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234 questions answered by Sh. Mustafa Umar. Search in your own words or pick a topic.
Can I eat cheese which was made from rennet that came from an animal?
Yes.
Can I consume products with alcohol like kombucha, vanilla extract, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, or non-alcoholic beer? Can I use products that have alcohol in them like cologne or hand sanitizer?
Point 1: Alcoholic beverages (known as khamr in Arabic) such as beer, wine, vodka, and sake are forbidden to consume. Any other beverage which contains some alcohol, but cannot intoxicate you no matter how much you drink (see here), is not an alcoholic beverage. Therefore, kombucha, non-alcoholic beer, and soda all contain trace amounts of alcohol but cannot intoxicate you so they are fine to consume. There is alcohol even in regular foods we consume (hotdog buns 1.28% ABV, ripe bananas 0.2% ABV, and grape juice 0.09% ABV) but this alcohol does not make the product an alcoholic beverage or intoxicating food.
Should I ask a Muslim host or store whether their meat is halal?
It is necessary to balance between taking precautions to only eat halal (lawful) food and giving others the benefit of the doubt. So if you visit a store that has their meat labeled halal or you visit a friend whom you know only eats halal meat, then you should not ask. You can safely assume that they are being honest and not deceiving you. However, if you visit a store that does not label their meat, or you visit a friend whom you have a reasonable suspicion that they do not only eat halal meat, then you must ask. You should be polite, but not shy away.
Can I refuse to take medicine or get treatment if I am seriously ill?
Taking medicine, in general, is either allowed or recommended, but not required. If it is likely that you will die or be severely harmed by refusing medicine or treatment then you must take it. However, if taking such medicine or treatment is likely to also result in serious harm (along with the benefit it will bring) then it remains optional: you may take it or leave it.
Can I eat lab grown (cultured) meat?
It is not intrinsically prohibited to consume if the cells were extracted from a live animal or one that was slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines. However, you should be very cautious until more research on its long-term effects is released since it is not from the natural food that Allah created for us.
Can I eat chocolate liquor? Can I grow wine grapes?
Yes, because chocolate liquor does not contain alcohol and cannot intoxicate. Chocolate liquor just refers to liquid chocolate. Yes, because wine grapes are just grapes that are smaller, sweeter, and have a higher juice content. They do not contain any alcohol and cannot intoxicate in their original form.
Should I eat salt with every meal?
There is a fabricated report which claims that the Prophet said, “Ali, begin and conclude your meal with salt, since salt is a cure for seventy illnesses such as insanity, leprosy, stomach pain and tooth ache.” Scholars of hadith declared this report to be baseless. So there is no recommendation in Islam to eat salt.
What parts of an animal can I eat?
If the animal is halal (lawful) to consume like a cow or chicken then you may eat its meat, liver, brain, bone marrow, and other parts. The only parts that are forbidden, in addition to blood that pours out after slaughter, are related to the private parts and the digestive system where filth accumulates. This includes the penis, vulva (female genitalia), testicles, glands, urinary bladder, and the gall bladder.
Do I have to sit when drinking water?
It is fine to either sit or stand when drinking water, because the Prophet Muhammad did both.
These answers are general guidance. For your own situation, ask a scholar.