Fatwa ID: 05558

Answered by: Maulana Burhaan Rahman

Question:

AsaalaamalaikumI have a question regarding eating a pasty which has meat inside, it says halal but made by non-Muslims, am I allowed to eat it?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

From the way asked the question, there are two answers that can be given from two different scenarios:

First is that the Halal meat was slaughtered by a Muslim in the right way (e.g. meat ordered from HMC company) and the non-Muslim is just assembling it in the pasty. This is Halal for you to eat as Allah SWT mentions in the Qur’an;

وَلَا تَاۡكُلُوۡا مِمَّا لَمۡ يُذۡكَرِ اسۡمُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡهِ وَاِنَّهٗ لَفِسۡقٌ

“Do not eat of (the animal) over which the name of Allah has not been pronounced (at the time of its slaughtering), for that is a transgression”

On the other hand, if it’s a Non-Muslim slaughtering the meat, then there are two conditions that, must be adhered to and we find this in the Qur’an;

• The first condition is that they must be from the people of the book (Jews and Christians);

اَلۡيَوۡمَ اُحِلَّ لَـكُمُ الطَّيِّبٰتُ​ ؕ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِيۡنَ اُوۡتُوۡا الۡكِتٰبَ حِلٌّ لَّـکُم وطَعَامُکُمحِلٌّلَّـهم

“Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibaat (all kinds of Halal foods, which Allah has made lawful such as meat, fruits vegetables. 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”. [Surah Ma’idah verse 5]

• The second condition is that it must be slaughtered in the correct manner (cutting the throat and oesophagus and letting the blood flow, not by strangling, electrocuting etc.) and by mentioning Allah’s name

In كتاب البناية شرح الهداية it mentions

“أن المقصود من قطع الودجين إنهار الدم”

“(Slaughtering the Animal) must consist of cutting the throat and oesophagus and letting the blood flow”. [Volume 11 page 56 in Zabaa’ih]

Allah mentions in the Qur’an

حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ الۡمَيۡتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحۡمُ الۡخِنۡزِيۡرِ وَمَاۤ اُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ اللّٰهِ بِهوَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ

“Forbidden to you are dead animals, blood, and the flesh of swine (pig), the animal slaughtered in any name other than Allah’s name and (those animals) killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall”. [Surah Ma’idah verse 3]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Burhaan Rahman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham