Eat at a 5 Star Hotel Where Alcohol is Served
Question
Assalamu Alaikum my question is that i live in India and is it permissible to eat at five star hotel where alcohol is also served. In some 5 star hotels alcohol is served separately in other room or they have created bar separately and in some hotels they serve alcohol in same place like the alcohol will not come from kitchen but the bar is visible & attached to the restaurant. So i have mentioned two types hotels can i eat food in any of them by the way these hotels don’t sell pork & the mutton and chicken they serve is halaal. Thank you.
Answer
Wa ‘alaykum as-salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuhu,
JazākAllahu Khairan for your inquiry. Your concern regarding dining in establishments serving alcohol is a valid one, and seeking clarity on such matters is commendable.
The Prophet (ṣallAllāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said:
لا يحِلُّ لأحدٍ يُؤْمِنُ باللَّهِ واليوم الآخرِ أن يجلسَ على مائدةٍ يُشْرَبُ عليها الخمر (مصنف عبد الرزاق – 8 / 544)
Translation: “It is not permissible for one who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment to sit at a table where alcohol is consumed.” (Muṣannaf ‘Abd al-Razzāq – 8/544)
Jurists (Fuqahā) have interpreted this Ḥadīth to indicate that Muslims should refrain from dining at venues where alcohol is served, even if the food itself is considered Ḥalāl.
Furthermore, a narration attributed to ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhu) instructs Ḥarām ibn Mu‘āwiyyah and others:
ولا تأكلوا على مائدةٍ يُشْرَبُ عليها الخمر (مصنف عبد الرزاق – 8 / 543)
Translation: “And do not sit at an eating place where alcohol is drunk.” (Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzāq – 8/543)
Based on these sources, it is evident that Muslims are encouraged to avoid dining establishments where alcohol is present.
Therefore, it would not be considered permissible to eat at five-star hotels or restaurants that serve alcohol, even if it originates from a separate kitchen. This approach ensures that your dining experience is completely divorced from any association with prohibited activities and adheres strictly to Islamic principles.
In a scenario where the hotel has a demonstrably separate restaurant area with no alcohol service and demonstrably Ḥalāl food preparation, then dining there might be considered permissible according to some interpretations. However, it is generally still discouraged. The presence of alcohol in the same establishment, even if served separately or in a distinct bar area, introduces ambiguity regarding the overall permissibility of dining there
And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows best.