An important thing to note first is that eating their vegetables, fruits, fish, rice and other foods is permissible. Moreover, it is permissible to eat these kinds of food from any non-Muslim even if he or she were not of the people of the book.

The issue in discussion is eating their sacrificed meats (of course meats we as Muslims are allowed to eat, excluding pork etc).

Muslims are only allowed to eat the meat slaughtered by Muslims themselves and by the people of the book. Allah says in the Quran;

5: 5: "This day (all) the good things are allowed to you; and the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them…"

Ibn Alqayyim said: "there is no difference between the scholars that the meaning is what they slaughtered"

Ibn Katheer said something similar in his Tafseer.

It is also narrated by Al Bukhari that the Jews of Khaybar sent the prophet Peace Be Upon Him poisoned lamb, just as he started to eat the dead lamb spoke to him and told him it was poisoned. It is a long story, but what I intend is to derive the evidence from it, and the evidence is that the prophet Peace Be Upon Him had no problem eating it, the only reason that stopped him was that it was poisoned, and that is amongst his many miracles Peace Be Upon Him.

The scholars disputed the issue of whether it is necessary to sacrifice on the name of Allah to eat the sacrifices of the people of the book. The opinion which makes more sense is the following, if one is sure that the Jew or Christian did not mention the name of Allah or mentioned the name of Jesus for instance, like saying I slaughter this lamb in the name of Jesus, then it is not permissible to eat, Allah said in the Quran:

5: 3: "Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah…"

Ibn Katheer said: "All that is slaughtered in the name of other than Allah is forbidden because Allah made it compulsory to slaughter in His Mighty name"

Allah also said in the Quran;

6:121: "And do not eat of that on which Allah's name has not been mentioned, and that is most surely a transgression; and most surely the devils suggest to their friends that they should contend with you; and if you obey them, you shall most surely be polytheists."

Ibn Katheer said: "this verse proves that it is forbidden to eat a sacrifice which did not have the name of Allah mentioned upon slaughter, even if the slaughterer was a Muslim."

The prophet Peace Be Upon Him said: "Whatever makes the blood flows and is slaughtered in the name of Allah you may eat" (narrated by Al Bukhari and Muslim)

However, if we do not know whether the sacrifice was sacrificed in the name of Allah, which is mostly the case, then we may eat it alhamdullilah. The evidence for this is clear in the Sunnah of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him,

" ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said that some people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “Some people bring meat to us, and we do not know if they mentioned the name of Allaah or not.” He said: “Say it yourselves then eat.”  (narrated by Al Bukhari)

It was also narrated that Ali Ibn Abi Talib said: "if you heard the Christian say in the name of Christ before he slaughters then do not eat it, however if you do not hear what he said then eat" (refer to Ahkaam Ahl Althemah (1/523-524)

It is also necessary to speak briefly about the method of sacrifice; the sacrifice we talk about must be Islamic also in action. This means that it should be slaughtered from the neck, the jugular veins being cut. Allah said in the Quran:

5: 3: "   Forbidden to you is that which dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that on which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked, and the strangled (animal) and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall and that killed by being smitten with the horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten, except what you slaughter…"

The Quranic phrase "beaten to death" also incorporates what happens today of killing animals through electric shock. All these methods hurt the animal and torture it more than necessary. The quickest way is slaughter; it is also the healthiest.

The prophet Peace Be Upon Him said: "Allaah has decreed kindness (or proficiency) in all things. So when you kill, kill well, and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let one of you sharpen his blade and spare suffering to the animal he slaughters." (Narrated by Muslim).

Sheikh Al Munajid said: "If it is not easy to slaughter animals unless they have been stunned by a method that will not kill them before they are slaughtered, then it is permissible to stun them and slaughter them whilst they are still alive, in cases of necessity. " (http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=12776&dgn=4&ln=eng)

However, it is also important to note, that if the method of sacrifice is not known, a Muslim should eat it without worrying;

Sheikh Ibn Otheimeen said: " Similarly it is permissible to eat even if we do not know whether the meat was slaughtered in the proper manner or not, because if the action is carried out by the right people then the basic principle is that it is valid, unless there is evidence to the contrary. So if some meat comes to us from a Muslim, a Jew or a Christian, we should not ask about it or ask how it was slaughtered or whether the name of Allaah was mentioned over it. It is permissible so long as there is no clear proof that it is forbidden. This is a way in which Allaah has made things easier for us." (Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh, 1/77)

Finally, we Muslims are not allow to eat any sacrifice slaughtered for other than Allah the Almighty, so if the Jew or Christian sacrifices for the sake of one of their saints or for a prophet or for any other than Allah, then we Muslims are not allowed to eat such sacrifices as a sacrifice is an act of worship, and all acts of worship should be for Allah alone. Allah said in the Quran:

5: 3: " Forbidden to you is that which dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that on which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked, and the strangled (animal) and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall and that killed by being smitten with the horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten, except what you slaughter, and what is sacrificed on stones set up (for idols) and that you divide by the arrows; that is a transgression…"

Ibn Katheer said: "this kind of sacrifice is forbidden even if the name of Allah was mentioned on it as it is an act of polytheism"

Allah also said;

6:162-163: "Say. Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; No associate has He; and this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit."

And also,

108: 2: "Therefore pray to your Lord and make a sacrifice."

Hamid Harasani