A community member demanding goat meat at community feasts

Question

Question: Zayd is a member of an organised biradari (a kinship or caste community). Zayd says: “At every celebration at my home I have served the members of the community goat meat; therefore, wherever I take part in a community feast, I will eat only goat meat.” Zayd's second condition is this: if any person from our neighbourhood takes part in some community feast and eats “big meat” (beef), he must pay as a fine forty kilograms of goat meat together with all its accompanying provisions, such as flour and rice.

Answer

(1) This demand of Zayd is wrong and contrary to the Shari‘a. If he served “small meat” (goat meat), that was not a loan, such that it could be demanded. (2) This fine is not permissible according to the Shari‘a. In the noble hadith it is stated: [ar]لا يحل مال امرئ مسلم إلا بطيب نفس منه[/ar] “The property of a Muslim is not lawful except with his free consent” (hadith).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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