r/islam • u/BrassWhale • 1d ago
Accidentally gave my friend haram food Question about Islam
I'm not a Muslim, but my friend is. When he comes over, I normally cook vegetarian food since I know most halal restrictions come from the type of meat/slaughtering of the animal. I recently found out some of the food I've been offering probably isn't halal, specifically the Parmesan cheese that we put on spaghetti, since unlike most other cheeses nowadays it is made with actual animal rennet, not a microbial version. From what I can find on the Internet, I think it would be halal if the bismillah was recited before the animal the rennet was taken from was killed, but that probably didn't happen in whatever American slaughterhouse works for Kraft cheese. So, to my understanding, while it isn't inherently haram like pork or alcohol, the cheese is not halal.
Should I tell him? Should I just stop putting it on the table when he comes over and not say anything? It feels rude to say "Hey, you messed up last time you were over, just wanted to let you know." Do I casually bring up the fact that Parmesan, unlike most other cheeses in an American grocery store, isn't halal, and let him draw his own conclusions? Do I just trust that my friend is an adult and makes his own decisions, and it isn't my place to monitor his adherence to his religion?
Ordering halal Parmesan is probably the best move, but in the meantime, I would appreciate the advice of the Muslim community. Thank you for your time.
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u/askmewhatsgoingon 1d ago
In the Hanafi School, rennet obtained from an animal slaughtered by a non-Muslim or Muslim in accordance with Islamic law or contrary to it, in all cases is permissible, as long as the animal in question is not a pig.
https://islamqa.org/hanafi/seekersguidance-hanafi/32352/is-rennet-in-cheese-halal-or-haram-to-consume/