1796 Dear Br. S. As-Salaamu Alaykum. The subject regarding the meats in non-Muslim country, the meat of the People of the Books, and non-Zabiha meat is very long and elaborate. We will only give here a very brief explanation. If you need more information in the future, please write us. Also, Dr. Ahmad Sakr has written several books about this subject, i.e., not only about meats, but also about other food, food ingredients, food additives, and preservatives in the West. You can obtain copies of his publications directly from the Foundation for Islamic Knowledge: P.O. Box 665, Lombard Illinois 60148. USA. You may also contact the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America. To get its address, also contact the Foundation for Islamic Knowledge. Now, back to your question, to give you a yes/no answer, I tend to allow Muslims to eat non-Zabiha meat (beef, lamb, and chicken, ducks, etc.) if they are living in non-Muslim countries under certain conditions: 1- that you know that the meat is from People of the Book i.e. they have to be Christians or Jews (Kosher meat). You cannot eat meats of atheists, polytheists, pagans, Hindus, Buddhists, or any group that does not have a monotheistic religion. 2- You should mention the name of Allah before or while eating. 3-If you actually witness the slaughtering of the animal, by a non-Muslim or a Muslim person, in a way that is not allowed in Islam, such as killing the animal by strangling him, or that the animal died before slaughtering him, or the animal fell from an elevated place, or that he died through a horn fight, and other restrictions described in Surah al-Ma'idah (5) verse 3, then don't eat the meat because it becomes Haram, and 4- If Islamically slaughtered meat is available, you should select it; and you should consider the meat of the People of the Book as a last alternative. As to your second question, you have the right not to eat something that the Quran says it is Halal to eat, however, you dont have the right to say or believe that something is Haram if the Quran says it is Halal; or vice versa. Therefore, if you choose to follow a vegetarian diet, you may do so, but you can not judge someone who eats meat to be committing a sin. Hope this clarifies the issue. Thank you for asking and God knows best. (Source: IslamiCity) Classified in Kosher Meat >