Q224 :Cans of food imported from foreign countries
may carry a statement in Arabic that the food has been prepared
according to the Islamic way. Do we accept such a statement without
question?
A224 : This statement in Arabic is made to netply
with requirement by governments of Muslim countries that canned food
imported into those countries must be permissible to eat from the
Islamic point of view. Some governments have gone to considerable
length to ensure that the food so imported satisfies the conditions
Islam lays down for consumption. Such governments appoint certain
agents to supervise the killing of animals, the meat of which is to be
used in canned food. Even if this was not the case, and the exporter
includes this statement on his own behest, we have a rule that we need
not ask about the details which we do not know. If we have no reason to
doubt the correctness of a particular statement, we should accept it at
its face value. Therefore, when we read such a statement that the food
used in a particular can is acceptable from the Islamic point of view,
we take it as correct. If we have a good reason for suspicion, then we
take appropriate action. For example, if certain cans have been
imported from a country where atheism was the standard creed for a
considerable length of time and we have a statement that the meat used
has been slaughtered in the Islamic way, we have a very good reason to
doubt. In such a case, we should be extra-careful.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )