asSalaamu alaikum Learned Shaikh, please enlighten me about the need or not to recite tasmiya for slaughtering. Is this rule also for ahle kitaabs? Please give me a detailed explanation. I live in America. jazaakAllahu Khair.

Alhamdu Lillah

Saying (Bismi-Allah) is a must upon Muslims when slaughtering their animals if they remember to say it. This is according to the strongest opinion of scholars, although Imam Shafe’i considered Tasmeyah as Sunnah only.  So, according to his school of thought, eating from slaughtered animals is allowed, even if the Tasmeyah was intentionally skipped! However, going with the majority of scholars is safer and more authentic. Allah SWT said, what means in English (And do not eat from what the name Allah was not mentioned on it, and it is wickedness)

As of reciting the Tasmeyah by non-Muslims; a group of scholars consider them like Muslims in this regard, consequently, made their meat impermissible if it is proven that the Tasmeyah was not recited. Yet, the correct opinion is that Tasmeyah is not required from the people of the Book, as Tasmeyah is an exclusive Ibadah or ritual obligated on Muslims only. Additionally, mentioning the name of Allah by non-Muslims defeats the purpose, because the word: God or Allah means for them the trinity in most cases and not Allah according to the Islamic definition. So, eating from their meat is permissible if other conditions were satisfied.