In the name of allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful What is sin in Islam?

The conditions for accepting slaughtered animals under Islamic law. Some of the methods used in killing cattle in Australian Abattoirs.

"Those who follow the Apostle, the unlettered prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures);- in the Taurat and the Gospel;- for he commands what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good and (pure) and forbids them what is bad (and impure)..." (Ch7;v157)

All gratitude is due to Allah who sent His Messenger with guidance and the way of life which is True, who separated truth from falsehood, and distinguished with it between what is good and pure and what is bad and impure. Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) was justified in saying "We were a people who ate carrion, then Allah honoured us with Islam."

The distinguishing feature of this faith, is that it is a complete way of life, a law which is self complementing, it is the direction of life: "Today I have perfected for you your religion, and have accepted for you Islam as your way of life." (Ch5; v3) With this noble verse, the Islamic law was perfected, with its regulations taking root throughout society.

The regulations of allowing and forbidding have occupied a large part in this heavenly law. It has not left a thing which it did not clarify, or an issue which it did not uncover. This has been clarified in His words: "he allows them as lawful what is good and (pure) and forbids them what is bad (and impure)...", and the true saying of the prophet (peace and blessings upon him) narrated by AlNo'man son of Bashir: "That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah's sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart." (Bukhary and Muslim)

Through this true saying, the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him), distinguished between the lawful and the unlawful, then directed us to keep away from the unlawful, and to guard against everything that resembles it, so that we do not fall into vice. The issues analysed in this article concerns carcass and beef, which are sold in the Australian markets (other than the Halal Butchers), and their acceptability or rejection from the Islamic point of view.

Conditions for accepting slaughtered meats

Islamic law has set the conditions and described clearly the best way to slaughter animals:

1. That the animal is amongst the permissible to eat, has some life left in it , and is not contaminated,
2. that the slaughterer is a Muslim (either male or female), of sound mind, or a follower of the book (Christian or Jew) who believes in his own book, and adheres to its tenets,
3. that the throat is cut from end to end, between the top of the chest and the bottom of the neck,
4. The recital of the name of Allah before cutting the animals throat, and not mentioning any other name.


Supporting evidence of the above:

1- The words of Allah: "Animals have been made lawful for you (as food) except what is to be told to you" (Ch5;v1), "He has clarified to you what he has forbidden, unless you are driven by necessity." (Ch6;v119). The prophetic traditions have clarified these forbidden things, for example the dog, domesticated donkeys, the frog, "and everything with an eyetooth." (Muslim) (note 1), and the pig was forbidden through the Qur'an.

2- The words of Allah: "Today He has made lawful for you all that is good (and pure), and the food of those who have been given the book has been made lawful for you" (Ch5;v5) Imam Nawawi said: "the slaughtered animal of the people of the book is permissible irrespective of whether they recite the name of Allah over it, as per the words of the Holy Qur'an, this is my interpretation and the most popular interpretation with scholars" (note 2).

The Son of Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked concerning the slaughtered animals of the Magians, even when they recite the name of Allah, he said, do not eat from it. (note 3)

This also means that an animal slaughtered by an apostate, an idolater, a communist, a cultist (Batiny), a Hindu, or a Buddhist, is not permissible.

3- His words: "Except what you have slaughtered in due form" (Ch5;v3), and what was narrated by Baihaqi on authority of Abi Umama: "All which has had the jugular cut unless it was a result of a bite or a scratch." (note 4).

AlBaihaqi has narrated on sound authority that Ibn Abbas said: "slaughtering in due form is between the throat and the base of the neck" (note 5).

It is a condition that the throat, the nearby veins, and either artery and jugular are cut.

4- His words: "Do not eat of that over which the name of Allah has not been recited." (Ch6;v121).

The scholars have directed that the Muslim should not be questioned as to whether he has recited the name of Allah over his slaughtered animal, as it is not permitted to have suspicion with respect to a fellow Muslim unless it is good suspicion, and if he forgets to recite the name of Allah, his slaughtered animal is still lawful.

Some scholars believe that even if a Muslim intentionally does not recite the name of Allah, the slaughtered animal is still permissible.