Purchasing a supermarket that also sells bacon
Question
I am a Muslim in Australia and, inshāAllāh, I am about to take over a supermarket business in a very small rural town. The town has around 700 people and the population is 99.9% non-Muslim, mostly white Australians. The previous non-Muslim owners have been selling bacon and ham products to the locals for many years. These products are culturally very significant for them — they are considered part of their daily life. If we were to remove bacon completely from the supermarket, the community would view it as an act against their culture, and this could create hostility towards us. Currently, the supermarket sells:
- Pre-packed bacon & ham (sealed packs from suppliers)
- Deli-sliced bacon/ham (using slicer machine, requires staff handling)
- Some other pre-packed bacon meat products
Bacon products only make up about 5% of the total supermarket products in terms of range, but they are culturally important for the locals.
I am seeking your guidance on what is permissible for me as a Muslim in this situation.
My Questions:
- Ownership of Supermarket with Pork Sales
- Is it permissible for me to own the store where bacon/pork products are sold, even if I personally never touch them?
- What is the ruling on delegating handling to non-Muslim staff (stocking, slicing, cleaning machines)?
- Deli Slicing of Bacon/Ham
- If I keep the deli running, can non-Muslim staff handle pork slicing while I avoid direct involvement?
- Or is it better/necessary Islamically to completely stop selling deli bacon/ham?
- Pre-packed Bacon & Ham
- If I continue selling only pre-packed bacon/ham (without deli slicing), is this acceptable?
- Charity Option for Pork Profits
- If the profit derived from bacon/ham sales is unavoidable, can I give away that portion of the profit in charity (without the intention of reward, only to “purify” the income)?
- Would this make it permissible to keep these products in-store?
My intention is to balance between fulfilling the community’s expectations in this small town (so that the store remains viable and locals do not react negatively), while at the same time protecting my faith and avoiding ḥarām as much as possible.
I would greatly appreciate your detailed guidance on this matter.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
It is not permissible for a Muslim to purchase 100% of a business that will continue to sell pork products, whether they are handled by Muslims or otherwise, and even if the percentage of the products is low. It therefore follows that if one has already done so, then he should sell the business and also donate the proceeds of the unlawful products in charity.
قال الله تعالى: إنما حرم عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير. وقال تعالى: حرمت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير. وقال تعالى: قل لا أجد في ما أوحي إلي محرما على طاعم يطعمه إلا أن يكون ميتة أو دما مسفوحا أو لحم خنزير. وقال محمد في الأصل (٢/٤٤٥): ولو اشتراها بخمر أو خنزير كان هذا باطلا، انتهى. وقال القدوري في مختصره (ص ٨٣): إذا كان أحد العوضين أو كلاهما محرما، فالبيع فاسد كالبيع بالميتة أو بالدم أو بالخمر أو بالخنزير، انتهى.
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
2 Jumādā al-Ūlā 1447 / 24 October 2025
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmed and Mufti Muhammad Tahir
