The Ruling on Imported Meats
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Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed: This is the first session of the month of Safar, 1414 AH, and it is the weekly session we hold on Thursdays. Given our delay today, we first ask your forgiveness, and then ask you to allow us to omit the introductory remarks that usually precede the questions, so that we may accommodate the questions of those present, if Allah wills.
There has been much talk about imported meats. In the magazine of the Committee of Senior Scholars, one of those sent by the Association stated that they are indeed not slaughtered in the Islamic manner, particularly Brazilian chicken. What is your opinion, O Shaykh, regarding domestic chicken?
First: Our view on imported meats is that if they come from the countries of the People of the Book, then you know that Allah has made lawful for us the food of those who were given the Scripture.So the Exalted and Majestic said: [Al-Ma'idah: 5] Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: [Their food: their slaughtered animals] It is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from the sheep that a Jewish woman in Khaybar had gifted to him, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from the food to which a Jew in Madinah invited him, and it contained a thick sauce made fromMeaning: old fat. Likewise, 'Abdullah ibn al-Mughaffal approved taking the bag that was thrown at them in Khaybar, which was from the slaughtered animals of the Jews.
So if the chicken comes from the countries of the People of the Book, it is lawful. This is the principle. It is not for us, nor is it required of us, to ask how they slaughtered it? Or whether they mentioned the name of Allah over it or not?And the evidence for that is what is established in Sahih al-Bukhari: (That a group came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: A group comes to us with meat, and we do not know whether they mentioned the name of Allah over it or not? And they were recent converts from disbelief,So he said: so you mention the name of Allah and eat it).
The matter was discussed in the session of the Committee of Senior Scholars, and they invited the agents of the Ministry of Commerce,And they said: who said: We cannot permit anything to be imported unless we are assured that it has been slaughtered in the Sharia manner. We have agents there,But we do not say: and they said: All the factories or slaughterhouses of those people are in accordance with the Islamic method, but what is sent to the Kingdom is handled with caution. That is what they told us, and based on that, it is lawful.
Likewise, the domestic chicken that is slaughtered here is undoubtedly lawful. And what is mentioned about it being given blood or the like does not harm;First, because many scholars say: for impurity is purified by transformation. If an animal eats impurity, the impurity transforms into blood, and then into lawful meat.
And secondly: The condition of Jalalah, which most scholars have forbidden, is when the majority of its food is impurity, not when it eats impurity. It is forbidden until it is confined and fed pure food for three days, and then it becomes lawful.
So it is not befitting to introduce doubt into people's food;Because if you introduce doubt to them, they are between two things: either they eat while anxious,Or they will be bold and say: or they do not care whether it is lawful or forbidden! And what we find in our markets, we will eat. Introducing doubts into the food and clothing of Muslims without a Sharia basis is something that is not befitting.
For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to those people who doubted the meat that came to them from recent converts from disbelief,He said: (You mention the name of Allah and eat it), as if he is saying: You are not responsible for the actions of others. That is, you perform what is required of you in the prescribed manner, and you are not responsible for others.
The questioner: And what about cheeses?Answer: And the cheeses are pure and lawful, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) conquered the lands of Persia and ate from their cheeses, and they were Persians whose slaughter is not lawful.
To proceed: This is the first session of the month of Safar, 1414 AH, and it is the weekly session we hold on Thursdays. Given our delay today, we first ask your forgiveness, and then ask you to allow us to omit the introductory remarks that usually precede the questions, so that we may accommodate the questions of those present, if Allah wills.
There has been much talk about imported meats. In the magazine of the Committee of Senior Scholars, one of those sent by the Association stated that they are indeed not slaughtered in the Islamic manner, particularly Brazilian chicken. What is your opinion, O Shaykh, regarding domestic chicken?
First: Our view on imported meats is that if they come from the countries of the People of the Book, then you know that Allah has made lawful for us the food of those who were given the Scripture.So the Exalted and Majestic said:
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you
الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْSo if the chicken comes from the countries of the People of the Book, it is lawful. This is the principle. It is not for us, nor is it required of us, to ask how they slaughtered it? Or whether they mentioned the name of Allah over it or not?And the evidence for that is what is established in Sahih al-Bukhari: (That a group came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: A group comes to us with meat, and we do not know whether they mentioned the name of Allah over it or not? And they were recent converts from disbelief,So he said: so you mention the name of Allah and eat it).
The matter was discussed in the session of the Committee of Senior Scholars, and they invited the agents of the Ministry of Commerce,And they said: who said: We cannot permit anything to be imported unless we are assured that it has been slaughtered in the Sharia manner. We have agents there,But we do not say: and they said: All the factories or slaughterhouses of those people are in accordance with the Islamic method, but what is sent to the Kingdom is handled with caution. That is what they told us, and based on that, it is lawful.
Likewise, the domestic chicken that is slaughtered here is undoubtedly lawful. And what is mentioned about it being given blood or the like does not harm;First, because many scholars say: for impurity is purified by transformation. If an animal eats impurity, the impurity transforms into blood, and then into lawful meat.
And secondly: The condition of Jalalah, which most scholars have forbidden, is when the majority of its food is impurity, not when it eats impurity. It is forbidden until it is confined and fed pure food for three days, and then it becomes lawful.
So it is not befitting to introduce doubt into people's food;Because if you introduce doubt to them, they are between two things: either they eat while anxious,Or they will be bold and say: or they do not care whether it is lawful or forbidden! And what we find in our markets, we will eat. Introducing doubts into the food and clothing of Muslims without a Sharia basis is something that is not befitting.
For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to those people who doubted the meat that came to them from recent converts from disbelief,He said: (You mention the name of Allah and eat it), as if he is saying: You are not responsible for the actions of others. That is, you perform what is required of you in the prescribed manner, and you are not responsible for others.
The questioner: And what about cheeses?Answer: And the cheeses are pure and lawful, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) conquered the lands of Persia and ate from their cheeses, and they were Persians whose slaughter is not lawful.