QUESTIONS&ANSWERSCONCERNINGTHEMEATOFTHE AHLULKITAAB(THEPEOPLEOFTHEBOOK)

AnsweredByImaamMuhammadIbnSaalihalUthaymeen[d.1421H]
CompiledandtranslatedbyTROIDPublications1 www.troid.org

DatePublished:December2nd2004

[Q1]:Isitpermissibletoeatpoultrywhichissoldinthemarketsonthebasisthat itismeatofthePeopleoftheBook...orisitimpermissibleonthebasisthatitisa carcassslaughteredbyunknownmeans(i.e.itwasitdonebycuttingoffthehead or electrocution or some such means.) and are the ahlulkitaab today truly to be consideredinthisruling[asthoseofthepast]? [A1]:Yes,eatingthepoultryispermissiblebecausethatwhichisslaughteredby theahlulkitaabtodayisjustaswhatwasslaughteredbyahlulkitaabinthetime oftheProphet(sallallaahualayhiwasallam). Theahlulkitaabareofthekuffaar(disbelievers)whethertheyareinthetimeofthe Prophet(sallallaahualayhiwasallam)ornow.AllaahsaysinHisNobleBook, Surely,theyhavedisbelievedwhosay:AllaahistheMessiah[Iesa(Jesus)], sonofMaryam(Mary).ButtheMessiah[Iesa(Jesus)]said:OChildrenof Israel!WorshipAllaah,myLordandyourLord.Verily,whosoeversetsup

OriginallypublishedintheJuly/August2001editionofalFurqaannewsletter,distributedin Toronto,CanadabyTheReignofIslaamicDawah.
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS CONCERNING THE MEAT OF THE AHLUL-KITAAB (PEOPLE OF THE BOOK) Answered by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen [d. 1421H] www.troid.org

partnersinworshipwithAllaah,thenAllaahhasforbiddenParadiseforhim, andtheFirewillbehisabode.AndfortheDhaalimoon(polytheistsand wrongdoers)therearenohelpers. Surely,disbelieversarethosewhosaid:Allaahisthethirdofthethree(ina Trinity).Butthereisnoilah(god)(nonewhohastherighttobeworshipped) butOneIlah(GodAllah).Andiftheyceasenotfromwhattheysay,verily,a painfultormentwillbefallthedisbelieversamongthem. [SooratulMaidah,5:7273] Allaahalsosaysinthesamechapter: MadelawfultoyouthisdayareAtTayyibaat[allkindsofHalaal(lawful) foods,whichAllaahhasmadelawful(meatofslaughteredeatableanimals,etc., milkproducts,fats,vegetablesandfruits,etc.).Thefood(slaughteredcattle, eatableanimals,etc.)ofthepeopleoftheScripture(JewsandChristians)is lawfultoyouandyoursislawfultothem.(Lawfultoyouinmarriage)arechaste womenfromthebelieversandchastewomenfromthosewhoweregiventhe Scripture(JewsandChristians)beforeyourtime,whenyouhavegiventheirdue Mahr(bridalmoneygivenbythehusbandtohiswifeatthetimeofmarriage), desiringchastity(i.e.takingtheminlegalwedlock)notcommittingillegalsexual intercourse,nortakingthemasgirlfriends.Andwhosoeverdisbelievesinthe OnenessofAllaahandinalltheotherArticlesofFaith[i.e.His(Allaahs), Angels,HisHolyBooks,HisMessengers,theDayofResurrectionandAlQadar (DivinePreordainments)],thenfruitlessishiswork,andintheHereafterhe willbeamongthelosers.[SooratulMaidah,5:5] As far as the methodology of the slaughtering, we do not inquire about the methodbecauseifanactionhasoccurredminahlihi[atthehandsofthosesuited toperformsuchanact]theconditionssurroundingthatactarenotaskedabout. Wefindinsaheehulbukhaaree:ItisrelatedbyAaishah(radiyallaahuanhu)that agroupofpeoplesaidtotheProphet(sallallaahualayhiwasallam)Somepeople came to us with some meat about which we didnt know whether the name of

Section: Fataawaa: Comprehensive Issues

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS CONCERNING THE MEAT OF THE AHLUL-KITAAB (PEOPLE OF THE BOOK) Answered by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen [d. 1421H] www.troid.org

Allah was mentioned over or not and he (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied sammoo[SaythenameofAllaah]overityourselvesandtheneat.She[Aaishah] said that these people had just recently been from the kuffaar [i.e. just became Muslimandthequestionwasnotaskedastothemethodofslaughter]. ThisrulethereforeappliestotheJewsandtheChristiansaboutwhomwedont know whether or not they have mentioned Allaahs name or not because their slaughteredmeatishalaal[permissible]tous. [Q2]: Please clarify the fatwaa (ruling) esteemed Shaykh If a Muslim goes to themarketsandeatingplacesinaChristianlandandpurchasesthelamb,beefor chickenanddoesnotaskabouthowitwasslaughtered? [A2]:Yes,hedoesnotaskaboutthemethodofslaughter. [Q3]:Whatifheisinformedhowever,thatthemeathasbeenstunnedbyelectric shock,orhasbeenchokedorshot?Whatistherulingformeatslaughteredlike this?Isitconsideredacarcass?[Whichisimpermissibletoeat] [A3]: It is not permissible if it is known with certainty because it would be consideredacarcass. [Q4]:CanweunderstandfromthehadeethofAaishah(radiyallaahuanha)which is related in the fatwaa that the question which was posed by the people to the MessengerofAllaah(sallallaahualayhiwasallam)wasonlyinrelationtowhether Allahs name was mentioned over the animal being slaughtered and it was not abouttheactualmethodofslaughter? [A4]:Yes,theydidaskaboutthementioningofthenameofAllaahandnotthe actual method of slaughtering and it is evident in the hadeeth that it is not necessarytoaskabouteither. [Q5]:IsitpossibletosaythatiftherearestoresinacitywheretheMuslimlives andthosestorescarrymeatslaughteredaccordingtotheIslaamicmethodeven

Section: Fataawaa: Comprehensive Issues

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS CONCERNING THE MEAT OF THE AHLUL-KITAAB (PEOPLE OF THE BOOK) Answered by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen [d. 1421H] www.troid.org

if it is more expensive that it is not then permissible to buy the meat of the Christians? [A5]: No it is not possible to say that because the slaughtered meat of the ChristiansandtheJewsishalaal.However,whoeverleavesit[doesnteatit]out ofasenseofpiety[tawaran2],weseenofaultuponhim. [Q6]: One of the readers asks about a relation from Alee Ibn Abee Taalib (radiyallaahuanhu)inwhichhereportedlysaid:Donoteatthemeatslaughtered by Banu Taglab because they adhere to Christianity by drinking alcohol. Can thisbethenusedasaproofconsideringtheChristiansoftoday,themajorityof whomdrinkalcohol,thatitisnotpermissibletoeattheirslaughteredmeat? [A6]:Idonotknowtheauthenticityofthisstatement[fromtheSahabah]andifit isauthenticitsmeaningwouldbethatthey[BanuTaglab]werenotactuallyon thereligionoftheChristiansandthereforetheywouldnotfallundertheruling ofpermissibilityoftheirslaughteredmeat. [Q7]: If it is known that some of the slaughterhouses in this country slaughter sheep and cattle along with swine, is it permissible to eat that meat especially whenthesameinstrumentsareusedtoslaughterbothatthesametime? [A7]: In this case, if we know that the knives are used for both then the meat shouldbewashedanditwillbepurifiedthroughwashing. [Q8]:IsitpossibleesteemedShaykhforyoutoaddressuswithawordtothe MuslimsintheWesterncountriesabouttheobligationofstayingfarawayfrom disobedience[toAllahandHisProphet(sallallaahualayhiwasallam)]andharaam things and doubtful matters because we are aware of some of them being negligent in relation to some major sins such as not praying or illicit sex or drinking alcohol yet he is distressed or makes complicated the eating of meat whichisnotslaughteredaccordingtoIslamicmethod?
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Tawara or wara is when a person has such piety that he will avoid even that which is permissibletodoforwhatisevenbetterfromwantingtopleaseAllaahandalsoeliminatingany possibilityofdoingsomethingwrong.

Section: Fataawaa: Comprehensive Issues

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS CONCERNING THE MEAT OF THE AHLUL-KITAAB (PEOPLE OF THE BOOK) Answered by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen [d. 1421H] www.troid.org

[A8]:MyadvicetothemistohavetaqwaaandtofearAllahspunishmentandto remember the Day of Meeting, a day which the excuses of those who wrong themselves will be of no avail. A day when the parent will not afford their offspringanythingnorcantheoffspringdoanythingfortheparent.Adaywhen theywillallberaisedfromtheirgravesbarefoot,andnaked.WeaskAllahforall guidanceandsuccess. MuhammadSaalihAlUthaymeen(rahimahullaah)2/28/1414(17/08/93)

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Section: Fataawaa: Comprehensive Issues