Fatwa No : 3057
Partaking in the Food of the People of the Book

Partaking in the Food of the People of the Book

Respected Sir, I want to ask a question about Halal Edibles. Here in Germany when we go on inivitation at some Dinner or Lunch by a non muslims then we find dishes made of chicken and beef and mutton also alongwith pork. I mean every flesh is in a different pot. I want to ask that can I eat that chicken, mutton and beaf just by saying Bismillah? or it is also haram for me because it is not cut by the standard method as cut by us muslims or as directed in Islam like saying Takbeer and cut only the throad not spinal chord so that maximum blood get out of the body.
I consulted that with one of my indonesian friend and he refered me a Hadith from Bukhari and he told me that you can eat that beef, chicken and mutton by just saying bismillah. I also want to clear that halal meat is available in stores here in germany but when I am inivited by non muslims then he might feel bad about me when I only eat vegetables or nothing when vegetables are not there.
I request you to guide me according to Quran and Hadith

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
In order for the slaughter to be valid, it is necessary that the slaughterer be Muslim or of the People of the Book (Jew or Christian), and that he cuts at least three veins in the neck of the animal saying the name of Allah. Therefore, if the questioner attends a function hosted by someone of the People of the Book, and he (i.e. the host) slaughters the animal as per the said Islamic standard, then it would be permissible for a Muslim to partake in the meat of the slaughtered animal. However, it would not be permissible to consume the meat if the animal was slaughtered by a disbeliever other than of the People of the Book. Nonetheless, one should refrain from attending functions hosted by non-Muslims since the Sharia has prohibited having intimate connection with them, as declared by Allah, the Almighty.
As for the mentioned narration of Bukhari Shareef, it is concerning the newly converted Muslims in the beginning period of Islam, and not about the slaughter of the disbelievers. Furthermore, this instruction was only given to them to prevent doubt from entering their hearts, whereas the ruling according the light of Qur'an and Sunnah is as mentioned above.