you eat them separately, no harm results. Another example is dietary restriction for the sick person: if a patient is prohibited from a particular type of food and told, “If you consume it, it will harm you,” then it becomes forbidden for him. Another example, cited by grammarians, is: “Do not eat fish and drink milk,” with the verb “drink” in the accusative. But we say to the grammarians regarding this rule, or criterion: “This is not your field, so leave it to its people.” For physicians today say that it is not harmful, and we have seen the people of Jeddah eat fish and drink milk without suffering any harm from it.

Shaykh al-Islam, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “If a person fears that eating will cause him harm or indigestion, it is forbidden for him.”

Thus, if a person says, “If I fill my stomach with this food, I will need water; and if I add water to it, I can hardly walk and will be distressed. If I sit, I am distressed; if I bow, I am distressed; if I lie on my back, I am distressed; and if I lie on my stomach, I am distressed”—then Shaykh al-Islam says concerning this: if he fears harm, eating is forbidden for him. What he said, may Allah have mercy on him, is correct, because it is not permissible for a person to eat what harms him, wear what harms him, or sit upon what harms him. Even the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, when the heat caused them discomfort during prostration, would spread out their garments and prostrate upon them (1), so that they would not be harmed and could attain composure in their prayer.