Details on the issue of imported meats
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His Eminence the Shaykh: It was reported in al-Mujtama' magazine regarding imported meats, so a team was sent to the countries supplying or exporting chicken, meat, and beef to the Gulf states. It was established for them that they do not slaughter according to the method or the Islamic Shari'ah, all of it being done by electric shock or by unlegitimate methods. It was established for them that these imported meats do not conform to the Islamic Shari'ah. What is your opinion, O Shaykh?
I think this may be correct, and I do not know if this is something they have repeated, because they may have spoken about this a long time ago, and it may be repeated a second time, unless they mentioned the date that they went in such-and-such a date. In any case, let us suppose it was a week ago, for example. Can a person testify about every chicken, or is it possible for a person to testify about every sheep that it is the one slaughtered in a manner other than the Islamic method? Perhaps the factories or slaughterhouses are all in a manner other than the Islamic method, but what comes from the Islamic countries, especially with the confirmation (slaughtered according to the Islamic method). And I tell you that before this year, a discussion took place with the Council of Senior Scholars regarding the topic, and the representatives of the Ministry of Commerce were present, and they said: Everything that comes to the Kingdom is monitored and slaughtered with a true slaughter.
And I say to you: Some of the scholars from the earlier generations said: What the People of the Book consider to be food for them and slaughter, it is lawful, even if it does not conform to the Islamic method.Because Allah said: [al-Ma'idah: 5] So what they consider to be food from these slaughters is lawful, even if it is not slaughtered according to the Islamic method, as long as they believe that this method makes it lawful. But this opinion is weak, and we do not hold to it.And we say: If the Muslim slaughters, drains the blood, and mentions the name of Allah over the slaughtered animal, then the non-Muslim is even more so. And it is not possible for us to eat a slaughter that was shocked with electricity without the blood being drained.But I told you: This is for the sake of easing the matter: meaning, the matter is not agreed upon by consensus.So we look at the issue now from two aspects: The first aspect: That this is not one of the matters agreed upon by consensus, that it is necessary that the slaughter of the People of the Book conforms to that of the Muslims.For some of the scholars from the earlier generations say: What the People of the Book consider to be food and slaughter is lawful, whether according to our method or not. But this is a weak opinion, and we do not hold to it.
Second: I inform you about what comes to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The Council of Senior Scholars met with the representatives of the Ministry, and they investigated with them and confirmed to them that nothing comes to the Kingdom except something that is verified. So whoever is pleased with this, let him eat in the name of Allah. And whoever is not pleased with this, praise be to Allah, there is now a lot of chicken slaughtered here in the Kingdom, and one can suffice with that, and leave what he doubts about for what he does not doubt about.
I think this may be correct, and I do not know if this is something they have repeated, because they may have spoken about this a long time ago, and it may be repeated a second time, unless they mentioned the date that they went in such-and-such a date. In any case, let us suppose it was a week ago, for example. Can a person testify about every chicken, or is it possible for a person to testify about every sheep that it is the one slaughtered in a manner other than the Islamic method? Perhaps the factories or slaughterhouses are all in a manner other than the Islamic method, but what comes from the Islamic countries, especially with the confirmation (slaughtered according to the Islamic method). And I tell you that before this year, a discussion took place with the Council of Senior Scholars regarding the topic, and the representatives of the Ministry of Commerce were present, and they said: Everything that comes to the Kingdom is monitored and slaughtered with a true slaughter.
And I say to you: Some of the scholars from the earlier generations said: What the People of the Book consider to be food for them and slaughter, it is lawful, even if it does not conform to the Islamic method.Because Allah said:
and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you
وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْSecond: I inform you about what comes to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The Council of Senior Scholars met with the representatives of the Ministry, and they investigated with them and confirmed to them that nothing comes to the Kingdom except something that is verified. So whoever is pleased with this, let him eat in the name of Allah. And whoever is not pleased with this, praise be to Allah, there is now a lot of chicken slaughtered here in the Kingdom, and one can suffice with that, and leave what he doubts about for what he does not doubt about.