Is it okay to grab a bite in the supermarket while shopping?

Tasting food or fruits displayed in a supermarket before buying has become a common practice, whether in hypermarkets or smaller grocery stores.

In the UAE, which is a cultural melting pot, this trend isn’t limited to any particular nationality, but seems to be pervasive. Moreover, the trend isn’t confined to consumables, but also items such fragrances and deodorants.

And this happens despite supermarket and store managements displaying banners requesting patrons to desist from eating/drinking or spraying perfume (unless they are specifically marked as ‘testers’).

While being unhygienic and immoral, this is also something that’s illegal in the UAE.

This raises the question whether such behaviour is halal or haram.

The Official Fatwa Centre at The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) has said that unless they are authorised by the seller to do so, people who taste foods or fruits before buying are indulging in forbidden behaviour.

The Fatwa came in response to a question of a person asked about the legality of tasting food stuff or fruits before buying them from stores?

The Fatwa Centre explained that tasting displayed foods or fruits before buying must only be done after the permission of the seller or authorised personnel.

And in case the seller does not authorise such behaviour, it will be considered an act contrary to Islamic Shariah and prohibited (haram).

The Fatwa is based on the tenet that a person who wishes to use something that is not owned by him but is owned by another person or other people should seek the owner’s permission before using or consuming it.

In addition, there is an explicit prohibition on consuming other people’s commodities, except by mutual consent of both the seller and the buyer.

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