Answered by Shaykh Omar Subedar
Question:
How is an animal made ḥalāl for muslims? What is the procedure for slaughter for an animal to be considered allowable for people who practice the muslim faith?
Answer:
بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathābah for your question.
Ḥalāl means permissible or allowed [by God]. Ḥalāl food refers to the consumables that are fit for Muslim consumption.
Muslims are allowed to eat the meat of the following animals:
- Domesticated birds
- Camels
- Cattle
- Sheep
- Goats
- Deer
- Rabbits
- Fish
With the exception of fish, Muslims will only be allowed to consume the meat of the aforementioned animals if the following conditions are met:
- They are slaughtered by a believer in God, the Almighty (Allāh).
- At the time of slaughter, the slaughter man [or woman] recites a blessing such as, “I begin with Allāh’s name.”
- With a very sharp knife the slaughter man [or woman] manually swiftly cuts the oesophagus, trachea and the two jugular veins of the animal in a single cut. In the event of him [or her] being unable to cut all four he [or she] must cut at least any three of them.
Muslims are not allowed to eat the meat of the following animals:
- Pigs
- Animals that were slaughtered without being blessed
- Animals that were dead prior to slaughter
- Carnivores
- Birds of prey
- Reptiles
- Rodents
- Insects
- Domesticated donkeys
“Mankind, eat whatever on the earth is lawful and good, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is a clear enemy to you.” (Qurʾān: 2:168)
“Messengers, eat from the good foods [We have provided you] and perform righteous deeds.” (Qurʾān: 23:51)
“You who believe, eat from the good things We have provided you and be grateful to Allāh […].” (Qurʾān: 2:172)
“So eat of that [meat] upon which Allāh’s name has been taken, if you are believers in His verses.” (Qurʾān: 6:118)
“And do not eat of that [meat] upon which Allāh’s name has not been taken, for indeed, it is a grave sin.” (Qurʾān: 6:121)
Abu Hurayrah (may God be pleased with him) reported, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) made mention of a man who undergoes a lengthy journey, dishevelled and dusty. He extends his hands to the sky [calling], ‘My Master, my Master.’ However, his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothes are unlawful, and he has been nourished with unlawful [foods]. So how will he be answered?” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Saʿad (may God be pleased with him) reported, “Allāh’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Saʿad, make sure your food is pure. [By doing so] you will become one whose prayers are [always] answered. I swear by the Being in whose hands my soul lies, verily, [when] a servant [of Allāh] throws down a ḥarām (unlawful) morsel into his [or her] stomach, no deed of theirs is accepted [by Allāh] for forty days.’” (Ṭabarānī)
Abū Bakr (may God be pleased with him) reported that Allāh’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “That body will not enter paradise that has been nourished with ḥarām.” (Bayhaqī)
And Allāh Knows Best
