[Q 129] Ignorance and Consuming Haram to Survive

Question

If a person didn’t know the ruling and didn’t eat/drink haram to save their life would that person be sinful?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

A person who is forced (mudtar), meaning they have no halal food available and are compelled to consume haram to save their life, it becomes obligatory (fard) for them to consume the minimum haram food necessary to survive. Such a person would be sinful for not consuming it, and not knowing the ruling is their own fault.

Allah Almighty says in Quran:

[فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَیْرَ بَاغٍ وَّ لَا عَادٍ فَلَاۤ اِثْمَ عَلَیْهِؕ-اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِیْم]

(Albaqrah: 3)

It is mentioned in Tafseer al Jalaleen:  

٠(فَمَنْ اُضْطُرَّ) أَلْجَأَتْهُ الضَّرُورَة إلَى أَكْل شَيْء مِمَّا ذُكِرَ فَأَكَلَهُ (غَيْر بَاغٍ) خَارِج عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ (وَلَا عَادٍ) مُتَعَدٍّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِقَطْعِ الطَّرِيق (فَلَا إثْم عَلَيْهِ) فِي أَكْله {إنَّ اللَّه غَفُور} لِأَوْلِيَائِهِ (رَحِيم) بِأَهْلِ طَاعَته حَيْثُ وَسَّعَ لَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ

[تفسیر جلالین،تحت آیۃ البقرۃ 173]

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)

Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated by: Shaheer Attari