provided they are not fitted in the mouth. But if they are fitted in the mouth, then slaughtering with them is not permissible, because they become smeared with impure blood and resemble the fangs of predatory beasts.

Third: severing the windpipe and the esophagus. If the head is severed by the act of slaughter, the slaughtered animal does not become unlawful. The prescribed slaughter of game that cannot be captured, feral livestock, and animals that have fallen into a well or the like, is accomplished by wounding them anywhere on their bodies—unless their head is in water or the like, in which case they are not lawful.

His statement, “Third: severing the windpipe and the esophagus”: there are four things in the neck: two large blood vessels, the windpipe, and the esophagus.

“The two large blood vessels” are two thick vessels alongside the windpipe and esophagus; they are called the arteries.

“The windpipe” is the passageway for breathing.

“The esophagus” is the passageway for food and drink.

The windpipe is a ribbed, tube-like structure. This is part of Allah’s wisdom, exalted is He, in making it a tube; for if the windpipe were like the esophagus, breath would not come out, or, if it did, it would come out only with great difficulty. For this reason, Allah made it a tube and made it, glorified is He, with ribs, so that chewing, and lowering and raising the head, may be easy. Allah is All-Wise, Most Merciful.

The windpipe is higher than the esophagus from the side of the skin, whereas from the side of the neck, the esophagus is higher.

Thus, the windpipe and the esophagus must be severed, because life is lost when they are severed. As for the two large blood vessels, the apparent meaning of the author’s words is that severing them is not a condition.

The evidence that severing the windpipe and esophagus is a condition is that this is what slaughter is: it was known among the Arabs that the slaughterer would cut the neck, severing the windpipe and esophagus. Another reason is that life departs with their loss. Once the windpipe is opened, the animal dies, unless it is promptly treated, in which case it may perhaps live. The same applies to the esophagus, which is the passageway for food and drink, for food is the substance of