The Ruling on Eating the Slaughter of the People of the Book

This is a question from the listener Muhammad Abdullah from Iraq. He says: We know that Allah mentioned in His Noble Book: [Al-Ma'idah: 5]. However, there is a verse that mentions that the People of the Book have disbelieved, and this verse is at the beginning of Surat Muhammad: [Muhammad: 1-2]. He says: So the Jews did not believe in Muhammad, and this is not all; rather, they disbelieved in the Lord of the Worlds when they said: "The hand of Allah is closed," whereupon Allah cursed them. As for the Christians, they disbelieved when they said: "Allah is the third of three": [Al-Ma'idah: 73]. And another verse: [Al-Ma'idah: 17]. So they disbelieved in Allah from the beginning, and then they did not believe in the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So what should we do when slaughtered meats are sent to us, whether from European or socialist countries, and most of them slaughter these animals by means of electric shock, as explained by one of the magazines published in some Islamic countries? And would a person be sinful if he ate from these meats, or should he leave the doubt and rely on the Noble Verse: [Al-Ma'idah: 5]?
Answer: The People of the Book are the Jews and the Christians. The One who permitted their food is the One who said about them the verses you mentioned regarding their disbelief. The disbelief of the Jews is their saying: "The hand of Allah is closed," their saying: [Al-Imran: 181]. Similarly, He declared the Christians disbelievers in His saying, Exalted is He: [Al-Ma'idah: 17], and He declared them disbelievers by their saying: [Al-Ma'idah: 73]. So He, Exalted is He, declared them disbelievers and made clear their misguidance. And yet, He permitted their food for us. They are disbelievers, those who associate partners with Allah, wrongdoers, and corrupters. But Allah, Exalted is He, was kind to us and permitted their food for us as a favor and kindness from Him. Their food is their slaughter, as Ibn Abbas and others said. So if we know that these slaughters are from the slaughter of the People of the Book, they are lawful for us, whether they are from Europe or from America or from elsewhere.
So the conclusion is that the food of the People of the Book, who are the Jews and the Christians, whether they are dhimmis (protected non-Muslims) or those at war with us, is lawful for us by the text of the Qur'an, except if we know that this specific slaughter was dedicated to other than Allah, or that they slaughtered it for their gods. If we know that, it is forbidden for us. And likewise, if we know that they slaughtered it by strangling or by electric shock, with certainty that this specific slaughter that came in this box or in this container was done so, if we know this, it is forbidden for us. Otherwise, the original ruling is that it is lawful, and we must accept the dispensation of Allah, Exalted is He.
As for what concerns some companies, it is not upon us to follow that. If we know that this slaughter was dedicated to other than Allah or slaughtered in a manner contrary to the Shari'ah of Allah, we leave it. Otherwise, the original ruling is that their slaughter is lawful for us by the text of the Noble Qur'an, and they are disbelievers despite this. But Allah, Exalted is He, excepted their slaughter from the prohibition, unlike others.
As for the polytheists from the Majus (Zoroastrians) and so on, and the communists, all their slaughter is forbidden. Like the Majus, the Buddhists, and the rest of the disbelievers from the communists and others, all their slaughter is forbidden. So what is slaughtered in Bulgaria or the People's Republic of China or similar communist countries is not lawful for us, except if we know that a Muslim or a Person of the Book handled it. If it is in the lands of the communists, if a Person of the Book or a Muslim handled it, that slaughter becomes lawful. Otherwise, the original ruling is that what comes from the communist countries, from Bulgaria or Romania or the People's Republic of China or elsewhere, we leave it; it is not lawful for us and we do not use it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.