Sunscreen protects skin from harmful UV rays, but because physical barriers that block water can invalidate wudu (ablution) and ghusl (full ritual bath), many worshippers wonder whether they may use sunscreen and still remain ritually pure.
You will become acquainted here with the rulings on eating food in non-Muslim restaurants from the perspective of Islam. The question of eating in restaurants run by non-Muslims is a sensitive jurisprudential issue related to observing halal and haram in diet. This topic becomes especially important for Muslims living or travelling in non-Muslim societies and requires careful religious consideration.
In Islam, consuming foods that are not halal is prohibited. In general, the following principles apply regarding halal and haram foods:
Halal source of ingredients: Ingredients should come from halal sources.
Islamic slaughter (dhabiha): Meat should be from an animal slaughtered according to Islamic rules.
Avoidance of impurities: Food must not be contaminated by impure substances (e.g., pork or alcoholic beverages).
Plant-based foods: Dishes that are entirely plant-based and have not come into contact with impurities or alcoholic substances are generally considered halal. Jurists do not dispute this category.
Seafood: In Twelver Shi‘i jurisprudence, only fish that have scales (i.e., those with an apparent scaly covering) are considered halal. In many Sunni schools, a wider range of aquatic creatures are regarded as permissible.
Meat not slaughtered by Islamic method: If the meat in a dish was not slaughtered according to Islamic rules, it is haram.
Pork: Any use of pork in food is forbidden.
Reasonable probability of haram meat: If there is a strong likelihood that the meat used is unlawful, consuming the dish is not permitted.
If alcoholic beverages are used in cooking, the food is haram. Even when the alcohol evaporates during cooking, some jurists still do not permit its consumption.
Necessary caution about meat: Shi‘i jurists stress that meat should be from animals slaughtered by Islamic method.
Presumption of purity: If there is no certainty of impurity, the principle of purity applies; therefore, non-meat or purely plant-based foods are considered permissible.
Necessity/need (darūrah): In cases of necessity (e.g., no access to halal food), consuming what is otherwise impermissible may be allowed to the extent needed.
People of the Book (ahl al-kitāb) as food suppliers: Sunnī rulings commonly regard meat slaughtered by People of the Book (Jews, Christians) as permissible, provided there is no pork or impurity involved.
Avoid doubtful cases: Where doubt exists, avoiding the food is recommended.
Before ordering, ask about ingredients and how the dish is prepared. Many restaurants can provide ingredient details.
In many countries you can find restaurants that serve halal food — these are the best option for Muslims.
If halal options are unavailable, choose plant-based dishes or seafood consistent with your school’s rulings.
Question: Is it permissible to eat at McDonald’s/KFC or at Indian and Persian restaurants?
Response — Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: Avoid them when not necessary; however, those who travel to or live in non-Muslim countries are not required to avoid non-Muslim people or even their non-meat foods.
Question: What is the ruling on eating fish and shrimp in restaurants abroad, and can we buy fish/shrimp from non-Muslim shops?
Response — Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: If the fish has scales, it is not problematic; eating shrimp is also permissible.
Question: I live in a non-Muslim country where many Muslim restaurants are run by Sunnis. Is it permissible to eat dishes containing conch extract, crab meat, octopus, etc.? If we order shrimp soup and find octopus and crab in it, may we eat it?
Response — Ayatollah Khamenei: Except for scaled fish and shrimp, eating other aquatic animals is forbidden.
Question: What is the ruling on food obtained from non-believers?
Response — Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: If you have reason to think these foods were prepared using factories, equipment, or gloves, there is no problem; but if you are certain they have been touched by their bare hands or bodies and damp contact occurred, caution requires avoiding them except in necessity (e.g., travel to non-Islamic countries where avoidance is difficult).
Note (Ayatollah Sistani, Issue 167): Muslims may go to restaurants that serve alcohol alongside food, provided that their attendance does not promote those businesses. As a precautionary measure, one should not sit at a table where alcohol is placed nor eat at that table.
Question: Students or officials who travel to non-Muslim countries — may they eat restaurant food?
Response — Ayatollah Khamenei: In this situation, eating meat for which there is no certainty of Islamic slaughter is forbidden, but non-meat dishes, insofar as there is no certainty of their impurity or prohibition, are not problematic.
Response — Ayatollah Bahjat: Any food that does not require ritual slaughter and purification is acceptable unless one knows it contacted impurities by moisture.
Response — Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: Using their non-meat foods and eating fish is not obstructed.
Response — Ayatollah Sistani: If impurity and prohibition are not established, there is no obstacle.
Response — Ayatollah Sobhanī: Avoid items requiring ritual slaughter or animal fats; other foods are acceptable if one is not certain of impurity.
Response — Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani: Apart from meaty foods, other foods may be used.
The ruling on eating at non-Muslim restaurants depends on the type of food, the method of preparation, and the contextual conditions. Muslims are obliged to be careful about what they consume and to avoid haram foods. However, in cases of necessity or lack of halal options, Islam provides solutions demonstrating the religion’s flexibility and pragmatic ease.
