Eating and Drinking from the Same Food with a Non-Muslim

6-2-2019 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamualaikum. I have a question about sharing of food with non Muslims. Are we allowed to drink

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is not forbidden for a Muslim to eat or drink from the same food with a non-Muslim even if the food is owned by the non-Muslim as long as it is with his permission.

The Prophet honored the invitation of the Jewish man who invited him to his house. Anas narrated that a Jewish man invited the Prophet to a meal of barley-bread and stale melted fat (the smell of which had changed because it was old), and he accepted his invitation. [Ahmad] Shu’ayb Al-Arna'oot said: “Its Isnaad (chain of narrators) is authentic according to the conditions set by Muslim.

The Prophet and his companions drank water and performed ablution from a container that belonged to a polytheistic woman; this is reported by Al-Bukhari on the authority of ‘Imran ibn Husayn in a long story. What is important is that a Muslim should not eat or drink what is forbidden, like pork or alcohol or what was slaughtered for other than Allah.

Additionally, one should seize the opportunity to call them to Islam and save them from Kufr (disbelief), and he should not just sit with them to chat and enjoy himself. The Prophet said to ‘Ali (when he sent him to Khaybar): “I swear by Allah! If Allah guides one single man (to Islam) by your efforts, that will be better for you than possessing an abundant number of red camels (a very expensive breed of camels).” [Al-Bukhari]

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 384016, 309688, 382414.

Allah knows best.