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Doubtful: be careful Food & drink

What about food with unclear ingredients or E-numbers?

Short answer

If you do not know whether an ingredient is lawful, the matter is doubtful. The Prophet ﷺ taught that between the clear lawful and the clear unlawful are doubtful matters, and whoever avoids them has protected his religion. Check the label, look up the source of codes such as E471 or E441 on the ingredient list on this page, or contact the maker. If it stays unclear, leave it.

Evidence

Quran

ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ ٱلْأُمِّىَّ ٱلَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَىٰهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْخَبَٰٓئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَٱلْأَغْلَٰلَ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥٓ ۙ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿١٥٧﴾

(Yaitu) orang-orang yang mengikut Rasul, Nabi yang ummi yang (namanya) mereka dapati tertulis di dalam Taurat dan Injil yang ada di sisi mereka, yang menyuruh mereka mengerjakan yang ma'ruf dan melarang mereka dari mengerjakan yang mungkar dan menghalalkan bagi mereka segala yang baik dan mengharamkan bagi mereka segala yang buruk dan membuang dari mereka beban-beban dan belenggu-belenggu yang ada pada mereka. Maka orang-orang yang beriman kepadanya. memuliakannya, menolongnya dan mengikuti cahaya yang terang yang diturunkan kepadanya (Al Quran), mereka itulah orang-orang yang beruntung.

Hadith

Sahih al-Bukhari 52

Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart

Arabic text (with chain of narrators)

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشَبَّهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الْمُشَبَّهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِيِنِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ كَرَاعٍ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى، يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلاَ إِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ مَحَارِمُهُ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ ‏"‏‏.‏

Read on sunnah.com

This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Questions about halal and haram

What about food with unclear ingredients or E-numbers?

If you do not know whether an ingredient is lawful, the matter is doubtful. The Prophet ﷺ taught that between the clear lawful and the clear unlawful are doubtful matters, and whoever avoids them has protected his religion. Check the label, look up the source of codes such as E471 or E441 on the ingredient list on this page, or contact the maker. If it stays unclear, leave it.

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