Question
There is a Food Lovers Market store here in Pietermaritzburg which was owned and managed by non Muslims for several years. The store has a butchery which used to sell pork and other haraam meat products. The store was recently sold to a Muslim family. When the Muslims took over the store, new equipment was not bought for the butchery. They merely claimed to wash the equipment and are using it to cut and process their meat. There is also a take away in the store and with this too, there was no new equipment bought. I would like to know what's the ruling on purchasing from the store and I think that the community should be made aware of the ruling.
Answer
If the equipment was thoroughly washed, then we cannot say that the products prepared with this equipment are haraam. Nevertheless, people who have Taqwa or even a little Taqwa, will not purchase from this store / butchery. The thought of pork and other haraam meats being cut and prepared with the same equipment will be a strong deterrent.
Consider a chamber pot which has been used for urinating and even for defecating in it. If it is washed thoroughly thrice, then in terms of the Shariah it will be paak / taahir / clean. But if food/soup / porridge is served in this paak chamber pot, will any Muslim eat from it? Perhaps those addicted to eating SANHA certified carrion will.
Even if the chamber pot is washed a hundred times with rose water, no Muslim of correct Imaani integrity will consume food from the paak/ taahir chamber pot. If carrion-eaters will use chamber pots as plates for food, it is understandable.
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- The Majlis Vol 24 No 12
- PDF page
- 2
Appears under EQUIPMENT LIKE A CHAMBER POT} (approximate).