said, “Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake”? [Surah al-Baqarah: 286] We reply: Indeed, Allah has said this, but there are two actions here:

The first is the action of the one performing the slaughter.

The second is the action of the one eating.

Each is distinct from the other, and the ruling of one does not apply to the other. That is why, when the Prophet ﷺ was asked about people who had only recently left disbelief and who brought meat, while it was not known whether they had mentioned Allah’s name over it or not, he said: “Mention Allah’s name yourselves and eat.” (1) This is because a person is required to ensure the correctness of his own action, not that of someone else. When an act is performed by one qualified to perform it, the basic presumption is that it is sound and valid.

Thus, we say: Do not eat from that over which Allah’s name has not been mentioned. But if we eat from it forgetfully or out of ignorance, there is no blame upon us, due to Allah’s saying:

“Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 286]

However, if we know that Allah’s name was not mentioned over this slaughtered animal, then it is not permissible to eat it.

As for the action of the one performing the slaughter: if he forgets to mention Allah’s name, Allah has said:

“Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 286]

If someone says: “How can you hold him to account when he forgot?!” We say: We do not hold him to account. We say to him: There is no sin upon you for failing to mention Allah’s name. Had you deliberately omitted mentioning Allah’s name, you would have been sinful because that entails wasting and spoiling property. But now there is nothing upon you, because you forgot. This is made clear by an exactly analogous example: