Say the Name of Allah (Most High) to make meat Halal?

No, they have completely misunderstood the Hadith.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ هَا هُنَا أَقْوَامًا حَدِيثٌ عَهْدُهُمْ بِشِرْكٍ، يَأْتُونَا بِلُحْمَانٍ لاَ نَدْرِي يَذْكُرُونَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا أَمْ لاَ، قَالَ: «اذْكُرُوا أَنْتُمُ اسْمَ اللَّهِ، وَكُلُوا»

(Sayidah) Aishah  said, A group of people said, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ,  there are people who have recently embraced Islam and they bring us meat, we do not know whether they had mentioned Allah’s (Most High) Name while slaughtering the animals or not. The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘You mention Allah’s (Most High) Name and then eat.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 7398).

This Hadith does not permit consuming Haram meat by simply taking the Holy Name of Allah (Most High). Nowhere in the Hadith does it state that the meat was Haram, rather this is meat being provided by a Muslim to another Muslim, neither the Prophet ﷺ nor the Sahabah  stated that the meat was Haram. However, the Sahabah expressed a concern regarding it being Halal, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ put them at ease. Thus, establishing the principle that meat received from a fellow Muslim is assumed Halal unless it is known to be otherwise.

The people saying such things have clearly misunderstood this Hadith and have made a grave error, which may lead people to consuming Haram. They must clarify their error to people and recognise that verses of the Holy Quran or Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ are not to be taken in isolation but rather understood in context. They must also realise that they should return to the books of classical and agreed upon scholars when trying to understand Quran and Hadith.

وَقَالَ ابْن الْجَوْزِيّ، سموا أَنْتُم وكلوا، لَيْسَ معنى أَنه يجزىء عَمَّا لم يسم عَلَيْهِ، وَلَكِن لِأَن التَّسْمِيَة على الطَّعَام سنة (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)

(Imam) Ibn Jowzi said, ‘you take the name (of Allah Most High) and eat,’ does not mean that this makes permissible that which was slaughtered without taking the name of Allah (Most High). Rather this was said because taking the name of Allah (Most High) is a general Sunnah when eating. (Imam al-Ayni, Umdatul Qari).

ومرادُه: أن احملُوا حالهم على ما يَلِيقُ بالمسلمين، وأَحْسِنُوا الظنَّ بهم، وأتُوا أنتم بما هو سُنَّةٌ لكم، وهو التسميةُ عند الأكل. لا أن التسميةَ عند الأكل تُجْزِيءُ عن التسمية عند الذبح

It (the Hadith) means assume their state to be that which is appropriate for Muslims (meaning they are Muslims and thus the meat is Halal), and have a good opinion of them. And you establish the Sunnah relevant to you, which is to say Bismillah when eating. It (the Hadith) is not saying that taking the name (of Allah Most High) when eating is a substitute for taking the name (of Allah Most High) when slaughtering. (Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al Bari).

The understanding of people who say you can just take the name of Allah (Most High) to make Haram meat Halal not only contradicts the Hadith itself but also contradicts many Ayaat of the Holy Quran and other explicit Hadith.

وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَفِسْقٌ

And do not consume that upon which the name of Allah has not been invoked, indeed that would be sinful. (Surah al-An’aam, 121).

And Allah (Most High) Knows Best.

– Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen (20.05.2021)

See also:

Hadith “You take the Name of Allah (Most High)” authentic ?

Muslim informing you regarding Halal meat

See also (video):