Donating doubtful chocolates to non-Muslim friends

10-5-2006 | IslamWeb

Question:

Recently I have recieved lots of chocolates(celebrations), which I've now been told are haram. I was wondering whether it is permissible for me to give the chocolates to my non-muslim friends or should I throw them away.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

The scholars mentioned that in principle all food is permissible. So, a given type of food cannot be ruled to be forbidden except if there is evidence that it is forbidden, like being harmful, impure [like pork] or touched by an impurity [like sweets to which alcohol is added]. Therefore, in principle, the chocolates that were gifted to you are lawful to eat and the person who gave you the Fatwa (i.e. the religious ruling) as to them being forbidden should clarify to you the reason for such a ruling. If, for instance, they contain alcohol, then according to the view of the majority of the scholars alcohol which causes intoxication is impure. So, if this impure alcohol is added to the food, the food becomes touched by an impurity and so it is forbidden to eat it or to donate it even for a non-Muslim. 

For more benefits, please refer to Fatwa 82116 entitled "Alcohol in pizza".

Allaah Knows best.