The Slaughter of the People of the Book
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Question: We are a group in a village in Upper Egypt, and there are many butchers in this village who are of the Christian faith. We eat the meat they sell to us. Is this forbidden, O honorable Shaykh? Please inform us of the ruling.
Answer: This is not forbidden. The slaughter of the People of the Book is permissible.By the evidence of His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 5],And what is meant by "their food" here is: their slaughter.
Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has permitted us to eat from the slaughter of the People of the Book, but on the condition that they slaughter it according to the Shari'ah method. If they slaughter it by other than the Shari'ah method, such as electrocution, strangulation, or throwing it down, or the like, then their slaughter is not eaten, just as the slaughter of a Muslim is not eaten if he does these things.
So if a Muslim slaughters by other than the Shari'ah method, his slaughter is not eaten. Likewise, a person from the People of the Book is even more so; if he slaughters by other than the Shari'ah method, his slaughter is not eaten. But if he slaughters according to the Shari'ah method, then the slaughter is lawful.
Answer: This is not forbidden. The slaughter of the People of the Book is permissible.By the evidence of His saying, the Exalted:
and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them
وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَهُمْAllah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has permitted us to eat from the slaughter of the People of the Book, but on the condition that they slaughter it according to the Shari'ah method. If they slaughter it by other than the Shari'ah method, such as electrocution, strangulation, or throwing it down, or the like, then their slaughter is not eaten, just as the slaughter of a Muslim is not eaten if he does these things.
So if a Muslim slaughters by other than the Shari'ah method, his slaughter is not eaten. Likewise, a person from the People of the Book is even more so; if he slaughters by other than the Shari'ah method, his slaughter is not eaten. But if he slaughters according to the Shari'ah method, then the slaughter is lawful.