Shar'i Requirement
Allah Almighty has ordered in the Holy Quran
Essential Shar’i Conditions for Halal Zabīha
Islam prescribes certain requisites before declaring the meat of an animal to be “Halal”; permissible for consumption.
The following guidelines need to be strictly implemented in order for it to be “Halal”:
1 It must be slaughtered as per the following Shar‘i norms:
- The neck of the animal should be cut between the throat and the gullet.
- While cutting the throat of the animal, it should be ensured that four major veins or blood vessels of the animal have been cut (Even if only three have been cut, the slaughter would be considered valid).
The four veins or blood vessels are:
1) The trachea (wind-pipe) from which air enters the lungs.
2) The alimentary canal, from which food and water enters the stomach.
3) The two jugular veins of the neck, which return blood from head to the heart.
2The person who is doing the “Zabīha” should be a Muslim, whether man or woman, with or without “Wudhu”. If the man doing the slaughtering belongs to the “People of the Book”, then he should be a staunch follower of his own religion; he should not be an atheist, he should slaughter in the name of Allah and should not take any other name
3The person who is slaughtering should be sane and mentally capable.
4At the time of slaughter, the name of “Allah” should be taken on each animal or bird individually.Example: “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar”. He should say it orally and not sil ently within himself.
5He should say “Bismillah” with the intention of “Zabīha” and nothing else.
6He should not add any other name to “Allah”.
7He should slaughter the moment he says “Bismillah”; there should be no delay.
8At the time of “Zabīha”, the animal should actually be alive.
9If more than one animal is to be slaughtered then separate “Bismillah” should be said for each animal.
10The meat of a Non-Zabīha animal or an animal’s meat which has not been slaughtered as per the Shari‘ah, should not be mixed with Zabīha
11While cleaning or processing the meat, the temperature of the water should not be so high, that the heat permeates into the meat.
“The heat has gone inside the meat is indicated by the smell of the entrails in the stomach entering the meat.”
There are some other things which need to be followed as per Su’nah (i.e. according to the actions of Prophet Mohammed P.B.U.H).
The knife should be very sharp.
The slaughtering should be done with the right hand.
Water should be poured into the animal’s mouth.
The knife should be used quickly on the throat.
The animal’s face should be turned towards the “Qiblah”
While saying “Bismillah” use the “Zer” at the end. Say “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar”.
The animal should be laid gently on its left side.- The person doing the slaughtering should face the “Qiblah”
The person should have performed ablution
The limbs of the big animals like cow, camel, or buffalo should be tied.
Disapproved acts during Sacrificial Slaughter
1 The action of cutting the throat should not be so quick or deep that it severs the neck completely. This is disapproved.
2 It is “Makruh” to start skinning the animal or severing its head from its body, even before the animal is totally lifeless.
3 Slaughtering an animal before another animal is also disapproved etc.
Halāl animal’s organs whose consumption is prohibited
- Penis
- Vagina
- Bladder
- Glands in the spinal cord (their marrow is “Haram”)
- Testes
- Bile duct
- Blood (fresh or coagulated)