Is it permissible for us to eat the meat of animals slaughtered by Christians, such as sheep, cattle, and chickens, even though they do not slaughter them according to the Sharīʿah of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah? And what is the meaning of His, the Exalted’s, saying: "And do not eat from that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is an outright disobedience"?

Eating the food of the People of the Book and their slaughtered animals is permissible if slaughtered according to the Islamic method. As for what they slaughter by other than the Islamic method, or by other methods such as electrocution or strangulation, it is considered carrion, and it is not permissible to eat it, due to the Almighty’s saying: "Forbidden to you are carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine." The reason for the revelation of the Almighty’s saying: "And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned" was to clarify that what Allah has caused to die (carrion) is not to be eaten, and what a human slaughters without mentioning the name of Allah is not to be eaten. As for what the People of the Book slaughter without mentioning the name of Allah, or if its status is unknown, the majority of scholars permit it. However, what has been dedicated to other than the name of Allah is not to be eaten. It is not permissible to eat what a Muslim deliberately omits mentioning Allah’s name upon, but it is permissible to eat it if he forgets to mention the name.