No problem Chotay 
If someone wants to make 6:121 the deciding factor.. at least base your decision on Allah's Book and the revealed verses.
Translations from widely accepted scholars of Qur'an.
[Shakir 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 Shaitans suggest to their friends that they should contend with you; and if you obey them, you shall most surely be polytheists.
[Yusufali 6:121] Eat not of (meats) on which Allah's name hath not been pronounced: That would be impiety. But the evil ones ever inspire their friends to contend with you if ye were to obey them, ye would indeed be Pagans.
[Pickthal 6:121] And eat not of that whereon Allah's name hath not been mentioned, for lo! it is abomination. Lo! the devils do inspire their minions to dispute with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in truth idolaters.
PakistaniAbroad: Immediately one things becomes clear.. there is NO mention of at the time of slaughter.
[6:119] Why should ye not eat of (meats) on which Allah's name hath been pronounced, when He hath explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you - except under compulsion of necessity? But many do mislead (men) by their appetites unchecked by knowledge. Thy Lord knoweth best those who transgress.
Is this kind of dialogue necessary when discussing the purest, most refined and mature form of divine revelations.?
Also,
[Yusuf Ali 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. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
Chota: Aren’t most animals slughtered in the US/UK by the ‘captive bolt’ method, effectively being killed by a blow making them mawquza?
Also,
[Al An'am 6:138 Yusuf Ali tr.] And they say that such and such cattle and crops are taboo, and none should eat of them except those whom - so they say - We wish; further, there are cattle forbidden to yoke or burden, and cattle on which, (at slaughter), the name of Allah is not pronounced; inventions against Allah.s name: soon will He requite them for their inventions.
Chota: Clearly suggests that the name of Allah should be pronounced on cattle when slaughtering. Which again I don't think they do as a rule in the US/UK.
so is it not haraam?
All Hallal meat without Slaughtered accoring to Islamic way are not Jaiz to eat!
In conditions, when you have nothing to eat and are about to die, you can, but I don’t think there is any condition anywhere these days like whn we can die without eaing meat!
aagay aap logon ki marzi jo chahay karain, every one has to answer on thier own!
bye!
we can ask ourself, the same question, ‘will we die if we don’t eat haram’ ???
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Chota: *
Chota: Clearly suggests that the name of Allah should be pronounced on cattle when slaughtering. Which again I don't think they do as a rule in the US/UK.
[/QUOTE]
Chota, note the "at slaughter" is in paranthesis.. Also isn't that a wishlist of those who want things declared Haraam and doesn't Allah follow with the comment that these are inventions against Allah's name
I think 'cattle’ refers to live animals.
I read the ayat as having two parts the first taboo subjects referring to the ‘wish list’ deeming certain crops and cattle haraam for certain people and the second part [we wish further] referring to special treatment of certain animals, not proscribed by Allah i.e. reserving certain animals from the yoke and not pronouncing Allah’s name whilst slaughtering certain animals.
Therefore, one could imply that Allah's name should be pronounced when slaughtering all cattle/animals.
Chota a few verses down Allah tells the Messenger to put an end to the argument giving a definitive statement:
[6:145] Say: I do not find in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden for an eater to eat of except that it be what has died of itself, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine-- for that surely is unclean-- or that which is a transgression, other than (the name of) Allah having been invoked on it; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
PakistaniAbroad: Pretty simple eh? EVERYTHING IS ALLOWED EXCEPT:
- What has died of itself
- Blood poured forth
- Flesh of swine
- That which is a transgression other than Allah having been invoked on it.
Please do note No. 4 is not just about meat or cattle or slaughter.. it encompasses food or anything for an eater to eat which is 'in the name of' other than Allah..
Now consider that next time you get a halvay kee nyaaz on gayarveen, baarhveen or chaudveen etc.
You could use your point 4 to condone cannabalism if you don't keep the context of the Surah and Quran.
The crux for me is 6:138, where it's clearly pointed out to be a sin to not invoke the name of Allah on self-appointed choices of certain animals at slaughter (cattle and not meat), inferring the normal recourse is to pronounce during all slaughters.
And in 6:145 again the reference to not invoke any name but Allah's could very easily be a reference to slaughter in light of the 6:138.
In every ayat quoted here the words "at the time of slaughter" is always inserted in paranthesis.
Will someone be kind enough to impart a little Arabic lesson and explain why every translator adds these words in the verses? Is it the same Arabic word in each of these ayat?
Jazak Allah.
Not just slaughter but meat has also been introduced in paranthesis in the majority of the dietary prohibition verses.
Let me intervene just to say that this verse:
[Yusufali 6:121] Eat not of (meats) on which Allah's name hath not been pronounced: That would be impiety. But the evil ones ever inspire their friends to contend with you if ye were to obey them, ye would indeed be Pagans.
can only be interpreted in a way which automatically says 'at slaughter'. What other interpretation can it have? It can certainly not mean 'at the time when its only an inch away from your mouth, you should mention Allah's name on it'.
Anyhow I asked Iqbal about this a little time ago, hopefully he wouldn't mind if i shared his response here:
The saying of Allah Almighty:
"The food of the People of the Book is halal for you." (Surah 5:5)
Al-Tabari explains as follows in his commentary on this verse:
"It means the slaughtered animals of the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians. They being the ones who received the Taurah and the Injil…(as for the meaning of the words) 'halal for you', it is said that it means that their food is halal for you in contrast to the slaughtered animals of the people of shirk among the Arabs and idol worshippers who have no book. Thereafter, there is a difference of opinion as to who from the People of the Book is meant by the saying 'The food of the People of the Book'? Some say that it means every Person of the Book from those on whom was sent down Taurah and the Injil or anyone who enters their religion: declaring haram what they declare haram and declaring halal what they declare to be halal. Those who hold this view are…" [end of quote]
Al-Tabari then mentions a number of reports from early scholars who held the view he has just described, including two reports from the Companion Abdullah ibn Abbas (r).
He also mentions a series of narrations from the Companion Ali ibn Abi Talib (r), who forbade the food of a particular group of Christians because they did not truly follow their religion in not declaring haram what the religion declared haram and not declaring halal what the religion declared halal.
Others also say that the reference to 'People of the Book' refers specifically to the Children of Israel and not to anyone outside of this group of people, even if they accepted Judaism or Christianity. This view is reported from Imam al-Shafi'i. Al-Tabari explains that this is in fact not a correct understanding.
It might be argued that the mention of 'Food' in the verse does not include meat (in other words, we can eat the food of Jews and Christians except for meat). Al-Tabari cites a number of reports from leading early scholars, including Mujahid, the famous student of Ibn Abbas (r), who explained that the word 'Food' in the verse is indeed a reference to meat.
Al-Qurtubi mentions in his Qur'an commentary that there's another area in which opinions differ: What should one do if, for example, a Christian slaughters the animal by mentioning the name of other than Allah over it, such as taking the name of Jesus. There are two views:
Ataa' (a leading second generation scholar) said: "Eat from what a Christian slaughters even if he takes the name of the Messiah because Allah the Mighty and Sublime (mentioned) their slaughtering whilst He knew what they say (when they slaughter their animals)."
Al-Qurtubi brings the same view from four other leading early scholars, plus two Companions of the Prophet: Abu al-Darda and Ubadah ibn al-Samit.
This view would correspond with the scholars you mentioned in your question who say that the permission given in the verse is unrestricted.
Al-Qurtubi then gives the second opinion, saying:
"A group [of people] have said that if the Person of the Book takes a name other than the Name of Allah the Mighty and Sublime then do not eat [the meat]. Those from the Companions who held this view were: Ali, Aisha and Ibn Umar. It is also the view of Tawus and al-Hasan [second generation scholars] and is in agreement with Allah's saying: 'Eat not of that on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned, for sure it is sin.' (6:121)"
Allah knows best.'
To sum it up, it is indeed better to eat that which has been slaughtered in Allah's name. However Allah allowed the muslims to eat the meat of the ahlul kitab as well. Ofcourse Allah had knowledge of how they slaughtered their meat and yet the permission was given without any extra clause being put.