Is It Prohibited to Deliver Non-Halal Food?

Question: 281148

I have read through many Fatwas on this site which can be very close to this scenario. But due to technological advisement it is very hard to draw line between halal or haram so I want you to give Fitwa specifically for this case. I live in New Zealand. Uber has started food delivery service here recently. It is good job as a delivery person because you can work on your own convenience. The restaurants/takeaways on the panel are Halal, non-Halal & vegetarian. It works on the following principles Switch on the app. on your mobile when you are ready/available. A pop-op message will appear on the screen that a meal order is xx min way (xx min is time to reach a restaurant from your current location). When you accept the request then you can see the Restaurant name and address. But once you accept the order, you can’t decline unless your car is broken or in an accident. Once you reach the restaurant and tell your order number, you will be given a sealed bag (you don’t know the contents). After receiving the bag, delivery address appears on the App. My question is that delivering the food for UberEAT is halal or not in the following circumstances You don’t know that from where you will pick the food unless you accept an order and you never get to know what is inside the packet (food/beverages/drinks).

Summary of answer

It is not permissible to work in delivering prohibited food such as that which contains pork or the meat of animals that were not slaughtered in the prescribed manner, or alcohol.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

It is not permissible to work in delivering prohibited food such as that which contains pork or the meat of animals that were not slaughtered in the prescribed manner, or alcohol, because that comes under the heading of helping in sin. The wages earned from doing that are also prohibited. Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.” [Al-Ma’idah 5:2]

It says in Sharh Muntaha Al-Iradat (2/250):

“It is not valid to be hired to deliver “dead meat” (from an animal that was not slaughtered in the prescribed manner) and similar things, such as prohibited blood, to be eaten, for one who is not compelled to eat that; or to deliver alcohol to get drunk, for the reasons mentioned above, and the one who does that is not entitled to any wages for doing it, because prohibited service cannot be paid for.

But if the improperly-slaughtered meat is being delivered to someone who has no choice but to eat it, then it is valid.”

Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If someone helps a man to disobey Allah, then he is sinning, because he is helping in sin and transgression. Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cursed alcohol, the one who presses (the grapes et cetera), the one for whom they are pressed, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who pours it, the one who drinks it, and the one consumes its price. Most of those mentioned, such as the one who presses it, the one who carries it and the one who pours it, are helping the drinker to drink it. Hence it is forbidden to sell weapons to those who will use them to fight in unlawful ways, such as fighting the Muslims or infighting among Muslims (fitnah).” (Majmu` Al-Fatawa, 22/141)

Since when doing the work mentioned it is not clear what type of food is being delivered, then this work is not permissible, because you are living in a non-Muslim country, where the people usually eat pork and drink alcohol.

For more details, please refer to the following answers: 49694 , 172 , 96739 , 40651 , 245688 , and 10339 .

And Allah knows best.

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