All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

In principle, foods and drinks are lawful unless specifically forbidden for us through evidence from the Quran or Sunnah. It is the duty of every Muslim to know what is lawful to eat and drink and what isn`t. This is in order not to eat or drink what is unlawful nor serve it to others. Allah the Almighty says {What means}: " Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than God’s". But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- thy Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." {Al-An`am, 145}.

As for animals, they are lawful to eat if slaughtered in Islamic form and are permissible to eat in the first place. If not slaughtered in Islamic form then they are forbidden and considered dead meat. It is stated in Al-Iqna` Fi Masa`il Al-Ijmaa`, V.1:P.319 "According to scholarly consensus and evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah, it is forbidden to eat from the beast of cattle unless slaughtered in Islamic form." Moreover, it is stated in the Shafie book Moghni Al-Mohtaaj, V.1:P.319: "It is forbidden to eat the meat of the animal which isn`t slaughtered in Islamic form. This is because Allah the Almighty says {What means}: " Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." {Al-Mai`da, 3}.

An animal whose meat is lawful to eat must be slaughtered in Islamic form. It is stated in the Shafie book Asna Al-Matalib, V.1:P.552: "It is lawful to eat the meat of the wild animal which can be killed through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe."

However, it is permissible for a Muslim to eat the meat of the animal slaughtered by the Jews and Christians (The people of the book) in Islamic form. The evidence on this is that Allah the Almighty says {What means}: " This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them." {Al-Mai`da, 5}. A Muslim who lives in a non-Muslim country and doesn`t know whether the animals are slaughtered in Islamic form or not should investigate the method of slaughter. If he doubted that an animal wasn`t slaughtered in Islamic form, then its meat is unlawful to eat. The Shafie scholar Al-Zarkhashi stated: "Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali and others said: "Doubt is of three types: doubt regarding a matter which is unlawful in principle, such as a sheep slaughtered in a country whose population is half Muslim and half Magi. Its meat is unlawful for the Muslims to eat because there is 50% chance that the animal wasn`t slaughtered in the Islamic form." {Al-Manthoor Fi Al-Qhawa`id Al-Fiqhiya, V.2:P.287}.

Nevertheless, Maliki scholars stated that it is acceptable to ask the people of the book about the method of slaughtering and if they said it was done according to Islamic Sharia then it is lawful to eat from that meat. The Maliki scholar Al-Qharaafi stated: "Ibn Al-Qhassar said: "Malik said: "The word of the butcher, male or female, Muslim or not, is acceptable because it isn`t a narration or a testimony. Rather, the Sharia maxim, in this regard, says that every person is entrusted with what they claim."

In conclusion, it is lawful for a Muslim to eat from the meat of the animal slaughtered by the People of the Book in Islamic form. Nowadays, it suffices that the product holds the tag "Halal." This view is based on the view of the Maliki Madhab. However, if it was hard to tell whether an animal was slaughtered in Islamic form or not, then its meat is unlawful for the Muslim to eat." And Allah the Almighty knows best.