Answer

Allah Taãla says in the Noble Qurãn:

‘Today I have made permissible for you pure things and the food of those who

were given the Book (Ahlul-Kitaab) is also Halaal for you’. (Qurãn 5:4)

Overtly the above Aayat reads that the Zabeeha of the Ahlul-Kitaab is

permissible, but the fundamental principle must be understood in order to

understand the Qurãn i.e. ‘One part of the Qurãn explains the other’.

Therefore, this verse should be understood in the light of another verse

relating to the same matter:

‘Do not eat unless Allah’s name has been taken and this (not taking Allah’s

name) practice is transgression’ (Quran 6:121)

While the former verse explicitly states that the Zabeeha of the

Ahlul-Kitaab is permissible and the latter says, ‘Do not eat unless Allah’s

name has been taken’, in the light of both these verses, it is understood

that the Zabeeha of the Ahlul-kitaab is permissible only if the name of

Allah is taken at the time of slaughtering. The Ahlul-kitaab used to take

Allah’s name when slaughtering an animal, therefore, their Zabeeha was also

Halaal for Muslims. It is for this same reason that an animal slaughtered by

the Mushrikeen, etc. is not permissible. The Ahlul-kitaab of today are

recognized by name, less faith. There is no guarantee that they take the

name of Allah/God when slaughtering an animal. Furthermore, they cannot be

anymore trusted in matters pertaining to Halaal/Haraam.

Since there is uncertainty in the above slaughter manner, the Jurists are

unanimous that it is not permissible to consume meat which is doubtful.

Unless there is certainty that the Ahlul-kitaab read the ‘Tasmiyah’ i.e.

take the name of God when slaughtering an animal then only will the meat be

permissible. We suggest that the Muslims in the U.S.A. and U.K. slaughter

the animals themselves. A committee be appointed and look into ways to

facilitate for Halaal meat slaughtered by Muslims. This will make them

independent from Christian/Jewish sources.

Another proposition may be that the meat sold on the market are packed,

sealed and stamped by a Muslim organisation consisting of reliable scholars

and Úlama who have proper Islamic knowledge of the principles pertaining to

Halaal/Haraam of the Shariáh.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

FATWA DEPT.

Source