Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamoalikum.
I live in Canada. And I do not eat any meat or chicken except Halaal. And I beleive that any chicken or maet alaughtered by a non-Muslim, without mentioning the name of Allah is Haraam. And this is as said in the Holy Quran in sura Al-baqarah in verse 1. But one of our brothers found out and showed me on your site that it is Halaal indeed, even if it is not slaughtered by a Muslim(but is must be a Christian or Jew). And it was also mentioned there that it is not necessary to take name of Allah while Slaughtering. But there was no proof or evidence given directly, clearly and specifically from Quran or Hadith. So please explain my concern in the light of Quran and Hadith. ???? 

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Answer:

Name Allah slaughter for jews christians

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5:

All the good and pure things have today been made ‘halaal’ for you; the food of the people of the Book (Jews and Christians) is ‘halaal’ for you, and your food for them.

It is evident from the above aayah of the Holy Quran that the food of the People of the Book (Jews and the Christians) is halaal for the believers. If a few conditions (which are listed below) can be met, then the meat served in a Christian (or Jewish nation) like the USA, Canada, or England, etc. can be termed halaal.

1.      The animal itself should be halaal in Shariah. (Even if a muslim (Allah forbid) were to slaughter swine, it will not make it halaal!!).

2.      The one who slaughters the animal must either be a Muslim, or a Jew or a Christian. If any other person slaughters the animal, it will not be considered halaal.

3.      The animal has to be slaughtered and the blood should be oozed out naturally. It does not matter if the animal is slaughtered by hand or by a machine, from the front of the neck or from the back. What is important is that the veins must be cut to allow the blood to be oozed out of the body.

4.      The animal should have been alive at the time of slaughter. It is a routine in most slaughterhouses in the Western countries, that they electrocute or sting the animal with an electric shock, and then slaughter the animal. That is fine, as long as one is satisfied that the electric shock did not kill the animal before its slaughter! If the animal was dead before it was slaughtered, it does not matter who slaughters the animal, that meat would be forbidden for the believers.

5.      The condition that Allah’s Name has to be pronounced is not a condition for the People of the Book, as long as nobody else’s’ name is pronounced. If anybody else’s name other than Allah is pronounced at the time of slaughter, it does not matter even if (Allah forbid) a muslim slaughters the animal, that meat would be considered haraam for the believers.

Your Question: And I beleive that any chicken or maet alaughtered by a non-Muslim, without mentioning the name of Allah is Haraam. And this is as said in the Holy Quran in sura Al-baqarah in verse 1.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 172-173:

172 O ye who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him ye worship.

173 He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Anaam verse 145:

145 Say: "I find not in the Message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine for it is an abomination, or what is impious (meat) on which a name has been invoked other than Allah's."

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 115:

115 He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked.

Beloved brother, there is a general prohibition upon the believers to consume any food upon which a name other than Allah Subhanah has been invoked: regardless of whether it be meat or non-meat, regardless of whether it be slaughtered by a muslim or a non-muslim….any food which is dedicated to any other than Allah, or a name is invoked other than Allah’s….all such food would be absolutely unlawful for the believers to consume.

The specific verse which prohibits the believers from consuming food upon which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced at the time of slaughter is found in Surah Anaam verse 121:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 121:

121 Eat not of (meats) on which Allah's Name hath not been pronounced: that would be impiety.

According to the study of the chronology of the Revelation of the Glorious Quran, the scholars are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that the Surah Anaam was revealed in Makkah, probably during the last year of the Prophet’s (saws) stay or 12-13 years after his appointment to the office of Prophethood.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5:

All the good and pure things have today been made ‘halaal’ for you; the food of the people of the Book (Jews and Christians) is ‘halaal’ for you, and your food for them.

…but the Surah Maidah, wherein is declared lawful the food the People of the Book, was revealed after the migration of the Prophet (saws) to Madinah; and the scholars are of the opinion that the Surah Maidah was revealed at the end of the 6^th or the beginning of the 7^th year after migration, or about 18-19 years after the appointment to the office of Prophethood.

Because the verse of Surah Maidah declaring the slaughter of the People of the Book lawful for the believers was revealed after the verse of Surah Anaam, and the verse of Surah Maidah does not specifically declare that the slaughter of the People of the Book is lawful only if they invoke the name of Allah Subhanah….the scholars and jurists in Islam are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that the declaration or pronouncement of the Blessed Name of Allah Subhanah is not an obligatory condition for the food of the People of the Book, provided no other name other than Allah’s is invoked at the time of slaughter….and Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan