As-salam-mu alaikum,
Is it permissible to eat the so-called “Halal” KFC’s which are now opening around the country? They say they are certified by the HFA. Are we allowed to eat at these “halal” outlets?
What about other fast-food chains which have halal stores, such as Subway and Nando’s?
What about the halal stores they have in the Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia?

Answer

Wa Alaykum Al-Salam,

The essence of all meat is haram and impure. However, any meat of a halal animal slaughtered by a Muslim in the valid way according to Islamic law becomes Halal to consume and pure to use. Its permissibility can be established through the information delivered by a Muslim, if not witnessed the act of slaughtering. The information of a non-Muslim is not sufficient to change any meat from its essence and establish it as halal. It will remain in its essence.

The Hanafi Fuqaha agree that the information of a non-Muslim to establish something haram or halal (Diyaanaat) is not considered (See Hidayah, Jawharah, Radd Al-Muhtar, Al-Ataya Al-Nabawiyyah and Bahar). The Fatwa in the Hanafi Fiqh also says that any meat that is once established as halal and later it is out of the eyes of a believer and in the eyes of a non-believer, it (the halal meat) returns back to its essence, thus, not halal anymore. See Al-Ataya Al-Nabawiyyah and Bahar for references.

After knowing the above, it is clear that, firstly, the meat in takeaways which is delivered by a non-Muslim is not halal, secondly, the takeaways where there are no Muslim workers or there are but at some point the meat is out of the eyes of the Muslim and in the eyes of the non-Muslim is not halal and thirdly, organisations which do not consider such rulings are not to be considered as a certification to establish halal.

As for KFC, Subway and Nandos, I have no information regarding them yet. What I have mentioned above is enough to know the rule in our Hanafi Law.

And Allah knows best

Zahid Hussain Al-Qadri
(Beggar at the doorstep of Scholars)