Can Muslims eat Kosher food?

Can Muslims eat Kosher food?

Question:

Can Muslims eat Kosher foods as well? Or not? Thank you.

Salaam alykum,

First of all, please do not thank me, you never have to, as this is for my benefit more than yours, and I thank you for feeling comfortable enough to ask me a question.

As far as Kosher being permissible, there is little doubt that you can. I am surprised at the amount of Muslims who have told me that their local Imam has told them that kosher food is haram. The argument is that, in kosher dietary laws, they can use wine in some of their foods.

Okay, so, beside wine-related items, eating a hot dog from Hebrew National is fine, unless they started dunking the hot dogs in beer or wine. Oh, right, that’d be gross and no one would buy it, and furthermore, I doubt any Muslim would be buying any of the items that use their traditional wine as part of the recipes.

So go on, look for that Kosher “K” on packages and buy it, it’s totally Halal.

The Qur’an is very explicit about this, too.

“Today, all the good things of life have been made lawful to you. And the food of those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them.” [5:5] Muhammad Asad

Alternate

“This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them.” [5:5] Sahih International

So, as you can see, The Qur’an is very plain in that food that follows the dietary laws of those who have scripture, are permissible for us, and vice-versa.

Of course, just to be clear, what is restricted for the Muslim is:

“Forbidden to you is carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any name other than God’s has been invoked, and the animal that has been strangled, or beaten to death, or killed by a fall, or gored to death, or savage by a beast of prey, save that which you [yourselves] may have slaughtered while it was still alive; and [forbidden to you is] all that has been slaughtered on idolatrous altars.” [5:3] Muhammad Asad

Thus, what 5:5 refers to is the limits found in 5:3, and the idea that what The Qur’an limits is different to what the Law of Moses forbade explicitly is wrong. Also, while Christians think that they are not subject to the same dietary laws as enumerated by the Law of Moses, is incorrect, because there is nothing in the Gospels to the effect that these prohibitions were canceled by Jesus.

In fact, the reverse is true, Jesus is reported to have said, “Think not that I have come to destroy the Law [of Moses]…: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew V, 17)

Thus, Christians should also be observing the same dietary laws of Muslims and Jews, if they are to be following the path of Jesus.

Regardless of this fun fact, the point is that, food from those who believe in the revealed scriptures is permissible for a Muslim.

Insha Allah, I hope I answered your question, and that if you or anyone else, has a question on this, or any other subject, please do not hesitate to ask me.

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