Family and friends send to us on Eid occasions platters of biscuits, etc.

Answer

If you believe that a substance is poison, you may not give it to even poor Muslims. There are two types of Mushtabah food. Spiritual Ishtibah (Doubt) and physical Ishtibah. Spiritually doubtful food is such food which is 100% halaal physically since it contains no physical haraam ingredients. However, it becomes mushtabah if there is valid reason to believe that it was procured with haraam money, or it is the property of someone else. This kind of mushtabah food may be given to poor Muslims since spiritually haraam wealth and food are Waajibut Tasadduq. Sadqah of such wealth has to be made compulsorily to the poor. Such money and food are halaal for the poor.

Food which is physically mushtabah on account of doubtful physical ingredients, e.g. the gelatine or stabilizer or emulsifier, etc. in a food item may be halaal or it may be haraam. When there is no clarity and the doubt is valid, then this type of mushtabah food should not be given to even poor Muslims. Even poor Muslims should abstain from such food for the cultivation of Taqwa. It is Waajib for even poor Muslims to develop Taqwa.

Such mushtabah food may be given to non-Muslims because of their voracious capacity and appetite for ingestion of filth, poison and haraam. Such substances do not harm them. On the contrary their kufr and shaitaaniyat are reinvigorated. Filth and Haraam are their nourishment and daily food, although it is not permissible for Muslims to give them anything which is positively haraam. In fact, it is haraam to feed even dogs with SANHA and MJC certified carrion chickens although it is sad to observe Muslims voraciously ingesting this poisonous filth which causes cancer and a host of other destructive diseases – destructive both physically and spiritually. You may therefore give the chocolate coated biscuits to non-Muslims.

However, Amr Bil Ma'roof obliges you to offer naseehat to those who present such foods to you. You should politely inform them that you and your family do not consume the mushtabah chocolate, etc., hence they should not send such gifts to you. By adopting this straightforward and honest approach, they too may acquire the necessary taufeeq to abstain from mushtabah. Once they have achieved the ability to abstain from mushtabah, it will become easier for them to abandon SANHA and MJC certified haraam carrion chickens.