Allah says in the Quran:
يَاأَيُّهَاالَّذِينَآمَنُواكُلُوامِنْطَيِّبَاتِمَارَزَقْنَاكُمْ
“O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you…”
— Surah Al-Baqarah: 172
Abstaining from doubtful things is the beauty of faith (Iman). This represents the level of piety and scrupulousness a Muslim must maintain regarding food.
Once, a female Companion (Sahabiyyah) invited the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions to her house for a meal. The Prophet (pbuh) went to her home along with his companions. When the food was placed before him, the Noble Messenger put a morsel into his mouth and then spat it out.
The Prophet (pbuh) asked the hostess, “It seems this mutton was brought and cooked without the permission of its owner.”
The woman replied, “O Messenger of Allah! I sent someone to the livestock market to purchase a goat, but none was available. My neighbor owned a goat, so I sent someone to buy it from him. He was not at home, but his wife sent the goat to me. I slaughtered it and cooked the meal.”
Upon hearing this, the Prophet (pbuh) refrained from eating the food.
The key point to note here is that the neighbor’s wife gave away the goat without her husband’s permission. The true owner (the husband) was unaware of the transaction and had not received payment for it. Because the goat was prepared without his explicit consent, the Prophet (pbuh) refused to consume it.
Using or consuming any property without the rightful owner’s permission cannot be considered Halal.