What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in your view, O honorable Shaykh, if a person who abandons prayer slaughters an animal? Is it permissible for one who prays to eat from it?
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in your view, O honorable Shaykh, if a person who abandons prayer slaughters an animal? Is it permissible for one who prays to eat from it?
The Shaykh : If one who does not pray slaughters an animal, it is not lawful; that is, eating it is not permissible. This is because the stronger opinion among the scholars is that one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever whose disbelief takes him out of the religion. If he is a disbeliever whose disbelief takes him out of the religion, then his slaughtered animal is not lawful, because a slaughtered animal is not lawful unless the one who slaughtered it is a Muslim or a People of the Book, namely a Jew or a Christian. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:5] and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you. Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) interpreted this to mean their slaughtered animals. As for apostates and other disbelievers other than Jews and Christians, their slaughtered animals are not lawful. More than one scholar has reported scholarly consensus on this matter.
And if a Muslim or a People of the Book, namely a Jew or a Christian, slaughters an animal, it is lawful, even if we do not know whether he mentioned the name of Allah over it or not. In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, some people bring us meat, and we do not know whether they mentioned the name of Allah over it or not?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: She said: "And they were recent converts from disbelief."
Here, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made lawful the slaughtered animals of these people, even though it is not known whether they mentioned the name of Allah over their slaughtered animals or not. This is because when the action of another person comes from one who is qualified to perform it, one is not asked about the manner of his action, nor about its conditions, nor about its preventers. This is because the original state is validity, unless there is evidence of invalidity. Similarly, we do not ask a Muslim, Jew, or Christian how he slaughtered his animal. Rather, we eat it and do not ask how he slaughtered it, nor do we ask whether he mentioned the name of Allah or not. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from the slaughtered animals of the Jews and did not ask them how they slaughtered them.
The principle we mentioned a moment ago is very beneficial. It is that the original state of the action of one who is qualified to perform it is validity, until there is evidence of invalidity. If we were to oblige Muslims to ask about the action of the doer whether its conditions were fulfilled and its preventers removed, we would cause much hardship for Muslims, contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions.
In summary, the slaughtered animal of one who does not pray is forbidden; eating it is not permissible, neither for those who pray nor for non-Muslims.
The questioner : This is if he is abandoning prayer. What if he is denying it?
The Shaykh : And likewise, if he is denying its obligation, then his slaughtered animal is forbidden because he is a disbeliever. Except if he is a recent convert to Islam who does not know whether prayer is obligatory or not. In that case, he is not declared a disbeliever for denying its obligation until he knows and the truth is explained to him. If he denies it after its ruling has been explained to him, he is judged according to what that denial entails.
The Shaykh : If one who does not pray slaughters an animal, it is not lawful; that is, eating it is not permissible. This is because the stronger opinion among the scholars is that one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever whose disbelief takes him out of the religion. If he is a disbeliever whose disbelief takes him out of the religion, then his slaughtered animal is not lawful, because a slaughtered animal is not lawful unless the one who slaughtered it is a Muslim or a People of the Book, namely a Jew or a Christian. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them
اليوم أحل لكم الطيبات وطعام الذين أوتوا الكتاب حل لكم وطعامكم حل لهمAnd if a Muslim or a People of the Book, namely a Jew or a Christian, slaughters an animal, it is lawful, even if we do not know whether he mentioned the name of Allah over it or not. In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, some people bring us meat, and we do not know whether they mentioned the name of Allah over it or not?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Mention the name of Allah and eat
سموا أنتم وكلواHere, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made lawful the slaughtered animals of these people, even though it is not known whether they mentioned the name of Allah over their slaughtered animals or not. This is because when the action of another person comes from one who is qualified to perform it, one is not asked about the manner of his action, nor about its conditions, nor about its preventers. This is because the original state is validity, unless there is evidence of invalidity. Similarly, we do not ask a Muslim, Jew, or Christian how he slaughtered his animal. Rather, we eat it and do not ask how he slaughtered it, nor do we ask whether he mentioned the name of Allah or not. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from the slaughtered animals of the Jews and did not ask them how they slaughtered them.
The principle we mentioned a moment ago is very beneficial. It is that the original state of the action of one who is qualified to perform it is validity, until there is evidence of invalidity. If we were to oblige Muslims to ask about the action of the doer whether its conditions were fulfilled and its preventers removed, we would cause much hardship for Muslims, contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions.
In summary, the slaughtered animal of one who does not pray is forbidden; eating it is not permissible, neither for those who pray nor for non-Muslims.
The questioner : This is if he is abandoning prayer. What if he is denying it?
The Shaykh : And likewise, if he is denying its obligation, then his slaughtered animal is forbidden because he is a disbeliever. Except if he is a recent convert to Islam who does not know whether prayer is obligatory or not. In that case, he is not declared a disbeliever for denying its obligation until he knows and the truth is explained to him. If he denies it after its ruling has been explained to him, he is judged according to what that denial entails.