Is it permissible for someone to accept a job to travel and work in a town where halal food will not be available? if so, is he allowed to eat from the regular non certified halal meat?
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
Acquisition of halal income is a commandment for a Muslim. One must exert every means to make sure that one’s income as well as all food for family and all other aspects of life are not only Halal rather Tayyab as well.
For this reason, many a times one has to undertake travels to other lands and countries. Nabi ﷺ has mentioned that traveling is a portion of punishment. It deprives one of sleep, food and drink. So when a person has accomplished his goals he should return to his family. (Bukhari)
When one undertakes a journey, even when it is for food, then one mentally prepares oneself for that fatigue, difficulty and restriction. Lack of suitable food is part of this preparation. One must make mature and calculated preparations on how one will survive.
If this means that one should learn how to make vegetarian foods or learn basic cooking skills, then this will become a need for oneself. One does not need meat to survive. Ammi Ayesha rd. mentions that sometimes a month would pass over when there would be no fire kindled in the house of Rasulullah ﷺ. Their food normally consisted of just eating dates with water unless some gift of meat were given. (Bukhari).
It goes without saying that if one has options available to make choice about the destination of one’s work, then one should find a place that will provide all religious facilities in all or most of the facets of life. A mosque, genuine halal butchers, Islamic schools and a vibrant Muslim community can help in being away from home for purpose of acquiring halal income.
However, if these facilities are not present, then one finds other mechanism to fill the void. If a mosque is not available, then one would pray at home, instead of abandoning salah. Similarly, if Islamic schools are not present, then one exerts to teach the Islamic etiquettes and knowledge to one’s children by oneself. Lack of genuine halal meat does not mean that one reduces the standards and fill this void with anything one finds. Instead, consume from other proteins like lentils, beans, vegetables, eggs, rice, fish and many other foods which do not need to involve slaughtered meat.
In conclusion, absence of halal certified meat does not in any way gives leeway for doubtful meat. One should exercise caution and stick to vegetarian options until one can find genuinely halal meat which one has complete reliance upon. This does not need to be a “certified” meat, rather one could make a group of individuals and go slaughter some meat oneself and distribute among each other. There are many ways of compensating for such lack of halal meat which should all be explored.
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi