Question
I live by myself in the USA. There is halal meat but most of it is not cooked and I do not know how to cook, so it is easier to eat not halal fast food. Is this permissible?

Answer
The basic principle is that it is prohibited to eat the meat of animals other than those made lawful by the Shari'ah [En. Islamic law] and which are slaughtered by either Muslims or the People of the Book. Therefore, the permissibility of eating the meat of animals slaughtered by the People of the Book cannot be removed by doubt.

Ruling
The principle is that it is permissible to eat from the meat of the people of the Book unless one is certain that the animal was slaughtered by a non-Christian or a non-Jew or that it was beaten to death or electrocuted. But if one is not certain, the permissibility prevails.

- Evidence:
A Jewess offered the Prophet [peace and blessing be upon him] [the meat of a cooked sheep]. He ate from it without asking the manner of its slaughter or whether Allah's name was mentioned over it.

Based on the above:
The principle in Shari'ah is to think well of people. Hence, when one is in a country where the majority of its people are from the People of the Book, it is unlawful to be overly particular and delve into matters.

Allah says in Surat al-Ma'idah:
Oh you who believe! Do not ask about matters which, if made known to you, might make things difficult for you… [5:101).

In his commentary on this verse, Ibn Kathir said: "Allah Almighty instructs His believing servants and prohibits them from asking about matters which do not benefit them … the apparent meaning of this verse is to prohibit asking about matters which, if made clear, may create hardship for the inquirer so it is better to refrain from asking about them." Hence, it is disliked to delve into the heart of a matter. Haritha ibn al-Nu'man (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whenever ill thoughts creep into your mind, do not engage yourself in verifying them."