To call something Haraam

[sheemae]

Salam All

Can someone help me understand the following:

Can one proclaim something Haraam, if it's not explicitly procalimed as such in the Quran or even Hadith? I have come across so many muslims that tell me such and such is Haraam, and I have not come across some of these things being declared as such in the Quran.
If it is only Allah SWT who can proclaim something as Haraam (if this is indeed true) then why do we muslims go about making claims that something is halal or haraam when it is not in our jurisdiction? Would we not therefore be doing something haraam by sating that which Allah SWT did not state?

Salam

[DocW]

Walaykum Assallaam

My humble and limited understanding is that the entire corpus of religion is in the Quran and Sunnah.

Can you quote the things that are being called haraam?

The reason I am asking is that sometimes certain things are considered haraam due to some reason. for example certain types of chocolates contain alcohol, certain edibles have pork or un permissible additives, that make them haraam which may not be obvious.

[Yahya Sulaiman]

Nobody has any right to declare something sinful which the scriptures do not. That is the famous (yet perpetually ignored) sin of innovation.

[sheemae]

Salam DocW

Walaykum Assallaam

My humble and limited understanding is that the entire corpus of religion is in the Quran and Sunnah.

Can you quote the things that are being called haraam?

The reason I am asking is that sometimes certain things are considered haraam due to some reason. for example certain types of chocolates contain alcohol, certain edibles have pork or un permissible additives, that make them haraam which may not be obvious.

I was at an arabic tutorial and my tutor and I were approached by a homeless man who asked for money "to buy some food or drink"- I told him I would buy what ever he wanted and he stalked away- My tutor then turns to me and says: He is going to use the money for drugs and alcohol and you shouldn't be giving these people money it is haraam!

Now, no where in the Quran did I find anything to corroborate this. In fact in one hadith it mentioned you must give to those who ask for alms. So I don't understand the ease with which people state that something is haraam. The other example was being told by a friend that birthdays and mothers day were haraam- but this we already argued out in a previous post.

If you know a specific verse or mention in the Quran or Hadith that mentions we can apply our own reasoning to call something halah or haraam please let me know because I do not want to have to go searching the literature for every throw away remark about something being haraam or halah

Salam and thanks

[-Farrah-]

Salam DocW



I was at an arabic tutorial and my tutor and I were approached by a homeless man who asked for money "to buy some food or drink"- I told him I would buy what ever he wanted and he stalked away- My tutor then turns to me and says: He is going to use the money for drugs and alcohol and you shouldn't be giving these people money it is haraam!

Now, no where in the Quran did I find anything to corroborate this. In fact in one hadith it mentioned you must give to those who ask for alms. So I don't understand the ease with which people state that something is haraam. The other example was being told by a friend that birthdays and mothers day were haraam- but this we already argued out in a previous post.

If you know a specific verse or mention in the Quran or Hadith that mentions we can apply our own reasoning to call something halah or haraam please let me know because I do not want to have to go searching the literature for every throw away remark about something being haraam or halah

Salam and thanks

Salaam Sister Sheemae,

I am shocked to hear of such a thing - since when has charity, goodness and kindness been haraam!!!! People should think before they utter such things. I work with the homeless and destitute and they are ALL human beings like the rest of us- most of them are homeless due to a multitude of other reasons.

[aamantubillah]

I don't mean to be the devils advocate, but I would like to see how people think when the lines have been blurred.

Scenario: Some Muslims think that Starbucks, Fannie Mae, [Enter hundreds of lists of companies] donate money to Israel. This money ultimately ends up funding oppression. Would it be haram then to do business with these companies (drinking Starbucks, buying from their stores) if we are sure a part of their profits goes to such places?

Or lets use the example above. If we see a poor person but smell alcohol on him, should we still give him money?

[Yahya Sulaiman]

The Koran says to give to the needy. It does not list special exceptions. If the homeless man spends the hand-out unwisely or unethically then that's his fault for misusing what you gave him, not your fault for what you gave him. Think of it this way: if you give him the money and he does spend it on liquor or something, you've at least given him the opportunity which he's wasted and could have not wasted had he made the right choice, whereas if you don't give him the money and he wouldn't have spent it on such things, you are unfairly adding to his poverty and starvation when you could have helped.

[aamantubillah]

you are unfairly adding to his poverty and starvation when you could have helped.

Even though, according to the scenario, the man was going to buy liquor and become more drunken?

[Nawawi619]

Salam All

Can someone help me understand the following:

Can one proclaim something Haraam, if it's not explicitly procalimed as such in the Quran or even Hadith? I have come across so many muslims that tell me such and such is Haraam, and I have not come across some of these things being declared as such in the Quran.
If it is only Allah SWT who can proclaim something as Haraam (if this is indeed true) then why do we muslims go about making claims that something is halal or haraam when it is not in our jurisdiction? Would we not therefore be doing something haraam by sating that which Allah SWT did not state?

Salam

As Salamu Alaykum


That is why you dont take knowledge from what everyday Muslim say. You should consult qualified scholars (that doesnt necessarily mean the Imam of your masjid) or those who are qualified in fiqh who have studied the halal and the haram. Haram is supported by a clear or nusus text from the Quran or Sound hadith, or even by qiyas if the original case is from a clear unambiguous text (example: wine is unlawful in the Quran, but this extends to things like wine coolers, beer, and other intoxicants).

So if some everyday Muslim who isnt a specialist in Fiqh says something is haram and you are not sure of it, the best course of action is to consult a fiqh scholar on it. There are also a number of reliable websites that may have answered such a question like www.sunnipath.com or some fatawa websites.

Also you need to remember that in Sunni Islam in particular, there can be differences of opinion on certain acts.

[Yahya Sulaiman]

Even though, according to the scenario, the man was going to buy liquor and become more drunken?

As I said, it's worse not to give someone an opportunity which they might reject to do something which would be conducive to, if not necessary for, their health or continued life, than it is not to give them the opportunity at all when they need it.

[sheemae]

Salam Nawawi,

As Salamu Alaykum


That is why you dont take knowledge from what everyday Muslim say. You should consult qualified scholars (that doesnt necessarily mean the Imam of your masjid) or those who are qualified in fiqh who have studied the halal and the haram. Haram is supported by a clear or nusus text from the Quran or Sound hadith, or even by qiyas if the original case is from a clear unambiguous text (example: wine is unlawful in the Quran, but this extends to things like wine coolers, beer, and other intoxicants).

So if some everyday Muslim who isnt a specialist in Fiqh says something is haram and you are not sure of it, the best course of action is to consult a fiqh scholar on it. There are also a number of reliable websites that may have answered such a question like www.sunnipath.com or some fatawa websites.

Also you need to remember that in Sunni Islam in particular, there can be differences of opinion on certain acts.

Thank you for your reply and the link- Inshallah I will use it in the future

Salam

[sheemae]

Salam Aamantubillah,

I don't mean to be the devils advocate, but I would like to see how people think when the lines have been blurred.

Scenario: Some Muslims think that Starbucks, Fannie Mae, [Enter hundreds of lists of companies] donate money to Israel. This money ultimately ends up funding oppression. Would it be haram then to do business with these companies (drinking Starbucks, buying from their stores) if we are sure a part of their profits goes to such places?

Or lets use the example above. If we see a poor person but smell alcohol on him, should we still give him money?

I understood your point about the chocolates:
For some chocolates to be called haraam because of their alcohol content is understandable-that which is prohibited is contained in it- so that makes sense.
Starbucks however I do not undersatnd. Lets say that the money of the world is cyclical and ultimately it will end up everywhere and back. Some of what we pay to other companies (not listed in your list) will go to support prostitution, child slavery, opression in non-muslim and some muslim nations, murder and such. Then where do we stop at declaring the exchange of money as haraam. Ultimately allot of the money that we exchange will end up in bad hands- we just have to follow its trail as was done for the money of Starbucks. Do we then say that any exchange of money is haraam? Then by declaring this we are doing something that is haraam because Allah SWT did not state this. I think we have to be careful.

Salam

[sheemae]

Salam Farrah

Salaam Sister Sheemae,

I am shocked to hear of such a thing - since when has charity, goodness and kindness been haraam!!!! People should think before they utter such things. I work with the homeless and destitute and they are ALL human beings like the rest of us- most of them are homeless due to a multitude of other reasons.

Thats good to know- Inshallah next time I will give them the money and not say I will pay for what they want instead. I suppose it's not upto me to dictate what they then go and do with it And the Quran doesn't say that either.

Salam

[Kabeer]

Salam All

Can someone help me understand the following:

Can one proclaim something Haraam, if it's not explicitly procalimed as such in the Quran or even Hadith? I have come across so many muslims that tell me such and such is Haraam, and I have not come across some of these things being declared as such in the Quran.
If it is only Allah SWT who can proclaim something as Haraam (if this is indeed true) then why do we muslims go about making claims that something is halal or haraam when it is not in our jurisdiction? Would we not therefore be doing something haraam by sating that which Allah SWT did not state?

Salam

Wasalaam,

As has been stated, but let me make clearer. No one can declare something Haram that has not been stated explicitely by Allah (or by Prophet Muhammed).

To attribute something as Haraam when in fact Allah has not said this, is in fact a great sin, as you are lying about God. Unfortunately a lot of Muslims are very quick to use the word haram when speaking about things they dislike.

Thats good to know- Inshallah next time I will give them the money and not say I will pay for what they want instead. I suppose it's not upto me to dictate what they then go and do with it And the Quran doesn't say that either.

If that homeless person is buying and consuming drugs, then that is quite clearly haram. But giving charity is obvisouly not. The rest inbetween is a grey area where you have to use your faculties to judge how to live your life.
If you think the person will have a likelyhood of using the money for drugs, then dont give it to him, and vice versa.


Peace

[sheemae]

Salam Kabeer,

Wasalaam,

If that homeless person is buying and consuming drugs, then that is quite clearly haram. But giving charity is obvisouly not. The rest inbetween is a grey area where you have to use your faculties to judge how to live your life.
If you think the person will have a likelyhood of using the money for drugs, then dont give it to him, and vice versa.


Peace

Thank you for your reply I think I get the general consensus now, I think I've got my answer from you all But in regards to what you said above: how will I know what this person's intention is? That is the problem. My assumptions may not always be right- and then would I have wronged this person because of my assumptions?

Salam