Fatwa ID: 07777

 

 

Written by Maulana Ateiq-ur Rehman

 

 

Question:

 

 

Assalamu alaykum! I hope you are well inshallah.

 

 

I’m hoping you can help with a maybe niche question. If there is a substance that is halal, eg sugar, but you are addicted to it in an unhealthy way, does that substance then become haram to consume?

 

 

I’m hoping you will tell me yes because hopefully, that will make it easier for me to get off it.

 

 

I pray Allah gives us all ease in our worldly and afterlife affairs. Ameen and Jazakumllah khairan katheeran.

 

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

 

Answer:

 

 

Wa’alaikumussalam,

 

• Allah says: “They ask you as to what has been made lawful for them. Say, “Made lawful for you are good things, and (hunting through) birds and beasts of prey that you train, teaching them out of what Allah has taught you. So, eat of what they hold for you, and recite the name of Allah upon it.” Fear Allah. Surely, Allah is swift at reckoning.” (surah ma’idah: 4)

 

• Allah also said: “And eat and drink, but do not be excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.” (Surah Al-A’raf: 31)

 

• The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” (sunan Ibn Majah 2341)

 

• Abu Bakr said that God’s messenger mounted the pulpit, then wept and said, “Ask God for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health.” (Mishkat al-Masabih 2489)

 

• Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time.”

 

• ‘and the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said – “The Muslim eats in one intestine and the disbeliever in seven intestines.” Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim and others. The specification of seven is for exaggeration and abundance.” (Durr al-Mukhtar)’

 

• ‘It was said that it is a parable that Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم  – gave for the believer and his asceticism in this world, and for the disbeliever and his greed for it, “The believer eats as a means of sustenance and nourishment, and the disbeliever eats out of desire and greed, seeking pleasure. So one is satisfied with a little, and the other is not satisfied with a lot.” (Radd al-Muhtar)’

 

From the above Quranic verses, Ahadith and compilations of previous scholars; it is clear that it is only permissible to eat pure and halaal foods, to ensure we look after our health and are able to worship Allah. A believer needs to be disciplined and not one to follow and give in to every carnal desire nor to be excessive.

 

 

After all, our purpose of creation is not to enjoy ourselves through games and satisfying our appetites by overindulging in our favourite foods. Rather, it is to worship Allah. Here we can safely state, that it is the responsibility of a believer to look after their health so they can sufficiently worship Allah. It would be incorrect and unethical to harm oneself in any way as our health and body are a trust from Allah. 

 

 

Although we cannot make that forbidden which Allah has made permissible, there is evidence here that to consume something permissible to such an extent, that it now becomes injurious to one’s health, then eating that food would become Makrooh e Tahreemi (similar to Haram) for that individual. 

 

 

As for having an addiction to something halaal, this is fine because that which is halaal is encouraged, so long as the addiction does not lead one to harm their health. If as you mentioned, your addiction is an unhealthy addiction, I urge you to refrain from such foods and practice self-control and asceticism as was the sunnah of our beloved Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم.  

 

 

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Ateiq-ur Rehman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

References

 

 

• يَسۡـَٔـــلُوۡنَكَ مَاذَاۤ اُحِلَّ لَهُمۡ​ؕ قُلۡ اُحِلَّ لَـكُمُ الطَّيِّبٰتُ​ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمۡتُمۡ مِّنَ الۡجَـوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِيۡنَ تُعَلِّمُوۡنَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللّٰهُ​

 فَكُلُوۡا مِمَّاۤ اَمۡسَكۡنَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَاذۡكُرُوا اسۡمَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡهِ​ 

وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ سَرِيۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ 

(surah ma’idah: 4)

 

• ۞ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍۢ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ ٣١

(Surah Al-A’raf: 31)

 

• حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ الْجُعْفِيِّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ لاَ ضَرَرَ وَلاَ ضِرَارَ ‏”‏

.(sunan Ibn Majah 2341)

‏

• وَعَن أبي بكرٍ قَالَ: قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ بَكَى فَقَالَ: «سَلُوا اللَّهَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فَإِنَّ أَحَدًا لَمْ يُعْطَ بَعْدَ الْيَقِينِ خَيْرًا مِنَ الْعَافِيَةِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيب إِسْنَادًا

(Mishkat al-Masabih 2489)

 

• عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ ‏”‏‏

(Sahih al-Bukhari 6412)

وَلَيْسَ تَعْرِيفُهُ الْخَاصُّ مَا ثَبَتَ حَظْرُهُ بِدَلِيلٍ قَطْعِيٍّ بَلْ مَا ذَكَرَهُ الشَّارِحُ مِنْ أَنَّهُ مَا مُنِعَ مِنْ اسْتِعْمَالِهِ شَرْعًا لِيَشْمَلَ مَا ثَبَتَ بِظَنِّيٍّ فَافْهَمْ (قَوْلُهُ وَالْمُبَاحُ مَا أُجِيزَ لِلْمُكَلَّفِينَ فِعْلُهُ وَتَرْكُهُ) كَذَا فِي الْمِنَحِ. وَاَلَّذِي فِي الْجَوْهَرَةِ: مَا خُيِّرَ الْمُكَلَّفُ بَيْنَ فِعْلِهِ وَتَرْكِهِ (قَوْلُهُ بِلَا اسْتِحْقَاقِ) اسْتَحَقَّهُ: اسْتَوْجَبَهُ قَامُوسٌ.

كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي6:336

…فَإِذَا وَجَدَ نَصًّا يَقْطَعُ الْقَوْلَ بِالتَّحْرِيمِ أَوْ التَّحْلِيلِ، وَإِلَّا قَالَ فِي الْحِلِّ لَا بَأْسَ وَفِي الْحُرْمَةِ أَكْرَهُ إتْقَانِيٌّ (قَوْلُهُ أَيْ كَالْحَرَامِ إلَخْ) كَذَا قَالَ الْقُهُسْتَانِيُّ، وَمُقْتَضَاهُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ حَرَامًا حَقِيقَةً عِنْدَهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَبِيهٌ بِهِ مِنْ جِهَةِ

كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي6:337

وَجَاءَ «حَسْبُ ابْنُ آدَمَ لُقَيْمَاتٌ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ وَلَا يُلَامُ عَلَى كَفَافٍ» دُرٌّ مُنْتَقًى (قَوْلُهُ إلَى الشِّبَعِ) بِكَسْرِ الشِّينِ وَفَتْحِ الْبَاءِ وَسُكُونِهَا: مَا يُغَذِّيهِ وَيُقَوِّي بَدَنَهُ قُهُسْتَانِيٌّ.

(قَوْلُهُ وَحَرَامٌ) لِأَنَّهُ إضَاعَةٌ لِلْمَالِ وَإِمْرَاضٌ لِلنَّفْسِ: وَجَاءَ «مَا مَلَأَ ابْنُ آدَمَ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِنْ الْبَطْنِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ وَلَا بُدَّ فَثُلُثٌ لِلطَّعَامِ وَثُلُثٌ لِلْمَاءِ وَثُلُثٌ لِلنَّفَسِ، وَأَطْوَلُ النَّاسِ عَذَابًا أَكْثَرُهُمْ شِبَعًا» دُرٌّ مُنْتَقًى. [تَتِمَّةٌ] قَالَ فِي تَبْيِينِ الْمَحَارِمِ: وَزَادَ بَعْضُهُمْ مَرْتَبَتَيْنِ أُخْرَيَيْنِ مَنْدُوبٌ، وَهُوَ مَا يُعِينُهُ عَلَى تَحْصِيلِ النَّوَافِلِ وَتَعْلِيمِ الْعِلْمِ وَتَعَلُّمِهِ. وَمَكْرُوهٌ: وَهُوَ مَا زَادَ عَلَى الشِّبَعِ قَلِيلًا وَلَمْ يَتَضَرَّرْ بِهِ وَرُتْبَةُ الْعَابِدِ التَّخْيِيرُ بَيْنَ الْأَكْلِ الْمَنْدُوبِ وَالْمُبَاحِ وَيَنْوِي بِهِ أَنْ يَتَقَوَّى بِهِ عَلَى الْعِبَادَةِ فَيَكُونُ مُطِيعًا، وَلَا يَقْصِدُ بِهِ التَّلَذُّذَ وَالتَّنَعُّمَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى ذَمَّ الْكَافِرِينَ بِأَكْلِهِمْ لِلتَّمَتُّعِ وَالتَّنَعُّمِ. وَقَالَ – {وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الأَنْعَامُ وَالنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَهُمْ} [محمد: ١٢]- وَقَالَ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «الْمُسْلِمُ يَأْكُلُ فِي مِعًى وَاحِدٍ وَالْكَافِرُ فِي سَبْعَةِ أَمْعَاءٍ» رَوَاهُ الشَّيْخَانِ وَغَيْرُهُمَا، وَتَخْصِيصُ السَّبْعَةِ لِلْمُبَالَغَةِ وَالتَّكْثِيرِ، قِيلَ هُوَ مَثَلٌ ضَرَبَهُ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – لِلْمُؤْمِنِ وَزُهْدِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلِلْكَافِرِ وَحِرْصِهِ عَلَيْهَا، فَالْمُؤْمِنُ يَأْكُلُ بُلْغَةً وَقُوتًا وَالْكَافِرُ يَأْكُلُ شَهْوَةً وَحِرْصًا طَلَبًا لِلَّذَّةِ، فَهَذَا يُشْبِعُهُ الْقَلِيلُ وَذَاكَ لَا يُشْبِعُهُ الْكَثِيرُ

(قَوْلُهُ عَبَّرَ فِي الْخَانِيَّةِ بِيُكْرَهُ) لَعَلَّ الْأَوْجَهَ الْأَوَّلُ لِأَنَّهُ إسْرَافٌ، وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى – {وَلا تُسْرِفُوا} [الأعراف: ٣١]- وَهُوَ قَطْعِيُّ الثُّبُوتِ وَالدَّلَالَةِ تَأَمَّلْ (قَوْلُهُ وَهُوَ أَكْلُ طَعَامٍ إلَخْ) عَزَاهُ الْقُهُسْتَانِيُّ إلَى أَشْرِبَةِ الْكَرْمَانِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ

كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي 6:339