Q. I live in a small town in the US where halal meat is scarce. I read in the Qur’an that the food of the People of the Book is permissible, but I also read that we must not eat of any meat on which the name of God has not been invoked at the time of slaughter. Could you tell me in which circumstances the meat of the People of the Book is permissible to eat?
M.R. Azl
A. The People of the Book are the followers of divine religions that preceded Islam. They are mainly the Christians and the Jews. The permission to eat of their food, including the meat of animals they slaughter is generally unrestricted by any factor other than that it must be the meat of animals that are permissible in Islam. In other words, we cannot eat what is forbidden for us in our faith, such as pork.
This permission is a concession, which means that it is given as a gift over and above what is normally permissible. In other words, this permission is an act of kindness granted by God to make things easier and more comfortable for us. By definition, a concession implies a relaxation of restrictions that otherwise apply. In this respect, it means that what the People of the Book consider to be permissible in their faith is allowed for us to eat, unless it is specifically forbidden in our faith. This waives the requirement of mentioning God’s name at the time of slaughter. Some of his companions said to the Prophet: “We are given meat and we do not know whether God’s name has been invoked at the time of slaughter.” The Prophet told them: “Mention God’s name and eat of it.”
From another point of view, it is a general Islamic rule that when things become too restricted, a relaxation comes into operation. Since you are in a small town and you cannot easily get the type of meat that is preferable in Islam, you may benefit by this concession and eat of the meat offered in ordinary restaurants and shops, always remembering to mention God’s name at the beginning of your meals.
