Is it permissible for us to buy and eat the meat of the People of the Book?
Question:
"Allaah سبحانه وتعالى said:
{…The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you...} [Surah al-Maa’idah 5:5]
According to the above mentioned aayah (verse), is it permissible for us to buy and eat the meat of the People of the Book (Ahlul-Kitaab) i.e. the meat sold in the supermarkets; and is it permissible for us to eat Kosher?"
Answer:
"Here, the intended meaning of ‘the food of The People of the Book’ is the food which the merchant slaughters according to their Deen and their Sharee’ah (Legislation). If it is established that one from the People of the Book or a Muslim strangles the animal i.e. he has not slaughtered it, then this will be considered maitah (ميتة – dead meat) and the maitah is not permissible. Whether it is a Muslim or not who did the strangling, this meat will not be permissible.
We also need to mention that in your society and other than yours, there are atheists. They have no Deen – no belief, even though outwardly they may appear to be Jews and Christians. From them it (the slaughter) will also not be accepted.
However if it is confirmed that they are Jews and Christians (People of the Book), meaning that they are doing the slaughter according to the way of the Jews and Christians based on what is in their books, then it is permissible. This is because it will be considered that the slaughter was really the slaughter of the People of the Book.
As for the one about whom it cannot be ascertained whether he slaughtered, strangled, electrocuted or immersed the animal in hot water i.e. we do not know the method used, then it will be impermissible for us to partake of this meat since we cannot determine whether it was slaughtered or maitah. However, when it can be ascertained that the person who did the slaughtering was a Muslim, Jew, or Christian and the slaughter was done according to the way mentioned in their book and according to their Deen then this is permissible (jaaiz)."
Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Jarboo'
Source: Questions and Answers Session, delivered in the 22nd of August, 2004.
"Allaah سبحانه وتعالى said:
{…The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you...} [Surah al-Maa’idah 5:5]
According to the above mentioned aayah (verse), is it permissible for us to buy and eat the meat of the People of the Book (Ahlul-Kitaab) i.e. the meat sold in the supermarkets; and is it permissible for us to eat Kosher?"
Answer:
"Here, the intended meaning of ‘the food of The People of the Book’ is the food which the merchant slaughters according to their Deen and their Sharee’ah (Legislation). If it is established that one from the People of the Book or a Muslim strangles the animal i.e. he has not slaughtered it, then this will be considered maitah (ميتة – dead meat) and the maitah is not permissible. Whether it is a Muslim or not who did the strangling, this meat will not be permissible.
We also need to mention that in your society and other than yours, there are atheists. They have no Deen – no belief, even though outwardly they may appear to be Jews and Christians. From them it (the slaughter) will also not be accepted.
However if it is confirmed that they are Jews and Christians (People of the Book), meaning that they are doing the slaughter according to the way of the Jews and Christians based on what is in their books, then it is permissible. This is because it will be considered that the slaughter was really the slaughter of the People of the Book.
As for the one about whom it cannot be ascertained whether he slaughtered, strangled, electrocuted or immersed the animal in hot water i.e. we do not know the method used, then it will be impermissible for us to partake of this meat since we cannot determine whether it was slaughtered or maitah. However, when it can be ascertained that the person who did the slaughtering was a Muslim, Jew, or Christian and the slaughter was done according to the way mentioned in their book and according to their Deen then this is permissible (jaaiz)."
Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Jarboo'
Source: Questions and Answers Session, delivered in the 22nd of August, 2004.