Question:
You say we can eat food from a puja, but you say we cannot paint the temple where puja is done. Shouldn’t it be the same? Does it seem contradictory?
Answer:
There is no contradiction.
The confusion arises from a misunderstanding in your perception. We say something is forbidden because it constitutes aiding in sin. Now, if someone offers me a food item that was used in a puja, did I aid in the sin? Did I assist in the puja? The puja was done without my help. The person finished it and then gave me the item. Taking it does not mean I aided in the puja. For it to be aiding in sin, my assistance would have to be necessary for the sinful act to occur.
In the case of painting, you are directly aiding in the sinful act. You are performing the act yourself. There is a difference between performing the act yourself and receiving an item that was already used in the act. How can this be a contradiction?
You are relating two unrelated things. Prohibitions in Islam are based on the principle of aiding in sin. According to your logic, if water from the Kaveri River is released after puja, and you drink it, are you aiding in the puja? The puja was already done. You are just drinking water. So, it’s not the same. To be aiding in sin, you need to be involved in the act itself. If someone asks you to get a coconut, apply sandalwood on it, etc., and you do those things, that is aiding in sin. That is prohibited.
- If the offering is non-living (e.g., coconut) → it is permissible (halal).
- The prohibition applies only to animals sacrificed in the name of other than Allahﷻ.
So, eating such food is allowed, as long as it does not involve prohibited elements