Fatwa: #291
Country : Philippines
Question:
saying “Bismillah” when eating from mixed income kufr? I heard one scholar says saying Bismillah before eating haram food is kufr. I fear so much on this But what if our income is mixed, one part halal and a lesser part doubtful, like getting full pay when we missed work sometimes, four or five days? When we eat and say Bismillah as we always do, do we become disbelievers? It make me really fear and also I would refrain myself and stop saying Bismillah when eating, I know that saying BISMILLAH is Sunnah before eating, what if just in case our food is mixed with haram just because without knowing it then we say BISMILLAH to it this make me really worried about… Please show me the reference books on what the early great scholars of Islam like ( Imaam Abu Hanifa, Maliki school of thought, Shafii and his great and trusted scholar followers, and in Hanbali school The Vast majority of scholar ..so that I can say BISMILLAH I need the reference books, cited in Arabic
Answer:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
حامدا و مصليا و مسلما
Muhtaram
We have received your query regarding reading Bismillah over food obtained through doubtful means. Our response is as follows:
Your concern for your Iman is itself a sign of your Iman. It is extremely important to ensure that one’s sustenance is entirely Halal, as the acceptance of one’s Ibadat and Duas depends upon the consumption of Halal sustenance.
Regarding the matter in question, reciting Bismillah over food obtained through doubtful income does not take a person out of the fold of Islam.
However, if a person knowingly recites Bismillah over something that is categorically established to be Haram, whilst believing it to be Halal, or does so with the intention of mocking or showing disrespect towards the name of Allah Ta’ala, such an act would constitute Kufr.[1]
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Answered by:
Muhammad Irshad Motara
3rd Jumaadul Ukhra 1448
14th November 2026
[1] فتاوى محمودية: ج ٢، ص ٣٧٨-فاروقية
… في البزازية وغيرها يكفر من بسمل عند مباشرة كل حرام قطعي الحرمة (رد المحتار: ج ١، ص ٩، سعيد)
من اكل طعاما حراما وقال عند الاكل بسم الله حكى الامام المعروف بمشتملي انه يكفر… (الفتاوى الهندية: ج ٢، ص ٢٧٣- رشيدية)
ولو اكل طعاما حراما فقال بسم الله يكفر، وفي الحاشية: ان استحل ذلك وجعلها استهزاء (الفاظ الكفر لبديع الدين القزويني رحمه الله تعالى ص ١٩١)
ويكفر بالاستهزاء بالأذكار وبشرب الخمر وقال بسم الله او قال ذلك عند الزنى وعند الحرام المقطوع بحرمته … (مجمع الأنهر: ج ١، ص ٦٩٣- بيروت)
وفي التتمة: من قال عند ابتداء شرب الخمر او الزنا او اكل الحرام: بسم الله كفر. وفيه انه ينبغي ان يكون محمولا على الحرام المحض المتفق عليه وان يكون عالما بنسبة التحريم اليه بان تكون حرمته مما علم من الدين بالضرورة كشرب الخمر (منح الروض الازهر في شرح الفقه الأكبر: ص ٤٦٢: دار البشائر الإسلامية)