nor that of a Magian, an idolater, a Druze, or a Nusayri.

The second condition concerns the instrument: slaughter is valid with any sharp implement—stone, cane, wood, or bone—except a tooth or a fingernail.

The third is severing the windpipe and the gullet; cutting part of either one suffices, and if the head is completely severed the meat is lawful.

It is likewise permissible to slaughter an animal that has already been struck by a cause of death—one that has been strangled, is gravely ill, has been mauled by a predator, has been caught in a net or a trap, or that has been rescued from imminent peril—provided the slaughterer performs the ritual cut while the animal still shows stable life, such as movement of a limb, a leg, or an eyelid.

If the windpipe has been severed or the entrails are protruding, whatever life remains is treated as nonexistent. However, should the slaughterer cut the windpipe and then lift his hand before cutting the gullet, no harm is done as long as he promptly returns and completes1 the slaughter. As for an animal that cannot be slaughtered in the usual way—such as one that has fallen into a well, or2 has turned feral—its lawful slaughter is achieved by wounding it wherever one is able.

The fourth condition is to say: “Bismillah” (In the name of Allah); no other wording suffices at the moment the hand moves to cut, and uttering it in a language other than Arabic is acceptable even for someone proficient in Arabic.

Pronouncing the takbīr is recommended.

The tasmiyah is waived when omitted out of forgetfulness, but not when omitted out of ignorance; and if, alongside the name of Allah Most High, the slaughterer mentions the name of anyone else, the meat is unlawful.