Question
Assalamu alaikum. Is it permissible to eat food at a persons home who’s family has a gas station businesses (along with other businesses)? Jazak Allah khair.
Answer
When benefiting from another person’s wealth, in your case eating at their house, there are a few possible scenarios that could take place.
If the gas station and other businesses are selling lawful products only then there is no harm in eating at their house.
Similarly, if the businesses are selling lawful and unlawful stock and you know that the lawful income is kept aside and that income is used to purchase food at their house, then it will be permissible to eat at their house.
If the wealth is kept separate but you are not aware of whether the lawful or unlawful income was used to purchase the food, then it would still be permissible if majority of their income is lawful.
However, the most common scenario is if you are not aware of how the lawful and unlawful income is kept. In such a case if your dominant thought is that the cost of the food will fall within the individual’s lawful income then it would be permissible for you to eat at their house.
In this case it is highly likely that the food purchased for the invitation will fall within the individual’s lawful income as a significant percentage of revenue will have been generated from the sale of gas which is a lawful means of revenue, hence, it would be permissible for you to eat there.
Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel
فقه البيوع 1032:2
وقد اشتهر علي الالسن ان حكم التعامل مع من كان ماله مخلوطا بالحلال والحرام انه ان كان الحلال فيه اكثر جاز التعامل معه بقبول هديتة وتعاقد البيع والشراء معه
فقه البيوع 1038:2
الصورة الرابعة: أن المال مركب من الحلال والحرام، ولايعرف أن الحلال مميز من الحرام أو مخلوط غير مميز. وإن كان مخلوطة فكم حصة الحلال فيه. والأولى في هذه الصورة التنزه، ولكن يجوز للأخذ أن يأخذ منه بعض ماله هبة أو شراء، لأن الأصل الإباحة. وينبغي أن يقيد ذلك بأن يغلب على ظن الأخذ أن الحلال فيه بقدر ما يأخذه أو أكثر منه. وهو محمل ما جاء في العبارات الآتية: ١- قال الإمام محمد رحمه الله تعالى في كتاب الآثار: “أخبرنا أبو حنيفة، قال: حدثنا محمد بن قيس أن أبا العوجاء العشار كان صديقا لمسروق، فكان يدعوه، فيأكل من طعامه ویشرب من شرابه، ولا يسأله. ” قال محمد: وبه نأخذ، ولا بأس بذلك، مالم يعرف خبيثا بعينه، وهو قول أبي حنيفة رحمه الله تعالی