Is meat slaughtered by non-muslim halal?

Question

Can we eat meat from animals killed by non-muslim is it halal?

Answer 1

The meat slaughtered by non-Muslims who are not Jews and Christians is haram; for example polytheists, idolaters, atheists and apostates etc. because it is not slaughtered in Allah's name:

حرمت عليكم ... وما أهل لغير الله به

Prohibited to you are ... and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah

^{— Quran 5:3}

ولا تأكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه

And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned

^{— Quran 6:121}

The meat slaughtered by Jews and Christians is halal in principle:

اليوم أحل لكم الطيبات وطعام الذين أوتوا الكتاب حل لكم

This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you

^{— Quran 5:5}

The two major exceptions are:

• if they are apostates who adopted Judaism or Christianity, anything they slaughterer will be haram. An apostate is not from the أوتوا الكتاب, rather they are a distinct case who are not allowed to remain in their state but must revert or be executed.

• if they slaughter it in the name of someone other than God, e.g. if they dedicate it to Christ etc. More details in this answer.

Reference:

الذابح الذي لا تؤكل ذبيحته وتحرم بالاتفاق: هو الكافر من غير أهل الكتاب، كالمشرك أو الوثني عابد الأصنام، والملحد الذي لا يدين بدين، والمرتد وإن تدين بدين أهل الكتاب، والزنديق

The slaughterers regarding whom there is agreement that their slaughter is haram: The disbeliever who is not from the people of the scripture, such as a polytheist or worshiper of idols, and an atheist who does not have a religion, and an apostate who has adopted the religion of the people of the scripture , and the zindiq.

^{— الفقه الإسلامي وأدلته}

Answer 2

Christian and Jews are also Non-Muslim, but see the Quranic verse

Quran Verse 5:5

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.

Quran Verse 5:3

Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death]....