Ruling on Eating Asafoetida

23-8-2022 | IslamWeb

Question:

I would like to know whether hing Or asafoetida( a flavoured spice used by indians) and castor oil are halal Or haram
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

We are not aware of the essence of this plant/grass. If your question is regarding the ruling on eating it, then in principle all kinds of food are lawful except what is impure, intoxicating, or harmful (to be eaten).

On that, Al-Bohooti from the Hanbali School of jurisprudence said in Kash-shaaf Al-Qinaaʿ: “The principle about them (i.e. different kinds of food) is permissibility. This is evidenced by the Saying of Allah, the Almighty, (which means) {'It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth …} [Quran: 2:29], and His Saying (which means) {'O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good …} [Quran: 2:168] Therefore, it is permissible to eat any pure food that causes no harm." [End of quote]

Hence, if this grass is not harmful or intoxicating, it is permissible to eat it in light of the principle (the original ruling).

Allah knows best.

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