Ash-Shaykh Bin Baaz, rahimahullah, was asked the following question,

س: يباع هنا في بلاد الغرب لحوم مثلجة ومبردة، ولا ندري من ذبحها، ولا كيف ذبحت، فهل نأكل منها؟.

Question:

It is sold here in the western countries (some) meat which is frozen and refrigerated and we don’t know who slaughtered it nor how it was slaughtered. So can we eat from it?

ج: إذا كانت المنطقة التي فيها اللحوم المذكورة ليس فيها إلا أهل الكتاب من اليهود والنصارى، فذبيحتهم حلال، ولو لم تعلم كيف ذبحوها؛ لأن الأصل حل ذبائحهم

Answer:

If the area wherein this meat is located comprises only of the People of the Scripture, from the Jews and the Christians, then their meat is halaal even if you don’t know how they slaughtered it. (This is) since the original ruling is that their meat is halaal due to the statement of Allah azza wajall:

{الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلُّ لَّهُمْ} (سورة المائدة:5)
الآية،

“Today I have made permissible for you that which is good and wholesome and the food of those who were sent the Scripture is permissible to you and your food is permissible to them.”

[5:5]

فإن كان في المنطقة غيرهم من الكفار فلا تأكل؛ لاشتباه الحلال بالحرام، وهكذا إن علمت أن الذين يبيعون هذه اللحوم يذبحون على غير الوجه الشرعي؛ كالخنق والصعق، فلا تأكل سواء كان الذابح مسلمًا أو كافرًا ؛

And if it is in an area that consists of other than them (i.e. the People of the Scripture ) from the kuffar then do not eat it due to it being doubtful whether it is halaal or haraam. And likewise if you come to know that those who sell this meat slaughter it in a way that is not legislated such as them killing it by strangling it or shocking it then do not eat it, no matter if the slaughter was a muslim or a kaafir; due to the statement of Allah azza wajall:

{حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ} (سورة المائدة:3) الآية،

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytatah (the dead animals – cattle-beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns – and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal – unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death)”

[5:3]

وفق الله المسلمين للفقه في الدين، إنه سميع قريب.

May Allah grant the Muslims the success to obtain the understanding of the Religion; verily He (i.e. Allah) is the All-Hearer and The One who is Near

Reference: Majmoo’ul Fataawa of Bin Baaz (23/20).

Translated by

AbdulFattaah bin Uthman
Abu Fajr