Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving
If the meat they serve in the restaurants is coming from those who call themselves Christians or Jews, you may eat it saying bismillah even if it is not slaughtered according to the strict rules of Islam. Allah says, “Today I have permitted for you all good things, and the food of the people of the book is lawful for you..”
According to Ibn Abbas, here the food refers to the meat they slaughter.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked about meat coming to them from suburbs and they had no idea whether they mentioned the name of Allah while slaughtering, he replied, “you mention the name of Allah while eating it.”
Therefore, the majority of scholars hold the view that we are allowed to eat the meat of the People of the Book (as long as it does not belong to the forbidden category such as pork and it’s by-products).
Having said this, I should also caution to avoid it if you have a clear choice of going for meat that is slaughtered by Muslims.
Almighty Allah knows best.
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