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What is the ruling on eating the food of the Yazidis who revere Iblis and do not perform the obligations of Islam? Are they considered People of the Book, and how can one deal with them without embarrassment?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Yazidis are a deviant sect that emerged in the year 132 AH as a political movement, which later transformed into an antagonistic order that venerates Yazid ibn Mu'awiya and Iblis (Malak Tawus). Among their beliefs is the condemnation of cursing Yazid and Iblis, documenting this in "The Black Book," fasting for three days coinciding with Yazid's birth, performing prayers on the night of mid-Sha'ban, and believing that Adi ibn Musafir will judge people. They revere shrines, permit polygyny up to six wives, and have dietary prohibitions and special feasts. They have a "Black Night" during which they deem incestuous relations and alcoholic beverages permissible. They were influenced by Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and paganism, and elevated Yazid to the status of divinity. They are spread across Syria, Turkey, Iran, Russia, and Iraq, and their language is Kurdish. It is not permissible to eat from their slaughtered animals because they are not from the People of the Book. However, it is permissible to eat other foods from them and to eat from their utensils, as long as their impurity is not confirmed. They should be shunned, and their gifts should not be accepted, except for a religious benefit such as inviting them to Islam.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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