Question: In all countries, is it permissible to eat food that contains meat?
ANSWER
The meat of edible animals slaughtered by Muslims and also by Christians and Jews who are not mushrikeen (polytheists) can be eaten. The meat slaughtered by atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, and followers of other false religions is not edible. However, the meat slaughtered by Christians and Jews who are polytheists is not edible, but it is not necessary to inquire whether the Christian or the Jew slaughtering it is a polytheist or not. The meat slaughtered by a person that is known as a Jew or Christian may be eaten. The meat slaughtered by one who is in fact a renegade (murtad) but claims to be a Muslim is not edible. However, as it is not necessary to inquire about it, it is permissible, that is, makruh tanzihi, to eat meat sold in stores.

Question: Is an animal considered carrion if it is slaughtered without the mention of the name of Allah?
ANSWER
Yes, it is considered carrion. The Qur’an al-karim says (what means):

(It is haram to eat carrion, flowing blood, pork, which is so filthy, animals on which the name of someone other than that of Allah has been invoked when slaughtered.) [Al-An’am 145]

It is stated in a hadith-i sharif:
(Eat that which you hunt with an arrow you shot uttering the Basmala. Similarly, if you set off a trained retriever having recited the Basmala, eat it. If it is an untrained dog, eat it on condition that you catch up with it and slaughter it.) [Muslim]

If one does not say the Basmala deliberately, the animal is considered carrion. However, if one forgets to say it, then there is nothing wrong with it. In the Shafi’i Madhhab, it is permissible to eat the animal over which the Basmala was not uttered when it was slaughtered. In the Maliki Madhhab, it is not edible even when the Basmala was forgotten.

It is stated in hadith-i sharifs:
(If the Basmala is forgotten when an animal is being slaughtered, it suffices to say the Basmala when one eats it.) [Bayhaqi]

(When you slaughter an animal, say the Basmala and the takbir.) [Say Bismillahi Allahu akbar.] [Tabarani]

The animal is edible when it is slaughtered by a Muslim or an Ahl al-Kitab disbeliever by uttering the name of Allah or any of His attributes in any language. If it is not uttered, then the animal is considered carrion. (Hindiyya)

Question: It is stated in the Qur’an al-karim that the animal slaughtered by Ahl al-Kitab is edible. Are today’s Christians counted as Ahl al-Kitab?
ANSWER
The Trinity is the basic principle of the religion of today’s Christians. That is, if a Christian holds the belief “Jesus Christ is a god or the son of the God. The eternal only one God loves him much. As He creates whatever Jesus Christ wants, we ask him for everything. We implore him and our idols that represent him with this intention. The God and the Son means a person loved much,” he or she is considered Ahl al-Kitab. The animal slaughtered by such a person is edible. When slaughtering an animal, if he or she utters “Jesus Christ” or “one of three gods”, then the animal is inedible. If he or she believes in this doctrine but does not say it when slaughtering the animal, then the animal is still edible.

It is kufr and shirk to revere a picture, sculpture, or the cross with the thought that it has divine qualities, e.g., claiming that it or the person it represents is capable of creating whatever it wants or giving healing to an ill person. His or her respecting becomes worshipping. Of the Christians, those who revere pictures of girls and boys or statues believing that Jesus is the son of Allah and angels are His daughters are polytheists. Adherents of Barnabas sect and Arians are not polytheists, but Ahl al-Kitab, as they do not hold such a belief.

A disbeliever who believes in a (past) prophet and his holy book, which was interpolated afterwards, is considered Ahl al-Kitab even if he/she says that his prophet is a god or son of God or entreats idols because words such as god, lord, father are used also in meanings such as helper, one who causes creation, or one who is loved very much. If one mentions Jesus with these names in these meanings, one is not called a polytheist. In this case, one’s calling him “one of the three gods” or “god” is metaphorical, not literal. Those Christians who believe that Jesus is eternal and creates everything from nothing are not Ahl al-Kitab. The animals slaughtered by them are not edible. Because they love Jesus very much, those Christians who entreat idols or icons so that they intercede for the creation of their wishes are Ahl al-Kitab. However, all Ahl al-Kitab are disbelievers (kafir). (Hindiyya)

Question: Is an animal edible if it is slaughtered by an irreligious person?
ANSWER
It is inedible.

When one buys meat from a Muslim butcher, if it is not known how it was slaughtered, it is permissible to eat it if there is a possibility that it may be halal [that is, if the Muslim and irreligious slaughterers are mixed]. (Mizan-ul-Kubra, Hadiqa, Bariqa, Mezahib-i Erbea, Hayat-ul-Haywan)

Question: Is a land animal edible if it is slaughtered by stabbing, by hitting over the forehead, by strangling, by applying medicine, or by electrocution?
ANSWER
No, it is inedible and considered carrion. It is haram to eat it.

Question: Is it permissible to eat the meat of a fleeing sheep, cow, or chicken if it is shot?
ANSWER
No, it is not permissible because sheep, cows, or chickens are not game animals. When they are shot, it is necessary to slaughter them before they die. They are not edible if not slaughtered. (Badayi)

Question: Is there anything wrong with exposing an animal to electric shocks before it is slaughtered?
ANSWER
Exposing an animal to electric shocks is not appropriate, but eating it is not haram if it is properly slaughtered. It is edible if slaughtered before it dies. There is nothing wrong with giving electric shocks to it in terms of edibility.

Question: Is an animal edible if its trachea and jugular vein are not cut but its some other vein is cut and a little blood flows from it?
ANSWER
It is edible.

Question: A car crashed onto our sacrificial sheep. Blood flowed, and then it died. Is it edible?
ANSWER
It is inedible. It would be edible now if it had been slaughtered before death.

Question: The partridge at which I shot a bullet fell in front of me with a wound. As I did not have a knife, I pulled its head off. Is it permissible to eat it?
ANSWER
If blood flows after the bullet, it is permissible to eat it.

Question: In Switzerland, animals are slaughtered after they are stunned. Is it permissible to eat them?
ANSWER
Yes, it is permissible.

Question: Is it permissible to eat an animal which has been slaughtered by cutting from the nape of the neck, which is haram?
ANSWER
It is permissible.

Question: Are women allowed to slaughter an animal?
ANSWER
Yes, they are allowed to slaughter an animal. There is nothing wrong with it. As slaughtering an animal necessitates physical strength, women cannot slaughter cattle, but they can slaughter chickens or geese easily.

Question: Is an animal edible when it is slaughtered out of respect and gratitude uttering the Basmala over it when VIPs visit a locality?
ANSWER
It is not permissible to slaughter an animal out of joy, respect, or gratitude when a traveler or VIPs come. As a way out, one may make a vow (nazr) when the traveler comes or before he/she comes. Then the animal is slaughtered as a vow and for Allahu ta’ala. The meat must be eaten by the poor. It is not permissible for the rich to eat it. (Se’adet-i Ebediyye)

In reference to your question, the meat of the animal is not haram as it has been slaughtered by uttering the name of Allah. The animal is inedible when the animal is slaughtered by uttering the name of the traveler or the name of Isa ‘alaihis-salam or the name of Muhammad ‘alaihis-salam. A Qur’anic verse says (what means):

(It is haram to eat the meat of an animal slaughtered by invoking on it the name of someone other than Allah.) [Al-An’am 145]

In the first example, the animal is slaughtered with the mention of the name of Allah. However, the intention is not pure. It is slaughtered out of respect for the traveler. On the other hand, in the second example, the meat is inedible as it is slaughtered by uttering anyone other than Allah, even if the intention may be pure.

Question: Is it permissible to eat a sheep attacked by a wolf if it is slaughtered when it is about to die?
ANSWER
Yes, it is edible if it is slaughtered by the throat invoking the Basmala on it. (Hindiyya)

Question: Is it permissible to eat the tail broken off by a wolf from a ram?
ANSWER
It is not permissible because it is stated in a hadith-i sharif:
(The meat broken off from a live animal is carrion.) (Hindiyya)

If the wolf kills the ram, then it is carrion and inedible. If it is slaughtered by the throat before it dies, then it is edible.