Questions on Food
Q. Does the Hadith prohibit oxymel (vinegar-honey tonic)?
A. To the best of our knowledge there is no Hadith which prohibits oxymel (vinegar-honey tonic). If there was such a Hadith, it would surely have been known by this time. Numerous Muadditheen and Ulama have written on honey. Many of there names and comments are in the honey article which you have attached. Allaamah Aalusi (rahmatullah alayh) has mentioned one view of some physicians who believe that oxymel is harmful for people with certain types of sickness. One type is Safraawi (i.e. a person with yellow jaundice). Imaam Ghazaali (rahmatullah alayh) has also mentioned that honey (not oxymel) is harmful for people with certain types of sickness. This is not based on any Hadith. It is the conclusion of the research of some physicians. There is and will always be difference of opinion in every field of knowledge.Q. According to the Hadith, food should be covered during the night. If food was left uncovered throughout the night, may it be eaten?
A. Food left uncovered throughout the night remains halaal. However, there is a possibility of shaitaan having interfered with the open food. It is therefore best to feed it to the animals. But it remains permissible. However, caution demands that one abstains. It is mentioned in the Hadith that on a particular night during the year, a calamity descends from the skies and settles on uncovered foodstuff. The effect is disease and other misfortunes. The specific night is not mentioned. For example, if one is told that someone may have added some poison to the food during the night time, we are sure no one will eat the food.
