Is Food Still Halal if It Is Prepared in a Place Where Non-Islamic Chants Are Heard?
Question
Assalamu alaikum. I buy pizza from a place because it is halal. It has changed owners but they said it is halal and they have a halal certificate on the wall. The problem is that after ordering and paying, I heard what sounded like Hindu or Sikh chants coming from the back. It was not regular speech, nor is it singing. It was chanting or recitation. This was off-putting to me. I am wondering: is the food still halal, or is it now impermissible since they may have made some kind of prayers on it and I don’t know?
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
1. The Shar‘i Context
Halal food is determined by the actual ingredients and method of slaughter, not by the religion or spiritual practices of the one who prepares it.
The Qur’an states clearly that:
“The food of the People of the Book is permissible for you.” (Surat al Maidah 5:5)
If the food of Jews and Christians remains halal even when they perform their religious rituals around it, then other non-Muslim chants or background religious expressions do not change the halal status of the food, as long as the meat itself is slaughtered correctly and no haram ingredients are used.
Islam does not treat sound, chanting, or background rituals as something that makes food najis or impermissible. What matters is:
- Was the animal slaughtered properly?
- Is the meat halal-certified?
- Are the ingredients permissible?
2. Hearing Non-Islamic Chants Does Not Make Food Haram
Hindu or Sikh chanting in the restaurant:
- Does not affect the meat’s slaughter,
- Does not make food impure,
- Does not turn halal food into haram food.
If they were performing a ritual on the food itself, such as dedicating it to a deity, then this would be problematic.
But there is no evidence of that from what you described. You simply heard chanting somewhere in the background. This is not the same as food being sacrificed to idols.
3. Certainty Cannot Be Removed by Doubt
Islamic law establishes the principle:
اليقين لا يزول بالشك
Certainty is not removed by doubt.
You are certain about the halal certification.
You only have doubt about what the chanting was.
You are not allowed to overturn the certainty of halal based on suspicion or discomfort.
This protects Muslims from falling into waswas (unnecessary doubt).
4. Are Non-Muslims Allowed to Prepare Halal Food?
Yes.
The person preparing halal meat does not need to be Muslim, as long as:
- The meat itself is slaughtered Islamically,
- The ingredients are halal.
If the restaurant sources from certified suppliers, the personal religion or practices of the chefs do not affect the halal status.
5. When Would the Food Become Impermissible?
The food becomes haram only if you know for sure that:
- The meat is not halal slaughtered,
- Or they deliberately dedicated the food to a deity other than Allah.
You have no evidence of this.
Final Ruling
The food remains halal, and the chanting you heard does not make it impermissible.
You may continue eating from that restaurant as long as the halal certification is reliable and the ingredients remain permissible.
And Allah knows best.