394. Is It Allowed For Me To Eat Food That’s Prepared For The Mawlid?

By Asma bint Shameem

It depends on what kind of food it is. 

1. *If it’s non-meat*

If it’s anything that’s vegetarian or it’s just fruits or sweets or cakes etc, then there’s nothing wrong with eating that. 

Although celebrating the Mawlid is an innovation in the Deen and the one who celebrates this is guilty of bid’ah, the food prepared for this occasion itself is “generally” permissible. 

So as long as you’re *not participating* in the innovated festival or *condoning* it or *assisting them* in it in any way, then it’s *permissible* to eat this food, if someone brings it to you or you happen to come across it.

That’s because generally speaking, things are PERMISSIBLE in principle  unless there’s a Shar’ee text to prohibit them. 

In fact, we can even eat sweets, veggies and fruits prepared by the non Muslims for their shirki or innovated festivals. 

Their shirk doesn’t change’ it or ‘affect’ it in any way. 

*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 have never eaten 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.”*

2. *If the food is MEAT*

If the food contains meat, then there are two scenarios 

A) If the meat is from an animal  that they’ve slaughtered *especially* for this occasion, in the name of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam 

OR 

The animal is slaughtered by someone who commits *shirk*, by believing that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam  can hear us and answer our duaas, 

or he’s “haadhir naadhir” (present everywhere), 

or he’s in control of the universe or other shirki beliefs,

then it’s *not permissible* to eat that meat. 

That’s because the meat has been slaughtered in the name of *other than Allaah*. 

And that’s haraam. 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:  

“Allaah has cursed the one who slaughters (a sacrifice) to other than Allaah.”

(Saheeh Muslim 1978)”

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“Sacrificing animals on the occasion of commemorating the birth of a prophet or a Waliy (pious person) to glorify them is *judged as sacrificing an animal to other than Allaah, which is Shirk* (associating others with Allaah in His Divinity or worship). 

Therefore, it is not permissible to eat from these animals.”

(al-ifta Fatwa #10685)

B) If the meat is from an animal that’s been sacrificed for Allaah Alone and the slaughtering person does not commit shirk, then it’s permissible to eat this meat, even if the person does bid’ah. 

*Conclusion*

As long as the food is vegetarian, or it’s fruits, sweets, cakes, etc., or if the meat is from an animal that’s not been slaughtered in the name of other than Allaah or by someone who commits shirk, it’s permissible to eat it. 

Of course, keep in mind that it’s not allowed to participate in these innovated celebrations in any way. 

But if someone brings this food 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.  

And Allaah knows best