Yet he also said: “Eat whatever causes the blood to flow and over which Allah’s Name has been mentioned, so long as it is not [slaughtered with] a tooth or a claw.” (1) What difference is there between this and that?

There is no difference. He made the lawfulness of a properly slaughtered animal conditional upon mentioning Allah’s Name and causing the blood to flow, just as He made hunting conditional upon releasing [the hunting animal] and mentioning Allah’s Name. Therefore, differentiating between the two is untenable. Moreover, just as an animal that is slaughtered by electric shock is carrion and unlawful to eat, even if one forgot [to mention Allah’s Name], likewise, if one forgets and does not mention Allah’s Name, it is carrion and unlawful to eat.

If it is said: Does Allah Most High not say, “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we forget or make a mistake”? [al-Baqarah 2:286]

We say: Certainly. The one who forgot to mention Allah’s Name over the slaughtered animal incurs no sin. However, whoever knowingly eats from it is sinful, because Allah says: “And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned.” [al-An‘am 6:121] Thus, He prohibited eating it. But if one eats from it out of ignorance or forgetfulness, then there is no sin upon him, due to His saying: “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we forget or make a mistake.” [al-Baqarah 2:286] This was the view chosen by Shaykh al-Islam (2), may Allah have mercy on him.

If it is said: This would result in the loss of Muslims’ property, and they may be valuable camels. Would their owner be instructed to drag them away for the dogs if he forgot to mention Allah’s Name? We say: If he forgets once and we declare it unlawful for him, he will not be able to forget thereafter.

Mentioning Allah’s Name is obligatory, as in wudu.