-
Shaykh ʿAbd Allah ibn Humayd said, “The scholars are unanimously agreed that the proper site for ritual slaughter is the throat and the labbah—the hollow at the base of the neck—and, for an animal that can be restrained, it is impermissible to slaughter it elsewhere. Thus, according to al-Shafiʿi and Ahmad, the slaughter is valid only when both the trachea and the esophagus are severed, while Malik adds the condition that the two jugular veins must also be cut.”
-
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Saʿdi said, “The correct view is that no instrument made of bone renders a slaughter lawful, for the Prophet ﷺ explained, ‘As for the tooth, it is a bone.’ This opinion was likewise adopted by Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him.”
-
Professor Salih al-ʿUd said, “The very term ‘slaughter’ conveys the notion of purification. Physiologists state that slaughter induces hemorrhagic shock, drawing all circulating blood into the cardiovascular system so that it flows out through the severed vessels.
“As for the modern European methods of ending an animal’s life—electric stunning, captive-bolt shots to the brain, immersing poultry in water, wringing their necks, and similar techniques, all of which the Sacred Law has forbidden—they are ineffectual and harmful to health. Stunning and electrocution paralyze the animal before its soul departs, causing blood to congest in the flesh and veins because it has no outlet. This retained blood is injurious to human health and accelerates the putrefaction and discoloration of the meat.
“Danish meat producers have recognized this and have lodged a complaint with their government, demanding a halt to electric stunning and a ban on its use.
“In this we perceive the greatness of Islam: it is the religion of reason, cleanliness, health, and mercy.”
- Decision of the Islamic Fiqh Council concerning slaughter by electric stunning:
All praise belongs to Allah alone, and blessings and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet, our master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.