The Legislated Social Interaction for Muslims with non-Muslims
The Permissibility to use the Utensils of non-Muslims
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Allah said:
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً
He it is Who created for you all that is on earth[1].
عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ كُنَّا نَغْزُو مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَنُصِيبُ مِنْ آنِيَةِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَأَسْقِيَتِهِمْ فَنَسْتَمْتِعُ بِهَا فَلاَ يَعِيبُ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
I was on an expedition along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). We got the vessels and skins of the polytheists and used them. But he did not object to them (i.e. us) for that (action).[2]
عَنْ أَبِي ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيِّ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ: ] قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ الْلَّهِ، إِنَّا بِأَرْضِ قَوْمٍ أَهْلِ كِتَابٍ، أَفَنَأْكُلُ فِي آنِيَتِهِمْ؟] فـَقَالَ: “لَا تَأْكُلُوا فِيهَا، إِلَّا أَنْ لَا تَجِدُوا غَيْرَهَا، فَاغْسِلُوهَا، وَكُلُوا فِيهَا”
Abu Tha’laba Al-Khushni:
Narrated : I said “O Allah’s Messenger! We are living in a land inhabited by the people of the Scriptures; can we take our meals in their utensils?” He said, “If you can get utensils other than theirs, do not eat in theirs, but if you cannot get other than theirs, wash them and eat in them” [3]
Important directives for this topic
- Allah said: ‘He it is Who created for you all that is on earth.” The general meaning of the verse supports the fact that the cookware, utensils, plates and drinkware of the Jews, the Christians, and the Atheists are allowed for us to us use to cook with, plus eat and drink from.[4]
- The two hadith mentioned both produced 3 opinions which concluded it’s allowed to use the utensils, the drinking vessels as well as the pots and pans of non-Muslims with certain conditions as the popular opinion.
1: It’s allowed to use their utensils without any conditions and this is the position of the majority of scholars. They refer to first hadith narrated by Jabir ibn Abdillah along with the hadith The Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions performed Wudu (ablution) from a skin water container belonging to a polytheist woman
These are evidences that allow using the utensils, plates, and cups as long as you are sure it’s clean.
2: It’s disliked to use their utensils as mentioned in the second hadith above since they always use them for najis (pork/Alcohol).
3: It’s not allowed to use the utensils of the Christians and Jews who use their drinkware and cookware for intoxicants and pork on a regular basis[5]
On the whole, using the utensils in restaurants, in your parents’ home and elsewhere from the people of the book and the atheists are permissible to use as long we are certain that they are clean. If they aren’t clean then we must wash them and in that case we are able to use them. If we don’t know about the silverware, dishes and vessels being soiled from alcohol or pork, but we have a strong feeling it’s clean ,then the origin is that it’s clean, but if you washed it that would be better as a way to play it on the safe side.[6]
To be continued inshallah –
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Prepared by:
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar, 1437©
[1] Al-Baqarah :29
[2] Ahmed (3/379)Abu Dawud in the chapter of eating from the utensil of Ahl Kitab 4/177 . Shaykh Al-Albani said the Isnad was sahih in Irwa 1/76
[3] Agreed upon : Al-Bukhari (5488)Muslim(1930)
[4] Refer to Sharul Mumti vol 1/pg83,by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen
[5] Refer to explanation of Ummdatul Fiqh, vol1/pg 119-120, Shaykul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
[6] Refer to explanation of Ummdatul Fiqh, vol 1/pg25-26,by Shaykh Abdul Aziz Ar-Rajhi
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