by Asma bint Shameem
ANSWER
It’s ALLOWED to eat sweets or other food that was prepared for non Muslim religious festivals or by those Muslims who don’t have the correct aqeedah.
That’s because generally speaking, things are PERMISSIBLE in PRINCIPLE unless there’s a Shar’ee text to prohibit them.
And there’s NO specific text to prohibit eating such food or sweets.
The only prohibition is about eating MEAT slaughtered in the name of their gods.
So if our Hindu neighbors brought over sweets from Diwali, I am ‘allowed’ to eat it, just like I would eat any other sweet because their “worship” did not ALTER the food itself.
And of course, I am NOT thinking that this food is “special” or “blessed” etc.
Similarly if a Christian brought over some cake for me, although I have nothing to do with Christmas, then I can accept it.
My intention is NOT to associate this food with their shirki beliefs or idols or that they have given this food any kind of special ‘blessings’ or ‘virtue’.
The basic principle is that the food that we eat is not affected by what people do;
Meaning if a non Muslim or the one with the wrong aqeedah recites something over food, it doesn’t change’ it or ‘affect’ it in any way.
Just because a Hindu will recite his religious scripture over food, or a Christian will cut cake for Christmas, it will not turn something “permissible” into something that’s “not permissible”.
And it is permissible to eat it.
📌 PROOF:
🍃 Someone said to our Mother Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa:
“We have some wet nurses from among the Magians, and they have a festival on which they bring us gifts.
She said:
As for what is slaughtered for that day, do not eat it, but eat from their vegetables.”
(Ibn Abi Shaybah)
If it was wrong, Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa would never eat from their food.
🍃 And Abu Barzah said that he had some Magian neighbors who used to bring him gifts on the occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan, and he used to say to his family:
“Whatever is of fruits, eat it, and whatever is otherwise, reject it.”
You see, the basic ruling is that everything is allowed to be eaten except those things that have been specifically prohibited.
And there’s no proof that vegetables, fruits, sweets, nuts, etc are prohibited even if they’re from the non Muslims, idol worshippers and pagans.
Of course, it’s not allowed to participate in these non Muslim religious festivals or condone or promote them in any way.
But if someone brings these sweets to you or you happen to come across them without you seeking out these sweets, or food then the basic principle is that they’re permissible.
🍃Ibn Taimiyyah said:
“Chapter: The Ruling on a Muslim accepting the gifts of the Disbelievers on their Festival and the Reports That Have Come in Its Permissibility:
As for accepting the gifts from them on their festival, then the narraion from Ali ibn Abi Talib radiallahu anhu has preceded that he was given a gift on the day of Nayrooz and he accepted it.
And on the authority of Aisha radiallahu anha that she said:
“As for what is slaughtered that day, then do not eat it however eat from their trees”.
And on the authority of Abu Barzah that the Zorostarains gave him a gift on their Nayrooz so he said to his family: Whatever is from their fruit then eat it and whatever is from other than that then do not”
So this all indicates that there is no effect on the eid in preventing accepting their gifts.
Rather its ruling on the eid is like other than it. It is the same. This is because there is no support of the signs of their disbelief.
However, accepting the gifts of the disbelievers from the people of war and the ahlul dhimmah is a separate issue which has a debate in it and detail. This is not the place for it”
(Iqtidaa Siratul Mustaqeem)
🍃Imam Dhahabi said:
“So accepting the gift of a Christian neighbor if he gifts you an egg or other than it on his Eid is permissible and buying a colored egg is disliked…”
(This is regards to Easter-like festivals)
(Tashbeeh al-Khasis li Ahlul Khamees)
🍃 Shaykh Abdur-Rahmaan al-Barraak said when he was commenting about the above opinion of Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and others about the permissibility of accepting the gifts of the Non-Muslims during their festivals :
“… For verily taking part with them in their festivals by entering upon them and sitting along with them (during their celebration) necessitates being pleased with their false religion.
Thus the prohibition of that has been reported from Umar bin al-Khattaab and other than him… So it becomes clear the difference in the sight of the Salaf between participating with them in their festivals and between accepting their gifts (during their festivals)”.
(Taken from the website of Shaykh Abdurahman al-Barraak)
And Allaah knows best
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