1. CONTAMINATED FOOD
2. HARAAM: Haraam foods are such foods in which the prohibition is clear. There is no doubt in its prohibitions, e.g. haraam meat and food in which haraam ingredients are used.
3. SPIRITUALLY HARAAM: Halaal food, whether meat or any other kind acquired with unlawful money or by unlawful means. While such food remains halaal, its consumption is haraam for the one who has acquired it by foul or haraam means.

• MUSTABAH: Such food, the permissibility of which is in doubt. Some factors indicate permissibility while other factors indicate prohibition. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) commanded abstention from such doubtful foods.

1. PHYSICALLY IMPURE: Generally, the foods prepared in public places such as cafes, restaurants and hotels fall in this classification. Although halaal, such food is not tayyib (wholesome). Some physical dirt and unclean hands, etc. go into its production, hence its contamination.
2. SPIRITUALLY IMPURE: Such food which is halaal and ordinarily tayyib, but for people of high taqwa (i.e. for the Auliya) even such halaal tayib food constitutes contamination, and impedes their spiritual progress, e.g. halaal tayyib food served by a faasiq or zaalim, halaal tayyib food served with a contaminated worldly motive.

The greater the degree of one’s abstention from contaminated food, the more will on incline towards piety and ibaadat and the converse is also true. Abstention from the first two categories (mentioned above) is Fardh. Eationg such food is a major sin for which Jahannuum is the punishment. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said about those who consume the contaminated food mentioned in these two categories:

“The Fire of Jahannum is more befitting for a human body nourished by haraam.”

The Auliya say that the high stages of piety a man attains are dependent on his halaal and tayyib consumption of food. A man can spend an entire lifetime in abundance of thikr, nafl ibaadat and fasting etc, but as long as the food he consumes is not physically and spiritually pure, he will be deprived of the high stages of taqwa and Divine proximity.