Some people have said to avoid/not eat food from Hindu restaurants because they may or may not sprinkle cow urine in their food for “blessing”. Is this true? Is it permissible to buy food from their restaurants? We know it is obviously better to prepare food by ourselves so we can do dhikr, have good intentions, etc. while making the food but still wanted to know…
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
The concern mentioned in the question is definitely a valid one.
As a policy, if one is in a market that has enforced food laws which are acceptable in Islam as well, then one may rely on those legal laws of food health. As such, we will by default assume that legal claims of the restaurant are being fulfilled.
However, if it so happens that the practical application of those laws is either not being enforced, or there has been enough cases where those laws have been violated such that these legal claims are no longer reliable, then one should adopt caution and abstain from assuming things to be shar’an acceptable.
In the question asked, while sprinkling of cow urine may be an issue of concern, the deeper concern may be
- cross contamination
- food being blessed with pooja from one of many idols in such kitchens and restaurant
For the first concern, one could say that one opts for a restaurant with “shudh shakahari” (pure vegetarian) claims. However, for such staunch kitchens and restaurants we cannot be sure of the second concern.
Again, no certainty can be afforded to such assumptions alone, but just as we would like all our food to be blessed with Adhkar and Du’as, it is not far fetched to expect that hindus would also bless their foods with their prayers.
The Shar’i guideline for eating from a hindu’s house is that if one is certain that they do not do any pooja upon it or mix it with parsaad that has been done from some hindu goddess or idol, then it is mubah (permissible) to consume food.
However, this dispensation, which normally is borne from personal knowledge of the individual and their religious practices, cannot be afforded to commercial restaurant. A person should avoid all such restaurants and stick to those food joints which one is certain about their halal and wholesomeness.
And finally as mentioned in the question, the best is to stick to home foods where one can bless it with one’s own adhkar and du’as as well.
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi