Are kosher foods considered to be halal?

Question

If kosher foods contain no alcohol within them, is it safe for a Muslim to consume kosher?

Answer 1

In Islam (Sunni Point of view), eating the meat of Ahl Al-Kitaab (Jews and Christians) is permissible (Halal). However, whoever leaves it out of piety, there is no blame upon him.

Yes, eating the poultry is permissible because that which is slaughtered by the Ahl Al-Kitaab today is just as what was slaughtered by Ahl Al-Kitaab in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). The Ahl Al-Kitaab are of the Kuffaar (disbelievers) whether they are in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) or now. Allah says in His Noble Book They have certainly disbelieved who say that Verily Allah is Isa Ibn Maryam and the Messiah said “O Children of Israel worship Allah my Lord and your Lord Verily whosoever commits shirk (associates partners with Allah in any way) Allah has made the Paradise forbidden to him and his end will be the Hellfire and there will be no help to the Dhaalimeen. They have certainly disbelieved who say that Allah is the third of three and there is no deity except the single Deity and if they do not desist from what they are saying We will inflict upon those disbelievers a painful punishment.

Allah also says in the same chapter: “Today I have made permissible for you that which is good and wholesome and the food of those who were sent the Scripture is permissible to you and your food is permissible to them.”

As far as the methodology of the slaughtering we do not inquire about the method because if an action has occurred min ahlihi [at the hands of those suited to perform such an act] the conditions surrounding that act are not asked about.

We find in Saheeh Al-Bukhari: “It is related by Aisha (radhi Allaahu anha) that a group of people said to the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) ‘Some people came to us with some meat about which we didn’t know whether the name of Allah was mentioned over or not’ and he replied (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) Sammoo [Say the name of Allah] over it yourselves and then eat. She [Aisha - radhi Allaahu anha] said that these people had just recently been from the Kuffaar [i.e. just became Muslim and the question was not asked as to the method of slaughter].

This rule therefore applies to the Jews and the Christians about whom we don’t know whether or not they have mentioned Allah’s name or not because their slaughtered meat is halal [permissible] to us.

Source: Eating the Meat of Ahl Al-Kitaab (Jews and Christians)

This is a fiqh question and what I am posting is the opinion of Imaam Ibn Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy on him).