Can I Eat Meat Killed by Non-Muslims?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
My wife’s parents own a cattle farm and they had to make an emergency kill of one of the cows. The cow is first shot in the head for instant death and then the jugular is cut and the blood is drained. However, since the in-laws are not Muslim, Allahu Akbar has not been mentioned.
Is it permissible to eat this meat if they are giving it to us for a cheap price?
Answer
I pray you are well.
Meat Killed by Non-Muslims
No, it is not permissible to eat the meat of this particular cow. In order for the meat of permissible animals killed by non-Muslims, it must have been
- slaughtered with a knife in a Shari’a compliant way,
- by Jew or a Christian,
- with only the name of God being mentioned.
Shooting a domesticated animal in the head renders it impermissible to eat.
(Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al Muhtar)
Eat halal meat with gratitude and you’ll benefit a lot more in your din, dunya, and Akhira than you will from the money you save purchasing the beef. “Indeed, Allah is well pleased with a servant when he eats some food or drinks something and thank Him for it.” (Bukhari)
May Allah bless you with the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital. He was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.
