Halal/Haram Beef/Chicken - question from living in non-muslim country

**animehunter123** · 01-13-2014

ASA,

I have a question. I reside permenantly in a asian country (like china/korea/japan), and...
need some advice:

QUESTION: Can I eat beef/chicken in this country and just say bismillah if I dont know? Or should I change my diet and force my entire family (not everyone is muslim in the house) to only eat fish?

...I researched an learned:

All meat (chick/beef/whatever) must be slaughtered by muslim and then when you eat it you say bismillah
All fish is halal regardless (i think because you cannot hold a fish while it is alive and say shahadah before opening it up).

— Thus...
All the food I loved is actually haram meat (five guys, burger king) etc..

So I must now make a new change in life to do:

Only eat fish foods
No more meat from anything in this country... period.
If I am screwed and purchased meat, or had no options on the menu which were halal and no other food nearby... make duat but this is haram so i dont know

**Hulk** · 01-13-2014

Have you tried looking for halal sources of meat?

**animehunter123** · 01-13-2014

I found on the internet there is a place that will ship meat which is halal, but I am scared of getting sick from meat shipped (because it might arrive when I am not home and be left outside).

I will continue to look but I am scared to force my (non-muslim) family to stop eating the regular beef/chicken that they like.

Appreciate your response

**Aisha** · 01-13-2014

Assamualaykum,

Could you contact your local Masjid? I'm sure they'd be able to put you in touch with someone who sells halal meat.

It would not be permissible to to recite Bismillah and eat, as this doesn't make the meat halal.

**Abrahamic_seek** · 11-14-2018

This is a debated topic but one opinion is that if you can´'t get halal meat you can buy non halal but the animals must have been treated good. THen say BIsmillah, Allahu akbar.

**AabiruSabeel** · 11-14-2018

Originally Posted by Abrahamic_seek

This is a debated topic but one opinion is that if you can´'t get halal meat you can buy non halal but the animals must have been treated good. THen say BIsmillah, Allahu akbar.

No, it is not a debated topic. Halal and haram is legislated by Allah

Himself in the Qur'an. Allah

says,

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]. [Al-An'am: 121]

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], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. [Al-Ma'idah: 3]

If you cannot find halal meat, then go vegetarian.

The only debate that you will find is whether today's Jews and Christians also slaughter in the name of Allah or not. If they too slaughter in the name of Allah, then it is permissible to eat their food, otherwise it is not permissible.