Eating Ḥarām Is Like Eating Najāsah

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا ٌ”

“Yā ayyuhā n-nāsu kulū mimmā fī l-arḍi ḥalālan ṭayyiban”

(Qur’ān 02:168)

“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla commands us to eat pure things. This is what Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla commands. He ﷻ tells Muslims, and indeed all people, to eat clean things. What He ﷻ calls clean is ḥalāl (permissible). Something that is not ḥalāl is not clean.

There is a material aspect and a spiritual aspect to this clean food. Materially, of course, alcohol, pork, and other things that are not permissible are not pure; they are impure, unclean. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says not to eat them.

Spiritually, you are eating ḥarām (forbidden) food. If you add ḥarām to your wealth, it becomes impure which means unclean, najāsah. You might say, “I bought ḥalāl-slaughtered, pure meat with my money,” but you have stolen, plundered your money and eaten ḥarām. You have defiled that wealth.

There is no benefit in what you obtained from it. What you eat is not ḥalāl because you are eating ḥarām; this ḥarām is impurity. Impurity is filth. Every kind of impurity is sin. Human excrement is also considered impurity. Eating those bad things is also considered the same.

So, it’s as if you’ve eaten filth – excuse us – or eaten ḥarām. That’s what it is. It needs to be said so that people understand better. “لا حياء في الدين”, La hayā’a fi d-dīn”, “There is no false shame in religion.” There is no abashment in religious matters. It is necessary to speak the truth. We must explain it to people.

They say, “The state’s wealth is like the sea, only [stupid ones as] pigs don’t eat from it.” But it’s not like that, it’s the total opposite. The one who eats is that animal. One who eats ḥarām becomes like that impure animal. May Allāh ﷻ protect us.

We must pay attention to this. No one has ever benefited from eating impurity, and there will never be any benefit. Keep the clean wealth clean, don’t defile it, don’t contaminate it with impurity.

Now, a meal is prepared, a very delicious meal. If even a tiny bit of impurity is put in, hell breaks out. They’ll say, “It’s because a mouse fell in,” or “It’s because a hair came out,” or I don’t know what came out, but what they’re eating is completely impure. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. Whether a mouse fell into the food or you ate ḥarām, it makes no difference. May Allāh ﷻ protect us.

May He ﷻ grant us awareness not to eat ḥarām, in shā’a Llāh. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ protect us from doing it knowingly or unknowingly. May Allāh ﷻ guard us and feed us with pure things. May we eat and drink pure things and stand pure in Allāh’s ﷻ Presence, in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

•⁠ ⁠Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

30 December 2025/ 10 Rajab 1447

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul

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