Salafis and modernists claim that it is permissible to eat meat obtained from non-Muslims.

Answer

The Salafis are dwelling in a deception regarding the Tasmiyah issue. The Hadith in which Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that the meat should be eaten after reciting Tasmiyah refers to meat which Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) had received from a newly converted Muslim tribe. The meat was not meat given to her by the kuffaar. However, in view of the recent acceptance of Islam by the tribe, Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) had doubts: are they reciting Tasmiyah when they slaughter or not? Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) ordered her to eat the meat implying that she should not unnecessarily doubt the hillat because it came from Muslims, and there was no strong reason to believe that they did not recite Tasmiyah.

The argument that Tasmiyah renders halaal any haraam meat is an insult to intelligence and in conflict with the teachings and spirit of the Shariah. If a Muslim tells you clearly that he did not recite Tasmiyah intentionally when he slaughtered the animal, then by reciting Tasmiyah on the meat, it will not become halaal. The very fact of Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) making the query adequately confirms that Tasmiyah was regarded as an essential requisite for the meat to be halaal. If this was not the case, she would not have sought a fatwa from Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) on this issue.