Dear Brother Optimist:
Salamun Alaikum.
"Earlier you were specific about mentioning God's name before eating"... "You are now saying that the name of Allah could have been remembered anytime during the food preparation and serving process." - Sorry, I fail to understand the point you are trying to make here. Food preparation - slaughter these processes all come "before eating". How am I diluting the stance then? What I tried to mean is - if we are involved in the food preparation first-hand we can remember God's name at that time - but if our engagement with the food starts just before we eat, then the most appropriate time to remember God over it also comes just before we eat. Hope this is clear now.
1. Is it mandatory to mention God's name between any time after slaughtering until we eat, in view of the clear instruction in the verse "if we are true believers in Allah's law".?
Depends on how do you define "Mention". Per my understanding the arabic word Allah has mentioned in this context is dhikr - which is best translated as "remember". So, per my understanding it IS MANDATORY to Ensure that God's name has been REMEMBERED over the food we eat - anytime starting from the time of slaughter till we eat. The best (and only risk-free) process to ensure the same is to Remember God ourselves over our own food.
2. Suppose in a case where I am personally convinced that the animal is slaughtered mentioning Allah's name, still then, is it required for me to mention Allah's name (anytime starting from food preparation till I eat)?
You are not required to "mention" Allah's name - that, per my understanding is Optional or "Best practice" - but you are always required to remember that the food you eat is a mercy from Allah - the Master of the Universe. If you are a Muslim, then the only way you can possibly not remember it is - when you dedicate the food to someone else forgetting the instructions of Allah. That, per my understanding, would be a willful disobedience (fisk) - even if you are eating from an animal which has been slaughtered by someone else in the name of Allah.
Most of the time we also do not know whether the meat we actually eat is from a dead animal and it is also impractical for me to ascertain the meat is not prepared from a dead animal. So what is the solution under these circumstances? Just mentioning Allah's name before eating?
Yes, it is not always possible for us to be 100% sure if an animal has been slaughtered in perfectly legitimate manner - let alone who remembered what during slaughtering. Even the people who certify halal food only does that on sample inspection basis - so who knows what's really going on in the slaughterhouse behind the curtain where numerous animals are slaughtered on daily basis. I believe that's why our Merciful Master has provided us with an indemnity clause in verse 5:4. Per my understanding the verse implies - it is OK for us to eat any meat as long as we ensure 3 things:
1) The food is delicious (taiyyibat), i.e. the meat is in good, wholesome, aromatic edible condition.
2) Those who processed the meat (specially slaughtering) are "trained" in the proper method. [This, per my understanding, can be reasonably ensured through Halal/Kosher or some other comparable certification.]
3) We remember God's name over the food ourselves.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
Arman