Question:
What is the ruling on delivering food with services like SkipTheDishes or DoorDash? Is it halal or haram, since people can order food that includes pork or other haram items? If it’s not allowed, how can someone do only certain orders and not others? JazakAllahu khair.
Answer:
If the restaurant you’re picking up from mainly sells pork, bacon, or other clearly haram items—like a pork-focused BBQ place or a liquor store—then it is not allowed to deliver from there. It’s just like how a Muslim wouldn’t work in a place that directly sells alcohol.
But if the restaurant offers both halal and haram food, and you’re not sure what’s in the specific order, then this situation falls under what’s known as “shubha”—doubtful matters.
According to AAOIFI Shariah Standards, when it comes to income from doubtful sources, a person should avoid it if possible, but if they do earn from it, they should purify that income by giving away a portion in charity. The standard says that in cases where complete avoidance is difficult, one should estimate the doubtful portion and give it away without the intention of reward, only for purification.
So, if you choose to do delivery and sometimes you’re not sure what’s in the order, a practical and safe step is to donate 5–10% of your delivery income to an Islamic charity or by feeding the poor. This helps cleanse your earnings from any doubtful element, Wallahu a’lam.