of any deity other than Allah Subhanah….all such food would be lawful for the believers to consume.

The celebrations or commemorations of ‘birthdays’ and ‘anniversaries’ is neither from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), nor from Islamic culture….thus it would be best and purest for the believers to abstain from imitating the culture of the pagans and celebrating or participating in ‘birthdays’ or ‘anniversary’ commemorations.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.780         Narrated by Nafi

Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do!”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4020  Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘He who copies any people is one of them.’

But if an off-spring has been born to a believing household, and one is invited to share the ‘aqiqa’ sacrifice meat or food with them, one should accept such good invitations from their believing brethren.

Alternatively if one’s disbelieving brethren presents or distributes some sweets or food on the joyous occasion of a birth in their family…..provided the sweets or the food presented by them is not dedicated to any deity other than Allah Subhanah, there is absolutely no harm in accepting and consuming such lawful food.

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