Types of Slaughter in Some Regions
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Q: We inform Your Eminence that in our rural area, which is part of the Lith Governorate,
there are types of animal slaughter that they have inherited from their fathers until it became a custom for some of them, without knowing its reason. They consider it a fulfillment of the right of their fathers, and some consider it an act of drawing near to Allah. Some of this is limited to a specific time of the year and a specific number, some is specific to a type of animal such as cattle, and some is contingent upon an urgent cause such as the illness of themselves or their children, or otherwise. Here are some of these types, Your Eminence: 1- Their concept of charity is drawing near by slaughtering an animal. One of them slaughters an animal claiming it is charity, but its meat is not distributed to the poor, nor are they invited to it; rather, he eats it in his house with his family, neighbors, and guests. This is because charity, in their view, is not intended for feeding, but for drawing near through killing and blood. This happens when a person is ill or when they need meat. Some of them recommend slaughtering cattle and believe that slaughtering them has weight in the Hereafter. This is common among the elderly, especially the old women, who go to the trouble, even incurring debt, to give a cow as charity. When we advise one of them to give this cow alive to a poor person, he does not do so and considers slaughtering it and distributing its meat to the general public without specifically targeting a poor person to be better.
2- The second type is that which is limited to a specific time of the year, such as the Mi'raj (Ascension) and the Mawlid (Prophet's birthday). It is a sheep slaughtered on the night of the Mi'raj, while for the Mawlid, it may reach three sheep. They believe this is a means of drawing near to Allah, and it is something they inherited from their fathers. 3- The third type is what they call al-'Araqub, which is slaughtering a camel, a cow, or seven sheep for those who do not have camels or cows. This is something they inherited from their fathers, most of whom do not know the reason for it; it is merely following their fathers in this. When I asked some people of knowledge about the reason for this 'Araqub, they told me it is for two reasons: either they had killed a forbidden soul and they fear it, or they swore a wicked oath and they fear it. So they ask the fortune-tellers, who order them to perform this 'Araqub every year. The sons inherit it from the fathers until now, those who slaughter these inherited sacrifices claim they do not know the reason for it. Some of them say: "Perhaps it was a vow upon our fathers, and we are fulfilling it out of dutifulness to them." I was asked by a young man who said: "Our people used to steal and do bad deeds during times of famine, and I fear they did not leave us any good. So I asked a fortune-teller among the people, and he said to me: 'Slaughter a camel every year.' So I slaughtered one for a year
and he left it last year, so what is your opinion? I said to him: First, this man is not a shirawi; I seek refuge in Allah from being like him, for he is a fortune-teller or an ignorant person influenced by fortune-tellers, for he issued a ruling for you to slaughter for other than Allah and to rely on other than Him. Second, do not ask about what your fathers and grandfathers used to do. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-An'am 6:164] So you are not asked except about what you did, and you are not held accountable except for what your own self has committed. So repent to Allah from that, for repentance wipes out what came before it. And this, O Shaykh, indicates that there are those who slaughter seeking its benefit and warding off its harm, and that there are those who call to that, just as there are other types of slaughter, such as a sacrifice slaughtered every year called al-Zarbah, which wards off difficulties and calamities; they consider it like a wall that protects what is inside. Knowing that they mention the name of Allah when slaughtering these animals, and they name and say takbir, and among their phrases when slaughtering is: (I have heard and I have informed you that this is charity for Allah and in the path of Allah, in the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest), then they slaughter. And the question, O Shaykh: Is this concept of this charity correct, is it considered a means of drawing near for the one who draws near by slaughtering an animal, and is there a virtue in slaughtering cattle that benefits its owner after his death, and is the slaughter of al-Iraqib, al-Mi'raj, and al-Mawlid, and what
is similar to these sacrifices included in slaughter for other than Allah, and is it permissible to eat it for one who is not in dire necessity, and should one who is offered meat inquire about the reason for its slaughter or not, and is the sick animal - whose meat is not desired - slaughtered or left until it dies? Knowing that they slaughter it seeking its lawful slaughter based on their concept of charity by killing the animal or by its blood. Please clarify the statement in this matter, may Allah reward you with good, so that we can read it to them in their mosques, knowing that when I visit them I spare no effort in delivering some words, so they ask me these questions and I answer them from what I know, and what I do not know I record for myself, and I promise them that I will ask about it and bring them the answer if Allah wills. In addition to the fact that some of them are not convinced by my answer, so if the answer comes from your Eminence, they may be more convinced. Also, many people go to fortune-tellers and those who claim knowledge of the unseen, and we have resided with a man south of al-Ta'if who informs them about the locations of stolen goods, and the locations of underground water, and describes to them the layers of the earth from his house or from al-Ta'if , which is about three hundred kilometers away from him, as he describes to them the treatment of their illnesses... etc.
A: After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered that slaughtering animals that are permissible to eat is for purposes:
First: The permissible and prescribed slaughter, which has types: 1- Slaughter for eating, and this is permissible if they mention the name of Allah upon it, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-An'am 6:118], and Allah the Exalted said: . 2- Slaughter for drawing near to Allah the Exalted, and this is in the voluntary hady, the hady of tamattu', and qiran. 3- It is an expiation for leaving an obligatory act, or doing a prohibited act in Hajj and 'Umrah. 4- It is an 'aqiqah for the newborn, two sheep for a boy and one sheep for a girl. 5- It is an udhiyah slaughtered on the Day of Sacrifice or the days of Tashreeq. Second: The slaughter prohibited by the Shari'ah, which has types: 1- Slaughter for other than Allah, such as slaughter for idols and graves, and this is major shirk that takes one out of the religion, and its meat is not permissible to eat, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3] to His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3], and among this is what is slaughtered for the jinn and devils to ward off their harm. 2- What is slaughtered with the name of other than Allah mentioned upon it, such as the name of the Messiah and al-Zuhrah or the name of al-Husayn or
other of the awliya (close friends of Allah); because it is what was dedicated to other than Allah. 3- What is slaughtered in the occasions of religious innovation, such as al-Mawlid, al-Isra' and al-Mi'raj, or other of the innovations of festivals, so this is forbidden slaughter and its meat is not permissible to eat. 4- What is slaughtered in accordance with the customs of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, such as slaughter for the descent of rain, or to ward off calamity, or to bring about good, or other of the customs of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. As for the one who wants to give charity to the needy, the door of charity is wide and it is not necessary that it be with meat, but it can be by distributing money, distributing food, clothing, and other things that benefit the needy. It is not permissible to go to fortune-tellers, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan al-Bayhaqi 15:741, and the fortune-teller you mentioned or any other, you must report him to the nearest branch of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prohibition of Vice; so that they do what is required toward him according to the instructions they have.
there are types of animal slaughter that they have inherited from their fathers until it became a custom for some of them, without knowing its reason. They consider it a fulfillment of the right of their fathers, and some consider it an act of drawing near to Allah. Some of this is limited to a specific time of the year and a specific number, some is specific to a type of animal such as cattle, and some is contingent upon an urgent cause such as the illness of themselves or their children, or otherwise. Here are some of these types, Your Eminence: 1- Their concept of charity is drawing near by slaughtering an animal. One of them slaughters an animal claiming it is charity, but its meat is not distributed to the poor, nor are they invited to it; rather, he eats it in his house with his family, neighbors, and guests. This is because charity, in their view, is not intended for feeding, but for drawing near through killing and blood. This happens when a person is ill or when they need meat. Some of them recommend slaughtering cattle and believe that slaughtering them has weight in the Hereafter. This is common among the elderly, especially the old women, who go to the trouble, even incurring debt, to give a cow as charity. When we advise one of them to give this cow alive to a poor person, he does not do so and considers slaughtering it and distributing its meat to the general public without specifically targeting a poor person to be better.
2- The second type is that which is limited to a specific time of the year, such as the Mi'raj (Ascension) and the Mawlid (Prophet's birthday). It is a sheep slaughtered on the night of the Mi'raj, while for the Mawlid, it may reach three sheep. They believe this is a means of drawing near to Allah, and it is something they inherited from their fathers. 3- The third type is what they call al-'Araqub, which is slaughtering a camel, a cow, or seven sheep for those who do not have camels or cows. This is something they inherited from their fathers, most of whom do not know the reason for it; it is merely following their fathers in this. When I asked some people of knowledge about the reason for this 'Araqub, they told me it is for two reasons: either they had killed a forbidden soul and they fear it, or they swore a wicked oath and they fear it. So they ask the fortune-tellers, who order them to perform this 'Araqub every year. The sons inherit it from the fathers until now, those who slaughter these inherited sacrifices claim they do not know the reason for it. Some of them say: "Perhaps it was a vow upon our fathers, and we are fulfilling it out of dutifulness to them." I was asked by a young man who said: "Our people used to steal and do bad deeds during times of famine, and I fear they did not leave us any good. So I asked a fortune-teller among the people, and he said to me: 'Slaughter a camel every year.' So I slaughtered one for a year
and he left it last year, so what is your opinion? I said to him: First, this man is not a shirawi; I seek refuge in Allah from being like him, for he is a fortune-teller or an ignorant person influenced by fortune-tellers, for he issued a ruling for you to slaughter for other than Allah and to rely on other than Him. Second, do not ask about what your fathers and grandfathers used to do. Allah the Exalted said:
and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىis similar to these sacrifices included in slaughter for other than Allah, and is it permissible to eat it for one who is not in dire necessity, and should one who is offered meat inquire about the reason for its slaughter or not, and is the sick animal - whose meat is not desired - slaughtered or left until it dies? Knowing that they slaughter it seeking its lawful slaughter based on their concept of charity by killing the animal or by its blood. Please clarify the statement in this matter, may Allah reward you with good, so that we can read it to them in their mosques, knowing that when I visit them I spare no effort in delivering some words, so they ask me these questions and I answer them from what I know, and what I do not know I record for myself, and I promise them that I will ask about it and bring them the answer if Allah wills. In addition to the fact that some of them are not convinced by my answer, so if the answer comes from your Eminence, they may be more convinced. Also, many people go to fortune-tellers and those who claim knowledge of the unseen, and we have resided with a man south of al-Ta'if who informs them about the locations of stolen goods, and the locations of underground water, and describes to them the layers of the earth from his house or from al-Ta'if , which is about three hundred kilometers away from him, as he describes to them the treatment of their illnesses... etc.
A: After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered that slaughtering animals that are permissible to eat is for purposes:
First: The permissible and prescribed slaughter, which has types: 1- Slaughter for eating, and this is permissible if they mention the name of Allah upon it, Allah the Exalted said:
So eat of that [meat] upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned
فَكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِand from it you eat
وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَProhibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِthose which are sacrificed on stone altars
وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِother of the awliya (close friends of Allah); because it is what was dedicated to other than Allah. 3- What is slaughtered in the occasions of religious innovation, such as al-Mawlid, al-Isra' and al-Mi'raj, or other of the innovations of festivals, so this is forbidden slaughter and its meat is not permissible to eat. 4- What is slaughtered in accordance with the customs of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, such as slaughter for the descent of rain, or to ward off calamity, or to bring about good, or other of the customs of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. As for the one who wants to give charity to the needy, the door of charity is wide and it is not necessary that it be with meat, but it can be by distributing money, distributing food, clothing, and other things that benefit the needy. It is not permissible to go to fortune-tellers, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or a diviner and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
من أتى كاهنًا أو عرافًا فصدقه بما يقول فقد كفر بما أنزل على محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم -
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.