A major problem confronting prosperous Muslim communities in Western Europe and elsewhere is the demand for halal meat, which far exceeds the levels of consumption by most Muslims of the world since the earliest days of Islam. To cope with this unhealthy demand in the United Kingdom, for example, organisations such as the Halal Food Authority ou le Halal Monitoring Committee have been established, following the model of Jewish communities and kosher food certification.
What these organisations do is visit slaughthouses, food processing plants, shops and restaurants and, on the basis of an inspection of however many hours, issue a certificate for the ensuing x months, stating that any meat or meat products will be halal. This begs the question: How can anyone, no matter how well trained in the Islamic jurisprudence of food production, possibly know whether the butcher (or the food processor or chef) whom they have observed today, and who declared himself to be a devout Muslim, will not have ceased to be a Muslim the next morning? We don't like to imagine this possibility but, in a hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (PBUH) said: بادروا بالعمال فتنا كقطع من الليل المظلم، يصبح الرجل مؤمنا ويمسي كافرا يبيع دينه بعرض من الدنيا ("Temptations are like the dark portions of the night, so challenge them with [good] deeds. A man may wake up a believer and end his day an non-believer, having sold his religion for a share in [the pleasures of] the world.") So, if the religion of the people involved in the processing of food cannot be established with certainty in advance, then how can any other aspect of the food chain?
In Medina, the Prophet (PBUH) was asked concerning the issue of what, in today's parlance, we might be called "selling futures on the commodities markets". Back then, the practice in relation to the main commodity, dates, was called muzaabanah (مزابنة). There are numerous authentic hadiths on this in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere, including this one reported on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Umar, that the Prophet (PBUH) said: لا تبيعوا الثمر حتى يبدو صلاحه، ولا تبيعوا الثمر بالتمر ("Do not sell the fresh fruit until its good [quality] is evident, and do not sell fresh fruit for dried dates.") In one narration it is added on the authority of Zayd ibn Thabit that the Prophet (PBUH) subsequently allowed the sale of unharvested but ripe fruit in return for either freshly picked or dried dates, but he (PBUH) forebade it in all other transactions (ولم يُرَخَّص في غيره).
Clearly, from the perspective of their compliance with either the HFA's or HMC's criteria of what constitutes halal animal protein, the good quality of the meat pies which a company is contracted to supply in six months time cannot be established in advance. If anything, what the Prophet (PBUH) prohibitted was more certain than the 'service' that these halal certification organisations sell, insofar as a date palm cannot become an apple tree.
As al-Hasan reported that his grandfather (PBUH) said: دع ما يريبك إلى ما لا يريبك ("Leave what causes you to doubt in favour what does not.") If we follow this Sunnah, whom God has blessed with the ability to afford regularly to eat expensive food, then it may mean reverting to a more Muslim authentic diet down the ages until this day, with meat usually reserved for Eid days and to celebrate births and weddings.
What these organisations do is visit slaughthouses, food processing plants, shops and restaurants and, on the basis of an inspection of however many hours, issue a certificate for the ensuing x months, stating that any meat or meat products will be halal. This begs the question: How can anyone, no matter how well trained in the Islamic jurisprudence of food production, possibly know whether the butcher (or the food processor or chef) whom they have observed today, and who declared himself to be a devout Muslim, will not have ceased to be a Muslim the next morning? We don't like to imagine this possibility but, in a hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (PBUH) said: بادروا بالعمال فتنا كقطع من الليل المظلم، يصبح الرجل مؤمنا ويمسي كافرا يبيع دينه بعرض من الدنيا ("Temptations are like the dark portions of the night, so challenge them with [good] deeds. A man may wake up a believer and end his day an non-believer, having sold his religion for a share in [the pleasures of] the world.") So, if the religion of the people involved in the processing of food cannot be established with certainty in advance, then how can any other aspect of the food chain?
In Medina, the Prophet (PBUH) was asked concerning the issue of what, in today's parlance, we might be called "selling futures on the commodities markets". Back then, the practice in relation to the main commodity, dates, was called muzaabanah (مزابنة). There are numerous authentic hadiths on this in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere, including this one reported on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Umar, that the Prophet (PBUH) said: لا تبيعوا الثمر حتى يبدو صلاحه، ولا تبيعوا الثمر بالتمر ("Do not sell the fresh fruit until its good [quality] is evident, and do not sell fresh fruit for dried dates.") In one narration it is added on the authority of Zayd ibn Thabit that the Prophet (PBUH) subsequently allowed the sale of unharvested but ripe fruit in return for either freshly picked or dried dates, but he (PBUH) forebade it in all other transactions (ولم يُرَخَّص في غيره).
Clearly, from the perspective of their compliance with either the HFA's or HMC's criteria of what constitutes halal animal protein, the good quality of the meat pies which a company is contracted to supply in six months time cannot be established in advance. If anything, what the Prophet (PBUH) prohibitted was more certain than the 'service' that these halal certification organisations sell, insofar as a date palm cannot become an apple tree.
As al-Hasan reported that his grandfather (PBUH) said: دع ما يريبك إلى ما لا يريبك ("Leave what causes you to doubt in favour what does not.") If we follow this Sunnah, whom God has blessed with the ability to afford regularly to eat expensive food, then it may mean reverting to a more Muslim authentic diet down the ages until this day, with meat usually reserved for Eid days and to celebrate births and weddings.
والله أعلم
al-Muwatta' / Malik ibn Anas, no. 45
أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ خَرَجَ فِي رَكْبٍ فِيهِمْ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، حَتَّى وَرَدُوا حَوْضًا، فَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ: " يَا صَاحِبَ الْحَوْضِ هَلْ تَرِدُ حَوْضَكَ السِّبَاعُ؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ: يَا صَاحِبَ الْحَوْضِ، لا تُخْبِرْنَا، فَإِنَّا نَرِدُ عَلَى السِّبَاعِ وَتَرِدُ عَلَيْنَا ".
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: إِذَا كَانَ الْحَوْضُ عَظِيمَا إِنْ حُرِّكَتْ مِنْهُ نَاحِيةٌ، لَمْ تَتحَرَّكْ بِهِ النَّاحِيَةُ الأُخْرَى لَمْ يُفسِدْ ذَلِكَ الْمَاءَ مَا وَلِغَ فِيهِ مِنْ سَبُعٍ، وَلا مَا وَقَعَ فِيهِ مِنْ قَذَرٍ، إِلا أَنْ يَغْلِبَ عَلَى رِيحٍ، أَوْ طَعْمٍ، فَإِذَا كَانَ حَوْضًا صَغِيرًا، إِنْ حُرِّكَتْ مِنْهُ نَاحِيَةٌ تَحَرَّكَتِ النَّاحِيَةُ الأُخْرَى، فَوَلَغَ فِيهِ السِّبَاعُ أَوْ وَقَعَ فِيهِ الْقَذَرُ، لا يَتَوَضَّأُ مِنْهُ، أَلا يُرَى أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كَرِهَ أَنْ يُخْبِرَهُ وَنَهَاهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، وَهَذَا كُلُّهُ قَوْلُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ
الكتاب: محض الصواب في فضائل أمير المؤمنين عمر بن الخطاب
المؤلف: يوسف بن حسن بن أحمد بن حسن ابن عبد الهادي الصالحي، جمال الدين، ابن المبرد الحنبلي (المتوفى: 909هـ)
أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ خَرَجَ فِي رَكْبٍ فِيهِمْ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، حَتَّى وَرَدُوا حَوْضًا، فَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ: " يَا صَاحِبَ الْحَوْضِ هَلْ تَرِدُ حَوْضَكَ السِّبَاعُ؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ: يَا صَاحِبَ الْحَوْضِ، لا تُخْبِرْنَا، فَإِنَّا نَرِدُ عَلَى السِّبَاعِ وَتَرِدُ عَلَيْنَا ".
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: إِذَا كَانَ الْحَوْضُ عَظِيمَا إِنْ حُرِّكَتْ مِنْهُ نَاحِيةٌ، لَمْ تَتحَرَّكْ بِهِ النَّاحِيَةُ الأُخْرَى لَمْ يُفسِدْ ذَلِكَ الْمَاءَ مَا وَلِغَ فِيهِ مِنْ سَبُعٍ، وَلا مَا وَقَعَ فِيهِ مِنْ قَذَرٍ، إِلا أَنْ يَغْلِبَ عَلَى رِيحٍ، أَوْ طَعْمٍ، فَإِذَا كَانَ حَوْضًا صَغِيرًا، إِنْ حُرِّكَتْ مِنْهُ نَاحِيَةٌ تَحَرَّكَتِ النَّاحِيَةُ الأُخْرَى، فَوَلَغَ فِيهِ السِّبَاعُ أَوْ وَقَعَ فِيهِ الْقَذَرُ، لا يَتَوَضَّأُ مِنْهُ، أَلا يُرَى أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كَرِهَ أَنْ يُخْبِرَهُ وَنَهَاهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، وَهَذَا كُلُّهُ قَوْلُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ
Umar ibn al-Khattab went out riding with a group that included 'Amr ibn al-'As until they came upon a reservoir of water. So 'Amr ibn al-'As asked the owner of the reservoir: "Do beasts of prey come to your reservoir?" Then Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "O reservoir owner, don't inform us. [It may be that] we approach beast of prey, and [that] they approach us."
Muhammad said [on this issue]: If the reservoir is large such that movement at one end does not cause ripples at the other, that water will not become impure if a beast of prey laps up water from it, or it some filth falls into it, except if it affects either the smell or the taste. However, if it is a small reservoir such that movement at one end causes ripples at the other, that water will become impure if a beast of prey laps up water from it, or it some filth falls into it, so one should not perform one's ablution (wudu') from it. Is it not evident that Umar ibn al-Khattab - may God be pleased with him - disliked to be informed, and forbade the same? All of this conforms with what Abu Hanifah - may God have mercy on him - said.
الكتاب: محض الصواب في فضائل أمير المؤمنين عمر بن الخطاب
المؤلف: يوسف بن حسن بن أحمد بن حسن ابن عبد الهادي الصالحي، جمال الدين، ابن المبرد الحنبلي (المتوفى: 909هـ)
وعن أسلم قال: "بينا أنا مع عمر بن الخطاب، وهو يعس بالمدينة إذ عيي، فاتكأ على جانب جدار جوف الليل، وإذا امرأة تقول لابنتها: "يا بنتاه، قومي إلى ذلك اللبن فامذقيه بالماء"، قالت: "يا أماه أو ما علمت بما كان من عزمة أمير المؤمنين؟ "، قالت: "وما كان من عزمته يا بنية؟ "، قالت: "إنه أمر مناديه فنادى: لا يشاب اللبن بالماء"، فقالت لها: "يا بنية قومي إلى اللبن فامذقيه بالماء فإنك بموضع لا يراك عمر ولا منادي عمر"، فقالت الصبية: "والله ما كنت لأطيعه في الملا وأعصيه في الخلا"، وعمر يسمع كل ذلك.
فقال: "يا أسلم اعلم الباب واعرف الموضع. ثم مضى في عسسه، فلما أصبح قال: "يا أسلم امض إلى الموضع فانظر من القائلة ومن المقول لها، وهل لهم بعل؟ "، فأتيت الموضع فنظرت فإذا الجارية أيم لا بعل لها، وإذا تيك أمها وإذا ليس لها رجل، فأتيت عمر فأخبرته، فدعى ولده فجمعهم، فقال: "هل فيكم من يحتاج إلى امرأة فأزوجه؟ "، ولو كان بأبيكم حركة إلى النساء ما سبقه منكم أحد إلى هذه الجارية". فقال عبد الله: "لي زوجة". وقال عبد الرحمن: "لي زوجة"، وقال عاصم: "يا أبتاه لا زوجة لي، فزوجني". فبعث إلى الجارية فزوجها من عاصم فولدت له بنتاً، وولدت البنت بنتاً، وولدت البنت عمر بن عبد العزيز، - رحمه الله تعالى
فقال: "يا أسلم اعلم الباب واعرف الموضع. ثم مضى في عسسه، فلما أصبح قال: "يا أسلم امض إلى الموضع فانظر من القائلة ومن المقول لها، وهل لهم بعل؟ "، فأتيت الموضع فنظرت فإذا الجارية أيم لا بعل لها، وإذا تيك أمها وإذا ليس لها رجل، فأتيت عمر فأخبرته، فدعى ولده فجمعهم، فقال: "هل فيكم من يحتاج إلى امرأة فأزوجه؟ "، ولو كان بأبيكم حركة إلى النساء ما سبقه منكم أحد إلى هذه الجارية". فقال عبد الله: "لي زوجة". وقال عبد الرحمن: "لي زوجة"، وقال عاصم: "يا أبتاه لا زوجة لي، فزوجني". فبعث إلى الجارية فزوجها من عاصم فولدت له بنتاً، وولدت البنت بنتاً، وولدت البنت عمر بن عبد العزيز، - رحمه الله تعالى
Narrated from Aslam, who said: While I was with Umar ibn al-Khattab, and he was on his nightly round of Medina, he felt unwell and so leant on the side of a wall in the middle of the night. Then [we heard] a woman say to her daughter: "O my daughter, get up and mix water with that milk." She replied: "O mother, don't you know what the Commander of the Faithful decreed?" She said: "And what did he decree, my daughter?" She replied: He ordered his crier to announced: 'Milk must not be contaminated with water.'" So the mother said: "O my daughter, get up and mix water with that milk, for you are in a place where neither Umar nor his crier can see you." The young woman replied: "By God, I am not one to obey him in public and disobey him in private." When Umar heard that, he said: "O Aslam, mark this door and note the place." Then he continued on his rounds. In the morning, he said: "O Aslam, go to that place and find out if either the one who spoke or the one spoken to have a husband." I came to that place and looked, and the servant girl had no husband, nor did that mother of hers have a man; so I came back to Umar and informed him. Then he called all his sons together and said: "Does any of you need a wife? If your father were in need of a woman, none of you would not have preceded him in [marrying] this servant girl." Abd Allah said: "I have a wife." Abd al-Rahman said: "I have a wife." 'Asim said: "O father, I have no wife, so marry me [to her]." So he send for that servant girl and married her to 'Asim, and she bore him a daughter; and the daughter gave birth to a daughter; and that daughter gave birth to Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz - may God have mercy on him.
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