Do you believe that the kafirs, the non-Muslims, who are not Christians or Jews, are they najas? Najas? Najas in what sense? Najas in the sense that if they touch my food, can I eat it? Yes, you can. They are not najas in that sense at all. Because the Holy Quran rejects this concept of najasat and Ahazra s.a.w. pursuing that policy has further explained to us what najasat means.
You know, if they were najas, in this sense, in material sense, then Allah would not permit us in the Holy Quran to eat their food. The food of Ahle Kitab is made halal by the Holy Quran for us. Not by tradition, by the Holy Quran itself. So, this is a fundamental declaration of the Holy Quran that they are not najas materially. That’s Ahle Kitab. I’m talking about people who are not Ahle Kitab. What? That’s Ahle Kitab. Ahle Kitab, yes. I’m talking about people who are not Ahle Kitab. No, but I’m talking of the principles now. I’m not discussing this matter in detail.
What I’m discussing is the definition of najasat, which you just forwarded, is proved to be wrong by the verse regarding Ahle Kitab. No, I just said kafirs. No, what I mean to say is, the food, now coming to that, the food prepared by mushrikeen. Kafir. Mushrikeen and kafireen was presented to the Prophet and he took of it. I don’t… Yes. He took of it. Yes, yes, yes. He ate the food which was prepared by kafireen. And he did not consider it against that verdict.
The fact is that as far as the mushrikeen were concerned, the sahaba which were being born out of mushrikeen, used to eat their food and they used to eat their food. And doubts were never created about that, that it is permissible. When they migrated to Medina and came across a new society under the title of Ahle Kitab, then some people got entertaining doubts about their food and their values, so their doubts were dispelled by the Holy Quran.
As long as najasat does not mean something which has been categorically prohibited by the Holy Quran. You can eat any food anywhere in the world. But if the najasat as described by the Holy Quran is found to be present in some food, then you are not permitted to eat that food even if it is prepared by Ahle Kitab. For instance, sharab is najas. Wine, alcohol is najas. For instance, meat, flesh of swine is najas. Now if this najas touches the food of Ahle Kitab, that food would also become najas in this sense.
My question is not towards those foods, I am talking about, I think you answered it if I am right. Yes, I think I have answered it. Any sort of food prepared by any person is fine. As long as it is prepared in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Quran, in the sense that it does not contradict the teachings of the Holy Quran, such food is permissible. This is what I am explaining further. Yes, anything or haram of any sort. You know, the one who has died of suffocation, such animals or the dead carrion and so on and so forth. Or corrupt money.
Right, but they don’t cut it the wrong way, right? These are najas. Those are najas too? Yes, they are najas. And if you eat of those things, then you violate the fundamental principles of the Holy Quran. But even if they are prepared by, say, African aborigines or people with no faith, as long as that food in itself is not najas, you can eat it. That was my point, first of all. You said if they are not cut in Islamic way.
Then, again, if they are not cut according to the Islamic way, according to the tradition, if the blood is let, you can say Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim before eating and you can eat of that food. But if blood is not let and some animals are strangled, like chicken used to be strangled in Europe, then you cannot make it halal ever. Then you cannot eat it even after saying Bismillah.
Now, for this, I quote a tradition of Bukhari and I am hopeful that the similar tradition would also be found in Shia literature, that at the time of the Holy Prophet, if meat was presented to Sahaba or the Holy Prophet, of which they were not sure whether Bismillah had been recited before the slaughtering of that animal, it came from the Bedouins, for instance, their teaching was that they should not suspect unduly about what happened to this animal in the past. What they should do is, if it is halal, that is, blood is let. If you are certain of this fact, then you can say Bismillah and it’s enough.
