Yemeni student studying in US and living with US family

25-3-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am a student from Yemen studying in the United States and living with an Amercian family. Its a new program which allows Middle Easten students to come study in America for one year. I would like to know if I can eat their meat even though it is not Halal, beef chicken and not ham?

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

 

It is not permissible to travel to a Kafir country except if there is a need that is considered by religion, like seeking a speciality or a beneficial knowledge that is not possible to gain in Muslim countries.

If your travel to this country is permitted in Shariah, then you have to know that it is not permissible to reside with that family.

Residing with that family involves, without doubt, looking at people’s Awrah and being in seclusion with women who reside with you.

It is feared as well that you may be affected by their mischief and falsehood and their promotion of forbidden things they commit as there is no obstacle to stop them or frighten them from doing so, and it might be that you have already participated in such matters.  The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "And whoever pastures near a private pasture is likely to get in it at any moment". [Reported by Imam Bukhari]

He also said: "Whoever keeps on sitting or living with a Mushrik (non-believer, a person who associates partners to Allah) then he is like him". [Reported by Abu Dawud]

Al-Shawkani said: 'Then he is like him, is a lesson that living with a Kaffir is Haram and one must leave them and be separated from them'.

As regards eating with them, there is a condition that the food must be Halal, and there must not be any forbidden food or drink on the table.  In addition, the food must not be accompanied with another forbidden thing.

Allah knows best.