Short answer
In principle, yes: the Quran makes the food of the People of the Book lawful. In the Hanafi school this holds when a believing Jew or Christian cuts the throat and says Allah's name. Deobandi institutions hold that ordinary supermarket meat in the West does not meet these conditions and is not halal. Some contemporary scholars are more lenient.
Meat slaughtered by a Jew or Christian is halal when he believes in his religion, cuts the throat correctly and mentions Allah's name without associating another, such as Jesus. Mainstream Deobandi fatwas hold that commercial Western meat is not halal, because of machine slaughter, deaths from stunning, no tasmiyah, and slaughterers who are often not religious Christians or Jews.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Since the tasmiyah is a sunnah, a Kitabi's slaughter is halal even if he did not say Allah's name, as long as he cut the throat. Some contemporary scholars use this to allow ordinary Western meat, while many others still reject machine and stun-killed meat.
- Maliki
- A Kitabi's slaughter is halal, but eating what they slaughter for their churches or festivals is disliked, and the animal must be killed by a cut, not by a blow or strangling.
Explanation
The Quran says the food of those given the Scripture is lawful for Muslims, and the early scholars explained that this means their slaughtered animals. So the slaughter of a Jew or Christian is not like that of an idol worshipper or atheist, whose slaughter is never halal.
In the Hanafi school the permission has conditions. The slaughterer must actually believe in his religion: a person with a Christian name who does not believe in God is not a Kitabi for this ruling. He must slaughter by cutting the throat, not by shooting, strangling or a blow. And he must not leave out Allah's name on purpose or say another name, such as Jesus, over the animal.
This is why the Deobandi institutions, including Darul Uloom Karachi, hold that ordinary supermarket meat in the US, UK and Europe is not halal. Most is slaughtered by machine or by workers of any belief, many animals are stunned and some die from it, and nobody says Allah's name. The verse sets the rule; it does not make meat halal that was never slaughtered by the rule.
The hadith of Aisha, where the Prophet ﷺ told people to say bismillah and eat meat whose slaughter was unknown, concerned Muslims new to Islam, whose slaughter was presumed valid. Hanafi scholars do not read it as a licence for meat from unknown sources. In practice, buy from a supplier you trust. See also kosher meat.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:5
ٱلْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُ ۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ حِلٌّۭ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّۭ لَّهُمْ ۖ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخْدَانٍۢ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُۥ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ ﴿٥﴾
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers. And whoever denies the faith - his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
The basis for the permission to eat the slaughter of Jews and Christians.
Quran, Surah Al-An'aam 6:121
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَفِسْقٌۭ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَوْلِيَآئِهِمْ لِيُجَٰدِلُوكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ ﴿١٢١﴾
And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is grave disobedience. And indeed do the devils inspire their allies [among men] to dispute with you. And if you were to obey them, indeed, you would be associators [of others with Him].
Why the Hanafis require the tasmiyah from a Kitabi too.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5507
Sahih... سموا عليه أنتم وكلوه ...
"Say Allah's name over it yourselves and eat it."
Aisha added that the people who brought the meat were new to Islam, so the hadith is about meat from Muslims.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Bada'i al-Sana'i, Kitab al-Dhaba'ih wa al-Suyud, on who may slaughter. The slaughter of a Kitabi is valid with the same conditions as a Muslim's.
- The Islamic Laws of Animal Slaughter (Mufti Taqi Usmani), Chapter on the slaughter of the People of the Book. Why commercial Western meat does not meet the conditions.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.