(Part No. 22; Page No. 413)  Fatwa no. 18697 All Praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, and his family and Companions.The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has examined the request submitted to His Eminence the Mufty by the Executive Bureau Manager of the Supreme Authority of Fundraising for the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Somalia, through his Letter No. 7 on 18/1/1417 A.H. The letter was referred by the Committee to the Secretariat General of the Council of Senior Scholars under no. 582 on 25/1/1417 A.H. His Excellency asked the following question:The Supreme Authority of Fundraising for the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina undertakes a number of vital projects in Bosnia, including distributing Iftar meals (for breaking the Fast) and other meals. Therefore, we are in need of some meat. I would like you to give us your Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) on the following issues, may Allah reward you!Q 1: Do the Christians say a certain supplication on slaughtering animals? If yes, what is it?Q 2: How can the permissibility of eating from animals slaughtered by the Christians on which we know they did not mention the Name of Allah be deduced from the Hadith of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her)? She informed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that some people who recently (Part No. 22; Page No. 414) embraced Islam brought them meat, and it was not known whether they mention Allah's Name upon slaughtering the animals. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed her to mention Allah's Name and eat of the meat.Q 3: If mentioning Allah's Name upon slaughtering is a condition for the validity of eating animals slaughtered by the Christians, does other conditions, such as the slaughterer being of sound mind, apply as well?Q 4: the Christians slaughter animals using machines such as a sharp-edged disk or knife which automatically slaughters without any human interference. What is the ruling on an animal slaughtered in this manner?Q 5: There are Christian restaurants which serve beef and pork separately. However, the machinery used, such as the grinder, oil for frying, cutting knife and cutting table, are shared. What is the ruling on eating in such restaurants?Q 6: Some animal-derived substances that are labeled with chemical codes are added to some kinds of meat, cheese, confections, and soap. Is it permissible to eat such foods if they are derived from lawful animals slaughtered by a Christian who does not mention Allah's Name on slaughtering them?Is it permissible to use soaps made of animals unlawful to be eaten such as pigs? Is it obligatory to ensure that such products are free of such additives, or we should not (Part No. 22; Page No. 415) eat from their slaughtered animals without any investigation whatsoever?Q 7: There are some countries such as Bosnia wherein abandoning Salah (Prayer) is common among a great percentage of people. Moreover, Your Eminence informed us that it is not permissible to eat animals slaughtered by those who abandon Salah. Is it obligatory to investigate whether the slaughterer performs Salah? Or, is it permissible to eat from their slaughtered animals without investigating?Q 8: Those who slaughter cows strike them on their heads with an instrument to briefly stun them to be able to slaughter them. Is this method permissible?

After examining the Fatwa request, the Committee gave the following answer: Firstly, It is obligatory to mention Allah's Name on slaughtering, i.e. saying "Bismillah (In the Name of Allah)" on starting the slaughtering machine, be the slaughterer a Muslim or a Kitabi (Jew or Christian). In fact, mentioning the name of other than Allah when slaughtering an animal renders the slaughtered animal unlawful to be eaten. Allah (Exalted be He) says: Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals- cattle- beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering It is related on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) "that she said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), 'Some people who recently embraced Islam bring us meat. (Should we eat from it although) it is not known whether they mention the Name of Allah upon slaughtering the animal or not?' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Mention the Name of Allah and eat.'" The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained what should be done if there is doubt regarding the method of slaughtering. Muslims should (Part No. 22; Page No. 416) mention Allah's Name before eating and consider that the slaughterer had already mentioned Allah's Name on slaughtering as is the custom of Muslims.Secondly, Applied conditions for the Christians slaughtering animals are the same conditions applied to Muslims slaughtering animals. Thus, the slaughterer should be a sane person having reached the age of discretion, the slaughtering tool must be sharp enough that it cuts the pharynx and esophagus, and Allah's Name should be mentioned upon slaughtering. So, if the animal dies because of the sharp-edged disk or beating before being slaughtered, it is unlawful to be eaten. If it does not die because of the disk or beating and it is slaughtered according to Shari`ah (Islamic law), it will be lawful. However, it is not permissible to beat animals or harm them in any way.Thirdly, It is not permissible to use tools that have been used with Najis (ritually impure) animals such as dead animals, swine and the like. Rather, they should be purified before usage. Furthermore, it is not permissible to eat foods with which such unpurified tools were used. This is based on the Hadith narrated on the authority of Tha`labah (may Allah be pleased with him) who asked the Prophet (peace be upon him), "'We live with the People of the Book, can we eat food (cooked) in their utensils?' He said, 'Do not (eat in their utensils), unless you do not find other (than theirs), then wash them and eat in them.'" Fourthly, The basic ruling is the permissibility of eating from the animals slaughtered by upright Muslims. Thus, it is not obligatory to investigate the slaughtered animal or the religious status of the slaughterer since they are a Muslim. (Part No. 22; Page No. 417) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.