Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- The general consensus is that it is permissible to eat the meat of the People of the Book (Ahlul-Kitab), Jews and Christians, if the name of Allah is mentioned at the time of slaughter.
2- If the person mentioned a name other than that of Allah while slaughtering, such as the name of Jesus, then it is not permissible to eat from such meat.
Responding to your question, Dr. Muhammad Salah, Professor of Usul Al-Fiqh, Shari`ah Academy, stated:
The general consensus is that it is permissible to eat the meat of the People of the Book (Ahlul-Kitab), Jews and Christians, if the name of Allah is mentioned at the time of slaughter.
Allah says, “…eat of that on which Allah’s name has been mentioned if you are believers in His communications.” (Al-An`am 6:118)
Allah also says, “And do not eat of that on which Allah’s name has not been mentioned, and that is most surely a transgression.” (Al-An`am 6:121)
If the person mentioned a name other than that of Allah while slaughtering, such as the name of Jesus, then it is not permissible to eat from such meat.
Allah says, “He has only forbidden you what dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that over which any other (name) than (that of) Allah has been invoked.” (Al-Baqarah 2:173)
Also, if it is known in this country that they kill the animals (such as by shooting, suffocating, or strangling them) not slaughter them, then it is forbidden to eat such meat.
But if they are among the People of the Book and they slaughter their animals then it is lawful for Muslims to eat that meat.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.