Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhan Bhai

Assalam Walekum

May Allah bless you and deffinitly will give you reward on this great work for islam.

my question is that " one of my close friend is living and working in usa with family, and he asked me that he is having very great confusion about slaughtering (Halal meat ) in usa as muslim we believ and know about the way of islamic slaughtering but he heard and got some pumphlet from the outside of mosque in usa mentioning that some Ulema from Saudi arabia and Egypt has given fatwa that the way of slaughtering is acceptable which doing by machines in usa.

I am trying to get those pumphlet or copy of fatwa and as i will received i will send u a copy.

but u please give answer in this regard.

jazaak Allah hum khair

thanks

my friend email address is " 

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Answer:

Islamic slaughter

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 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 favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any forced by hunger with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Dear and Beloved Brother, Islam has not specified nor restricted the believers that the animals should be slaughtered by hand for it to be considered halaal. If man has developed technology whereby cattle can be slaughtered by an automatic machine, there is absolutely no harm and such animals slaughtered would be considered absolutely halaal for the believers, provided of course that the other conditions and elements of Islamic slaughter are met:

The animal being slaughtered is not haraam in its essence (swine, lions, tigers, etc.)

The one who operates the machine is a believer or from amongst the People of the Book.

The animal is not dead before it is slaughtered.

No other name other than the blessed Name of Allah has been pronounced at the time of slaughter.

If all the other conditions of Islamic slaughter have been met, it does not matter whether the animal is slaughtered by hand or by a machine; its meat would be considered absolutely halaal for the believers.

The only fear in western Christian countries like USA, Europe, etc. would be whether or not the person operating the machine is a believer or from amongst the People of the Book, and whether or not the electric shock some give to their cattle before slaughter would kill the animal or not. If one is convinced that the person who operates the machine for slaughter is from amongst the believers or the People of the Book, and the animal was alive before being slaughtered; its meat would be absolutely halaal for the believers.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan