Their Festival Sacrifices and the Various Kinds of Animals Slaughtered by the People of the Book

Concerning the animals that the People of the Book slaughter for their festivals, or by which they seek closeness to anyone other than God—just as Muslims offer their sacrificial animals and gifts in order to draw near to God—such as what they slaughter for Christ or for Venus, two reports are related from Imam Ahmad. The better-known of the two, stated explicitly in his works, is that eating such meat is not permissible, even when no name other than God’s is pronounced over it. He transmitted this prohibition from Aishah and Abdullah ibn Umar.

Al-Maymuni said: “I asked Abu Abd Allah about the animals slaughtered by the People of the Book.” He replied, “If it is something they slaughter for their churches, they deliberately omit the divine name; they are slaughtering it for Christ.”

He also reported that he asked Abu Abd Allah about a member of the People of the Book who slaughtered an animal without mentioning God’s name. Abu Abd Allah answered, “If it is of what they slaughter for their churches….” Ibn Umar remarked that in such cases they intentionally leave off the invocation, for they are slaughtering it for Christ, and he himself disliked it. Abu al-Darda, however, understood the relevant verse to mean that their food is lawful. Most of what I have observed from him was mere disapproval of eating what they slaughter for their churches.

He further said: “I asked Abu Abd Allah about an animal slaughtered by a woman from the People of the Book when she failed to pronounce the divine name.” He replied, “If she simply forgot, there is no harm; but if it is among what they slaughter for their churches, then they are likely omitting the invocation deliberately.”

Al-Marwazi reported: “The verse ‘and whatever has been slaughtered on altars’ (al-Ma’idah 5:3) was recited in the presence of Abu Abd Allah. He said, ‘[Altars] means idols,’ and added, ‘Anything slaughtered upon idols is unlawful to eat.’”