The Ruling on Animals Slaughtered by the Idolaters
Question :
Is it permissible to eat meats imported from countries in which the majority of inhabitants do not adhere to Islam, Christianity or Judaism, such as India, Japan, China or others?
Answer:
If the meats were imported from idolatrous or communist countries, then it is not permissible to eat them, because their slaughtered animals are forbidden. Allah has only permitted the Muslims to eat the food of the People of the Scripture and they are the Jews and Christians in the Words of Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful:
"Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibāt [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods, which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits)]. The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them."
This applies as long as the Muslim does not know that it was slaughtered in a manner contrary to the Islamic way, such as by strangling, electric shock or the like. But if he comes to know that, it is not permissible for him to eat their slaughtered animals, according to the Words of Allah, Most High:
"Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals -cattle-beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has been slaughtered for idols) 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).
Source:
Ibn Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 6 Pages 256-257
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