Answered by Muftī Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
Is non-penetrative captive bolt stunning acceptable under Islamic law during the ritual slaughter process?
Answer:
In the Name of Allāh, the Almighty, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind.
Thank you for contacting Mathabah institute. Non‐penetrative captive bolt stunning is a procedure adopted prior to manually slaughtering animals. The non-penetrative stunners have a ‘mushroom‐headed’ bolt which impacts with the skull of an animal but does not enter the brain[1]. This type of stunner causes insensibility due to concussive forces alone. If a non-penetrating captive bolt is used, the animal may revive unless it is bled promptly.[2]
The objective of such procedure prior to slaughter is to cause minimal pain to the animal.
From an Islamic jurisprudence point of view, this method of slaughter is permissible if the aim is to actually reduce the pain upon the animal and not only to speed up mass slaughter for economic purposes. The animal that is stunned with the non-penetrative captive bolt should remain alive and must be slaughtered immediately after the stun, in order for it to be deemed ḥalāl for consumption. Although this is a permissible procedure, some jurists regard the force of the captive bolt a form of torture thus consider it disliked (makrūh). In any case, the animal will be considered allowed for consumption provided it was slaughtered while alive, immediately following the stun. – (See: Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyyah, Vol 5, Page 286, Dār Al-Fikr[3], Ma’āyīr Al-Ḥalāl Wa Al-Ḥarām Page 318[4], Fatāwā Dār Al-‘Ulūm Zakariyya, Vol 6, Page 115, South Africa, Al-Bināyah Vol 11, Page 564, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah[5])
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Indeed Allāh has decreed excellence in everything . . . when you slaughter, then do the slaughtering well. You should sharpen your blade, and provide comfort to the animal [before slaughtering].” – (Tirmidhī 1409[6])
[1] Temple Grandin, Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University – www.grandin.com
[2] The Humane Slaughter Association – www.HSA.org.uk
[3] الْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالشَّاةُ الْمَرِيضَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَشْقُوقَةُ الْبَطْنِ إذَا ذُبِحَتْ يُنْظَرُ إنْ كَانَ فِيهَا حَيَاةٌ مُسْتَقِرَّةٌ حَلَّتْ بِالذَّبْحِ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ الْحَيَاةُ فِيهَا مُسْتَقِرَّةً تَحِلُّ بِالذَّبْحِ سَوَاءٌ عَاشَ أَوْ لَا يَعِيشُ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَهُوَ الصَّحِيحُ وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى كَذَا فِي مُحِيطِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ – كتاب الفتاوى العالمكيرية الفتاوى الهندية ج ٥/ ص ٢٨٦ دار الفكر
[4] فالصعق الذي لم يصل الى درجة القتل من باب الاحسان للحيوان المذبوح لانه لا يشعر باي الم عند الذبح – معايير الحلال والحرام للدكتور علي مصطفى ص ٣١٨
[5] تعذيب الحيوان بلا فائدة منهي عنه على ما مر في الآثار المذكورة م والحاصل أن ما فيه زيادة إيلام لا يحتاج إليه في الذكاة مكروه – كتاب البناية شرح الهداية ج ١١/ ص ٥٦٤ دار الكتب العلمية
[6] عَنْ شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَإِذَا قَتَلْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الْقِتْلَةَ وَإِذَا ذَبَحْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الذِّبْحَةَ وَلْيُحِدَّ أَحَدُكُمْ شَفْرَتَهُ وَلْيُرِحْ ذَبِيحَتَهُ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ – رواه الترمذي ١٤٠٩
