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1. The animal should be slaughtered by a sharp object which is capable of making it bleed by severing
blood vessels, even if the sharp object is a stone or a piece of wood. ‘Adi bin Hatim narrated that he said
to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), “O Messenger of Allâh, we go hunting and sometimes we do not have a knife
with us. We may find a sharp rock or a piece of wood or a reed.” The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: “The
object is to make it bleed with whatever you have and mention the name of Allâh over it.’‘ (Compiled by
Ahmad, Abû Daoud, Nisai, Ibn Mâjah, al-Hakim, and Ibn Hibban.)
2. The slaughtering is to be done by cutting the throat of the animal or by piercing the hollow of the
throat, causing its death. The best way is to cut the windpipe, the gullet, and the two jugular veins.
(Some jurists have cited further conditions, but we have omitted them as we did not find explicit texts
mentioning them. The slaughtering of animals is known instinctively to all people, and to go into depth
and detail concerning it does not accord with Islâm, which keeps matters easy and simple. The more
details these jurists have attempted to list, the more confusion they have caused; for example, is it
necessary to cut all four parts - the windpipe, the gullet and the two jugular veins - or only some of them?
Should the knife point downward or upward? Can the hand be raised before the slaughtering is
completed or not? and so on, without end, with each alternative answer to these questions finding
support among some jurists.)
However, if it becomes impossible to slaughter the animal in the specified manner, this second condition
is cancelled; for example, the animal may have fallen headlong into a well so that its throat is
inaccessible, or it may become wild and start kicking and running. Such cases are treated in the manner
of game animals and it is sufficient to wound the animal at any place to make it bleed. On the authority of
Raf‘i ibn Khadij, both al-Bukhâri and Muslim report the former as narrating: We were on a journey with
the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) when one of the camels bolted away. As the people did not have a horse, a man
shot an arrow which struck the camel and wounded it. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.)
said, ‘Some of these
animals are like wild beasts. If any of them behaves like this, treat it in this fashion.’ (Compiled by al-
Bukhâri and Muslim.)
3. No name other than Allâh’s should be mentioned over the animal at the time of slaughter; concerning
this condition there is a consensus among all the jurists. The people of the time of jahiliyyah sought to
propitiate their deities and idols by sacrificing animals to them, either by invoking their names while
slaughtering or by immolating them on altars specified for them. As mentioned previously, the Qur‘ân
prohibited all this in the words, Forbidden to you are...that which has been dedicated to anyone other
than Allâh...and that which has been sacrificed to idols. (5:4 (3))
4. The name of Allâh should be mentioned while slaughtering the animal. (The correct manner of
mentioning the name of Allâh at slaughtering is, “Bismillah Allâhu akbar” (in the name of God, God is
the most great). On this occasion the words al-Rahman al-Raheem (the Compassionate, the Merciful) do
not follow Bismillah as they ordinarily do, since slaughtering is not an act of mercy. (Trans.)) This is clear
from Qur‘ânic texts and ahadith. Allâh Ta‘ala says: Then eat of that over which the name of Allâh has
been mentioned, if you believe in His signs. (6:118)
And do not eat of that over which the name of Allâh has not been mentioned, for truly that is impiety....
(6:121)
And Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said: If the blood is drained (from the animal) and the name of Allâh
has been mentioned over it, you may eat of it. (Compiled by al-Bukhâri and others.)
This condition is further supported by other sound ahadith which state that Allâh’s name must be
pronounced while hunting just before an arrow is shot or a hunting dog is sent for the chase. This point
will be discussed later in the section on hunting.
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Some scholars are of the opinion that although the name of Allâh must be mentioned, it is not necessary
to mention it at the time of slaughtering the animal; one can mention it at the time of eating, since in that
case it cannot be held that it was eaten without mentioning the name of Allâh over it. In the Sahih of al-
Bukhâri we find a hadith narrated by ‘Aisha, who said, Some people who had recently become Muslims
said to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), ‘People bring us meat and we do not know whether they have mentioned
the name of Allâh over it or not. Shall we eat of it or not?‘ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied, ‘Mention the
name of Allâh (over it) and eat.” (The correct invocation when one begins to eat or drink is Bismillah ar-
Rahman ar-Raheem, “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,” coupled with a
supplication such as, Allâhumma, barik lana fi ma razaqtana wa qina adhab an-nar, “Our Rabb, bless us
in what You have provided for us and save us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Trans.))
The Wisdom of the Islâmic Manner of Slaughtering
The wisdom of the Islâmic rules of slaughtering is to take the animal’s life in the quickest and least
painful way; the requirements of using a sharp instrument and of cutting the throat relate to this end. It is
forbidden to rend the throat by using teeth or nails since this will cause pain to the animal and is likely to
strangle it. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) recommended sharpening the knife and putting the animal at ease,
saying, Allâh has ordained kindness (or excellence) in everything. If killing is to be done, do it in the best
manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner by first sharpening the knife and putting the
animal at ease. (Compiled by Muslim on the authority of Shaddad bin Aus.)
In another hadith narrated by Ibn‘Umar, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “When one of you slaughters, let him
complete it,” (Compiled by Ibn Mâjah.) meaning that one should sharpen his knife well and feed, water,
and soothe the animal before killing it.
Ibn ‘Abbas (r.a.) reported that once the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) saw a man who was sharpening his knife after
laying down a sheep to be slaughtered. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) rebuked him saying, “Do you intend to
make it die two deaths? Why did you not sharpen your knife before laying it down?” (Compiled by al-
Hakim, who classified it as “sound” according to the standard of al Bukhâri.)
Once ‘Umar
(r.a.)
saw a man dragging a sheep by its leg to be slaughtered. He said, “Woe to you! Lead
it to its death in a decent manner.” (Compiled by ‘Abd ur-Razzaq.)
Thus the main intent here is to be kind to the unfortunate animal and spare it unnecessary suffering
insofar as this is possible. The people o f jahiliyyah were fond of cutting off the humps of live camels and
the fat tails of live sheep in order to eat them. In order to put a stop to this barbaric practice, the Prophet
(s.a.w.s.) forbade the eating of any part obtained in this fashion, saying, “Any part cut off a living animal
is dead flesh,” (Compiled by Ahmad, Abû Daoud, al-Tirmidhî,and al-Hakim.)
The Significance of Mentioning Allâh’s Name
Mentioning the name of Allâh to purify the act of slaughtering has a subtle significance which we would
do well to ponder.
First, this practice is in opposition to the practice of the idolaters and the people of jahiliyyah, who
mentioned the names of their non-existent deities while slaughtering animals. Since the polytheist
mentions the name of a false deity, how can the Believer fail to mention the name of the true God?
Second, these animals, like human beings, are creatures of Allâh, and like them they have life. How then
can a man take control of them and deprive them of life unless he first obtains permission from his, and
their, common Creator, to Whom everything belongs? Mentioning the name of Allâh while slaughtering
the animal is a declaration of this divine permission, as if the one who is killing the animal were saying,
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