Using Utensils of Non-Muslims

2-2-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

I'm living right now in Canada and share the house with non-Muslim. We use the same utensils (cooking plates.. etc). Can I use them after I clean them or do have to use my own?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

If those non-Muslims you live with do not avoid impurities and you do not find other utensils except those used by them, then there is no harm in using them after washing them. It is proved from the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) that he was asked about using the utensils of non-Muslims and he said: "If you can get utensils other than theirs, do not eat in their utensils, but if you do not find (other than theirs), then wash their utensils and eat in them." [Al-Bukhari]

This is the opinion of the scholars who act according to the apparent meaning of Islamic texts. But the majority of the Muslim scholars are of the opinion that the utensils of non-Muslims become pure merely by washing them. Therefore, the prohibition mentioned in the Hadeeth "Using their utensils is permissible only when one does not find other utensils" strongly recommends avoiding their utensils, otherwise they become clean only by washing them.

However, we prefer the opinion of the scholars who act according to the apparent meaning of Islamic texts in this issue since it is safer and conforms to the words of the Hadeeth. So, one should adopt it.

Allah knows best.

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