What is meant by the noble verse: "And the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you"? Is it the food they own or the food they prepared? And if the intended meaning is prepared food, then what is the ruling on eating prepared food in restaurants in Gulf countries by those who are not People of the Book or those who have no religion?

The "food of those who were given the Scripture" mentioned in the noble verse refers to their slaughtered animals, which are permissible for Muslims but not for other disbelievers, because the People of the Book adhere to the principle of prohibiting slaughter for other than God. As for the food generally prepared by disbelievers, there is no harm in consuming it if it is originally permissible, such as the slaughtered animal of a Muslim or a person from the People of the Book, and that which does not require ritual slaughter.