In Kuwait, 50% of the meat is imported, and 90% of it is not slaughtered according to the Shari'ah.
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The questioner : ... In Kuwait, fifty percent of the meat consumed is imported... and it may be that ninety percent of this imported meat is not slaughtered. As for the method of slaughter in the slaughterhouses, it is known to be by electricity. Consequently, it has become certain that approximately forty-five percent of the meat consumed in Kuwait is not slaughtered. Does this call for us to prohibit this meat? Knowing that prohibiting the entry of this meat into Kuwait would cut off a primary source of food for the people. Or does the Shari'ah interest require that we proceed gradually and pave the way for slaughtered meat or halal before we reach the stage of prohibition?
The Shaykh : No, there is no interest in it. There is no interest here in making permissible what Allah has forbidden, ever. And in what He has made lawful, there is sufficiency over what is forbidden. But the issue should be looked at, in the details you presented, with a precise view. If you assume that fifty percent is killed and fifty percent is slaughtered, we are still at the point of doubt. This is the point that does not allow the Muslim scholar to issue a ruling of prohibition, unless he stands before a specific carcass and knows by some means that this... is killed and not slaughtered. In that case, he takes the ruling of prohibition. But when you research the matter generally, and assume that fifty percent is halal, meaning some of it is fifty percent halal, and the other fifty percent is haram, and this is not distinguished from that; as I said earlier, we are still at the point of doubt. But if the scale of one of the proportions tips; you take the ruling of the predominant one, either permissibility or prohibition. If we say, for example, fifty-five percent is killed, and forty-five percent is slaughtered; it takes the ruling of prohibition; because the haram predominates over the halal.
The questioner : In more detail.
The Shaykh: Please proceed.
The questioner : ... Distinguishing from the frozen. Ninety percent of frozen meat is killed, which means there is a way to distinguish. The fifty percent is slaughtered within the country, and only large quantities of meat are imported frozen, slaughtered abroad. As for what is slaughtered, it is slaughtered in Kuwait, meaning it is brought alive to Kuwait.
The Shaykh : I mean, you intend that what is not slaughtered in the country is all slaughtered, but its proportion relative to the imported is fifty percent?
The questioner : Approximately.
The Shaykh : And what is imported is ninety percent?
The questioner : What is imported, if we assume that the meat brought to Kuwait is one hundred tons, fifty tons of it is slaughtered locally, and fifty tons is imported frozen. Of the fifty tons imported frozen, forty-five tons are killed, and five tons may be slaughtered. In this case, is the attribute of killing predominant in the frozen?
The Shaykh : Yes, the attribute of killing is predominant in the imported frozen type. Okay, but is it distinguished from the halal local slaughtered? Distinguished?
The questioner : Distinguished, yes, it is bought fresh, and this is bought frozen from the markets?
The Shaykh : Okay, in that case, it is not permissible to eat this.
The questioner : It is not permissible to eat it, but do we open, I mean, do we open the field.
The Shaykh : No, no, this is the first step, then we come here. This is not permissible to eat. Okay, the doubt that was presented to our brother there, in case the proportion is like this!
The questioner : Regarding restaurants, Shaykh?
The questioner: No, not restaurants, we are talking now from a certain aspect.
The Shaykh : No, I did not mention restaurants, so you do not comment on the word restaurants coming from here. Our brother here said: that it is doubtful. If the proportion is as you say, why the doubt?
The questioner : I have no doubt.
The Shaykh : Yes, so conclude the matter for us, if you two, so that we may clarify the truth!
The questioner : He may have doubt in its entry into a specific restaurant, but we are talking at the level of the state.
The Shaykh : No, no, but he says it enters the restaurant and there are imported frozen carcasses, so he has doubt about this.
The Shaykh : No, there is no interest in it. There is no interest here in making permissible what Allah has forbidden, ever. And in what He has made lawful, there is sufficiency over what is forbidden. But the issue should be looked at, in the details you presented, with a precise view. If you assume that fifty percent is killed and fifty percent is slaughtered, we are still at the point of doubt. This is the point that does not allow the Muslim scholar to issue a ruling of prohibition, unless he stands before a specific carcass and knows by some means that this... is killed and not slaughtered. In that case, he takes the ruling of prohibition. But when you research the matter generally, and assume that fifty percent is halal, meaning some of it is fifty percent halal, and the other fifty percent is haram, and this is not distinguished from that; as I said earlier, we are still at the point of doubt. But if the scale of one of the proportions tips; you take the ruling of the predominant one, either permissibility or prohibition. If we say, for example, fifty-five percent is killed, and forty-five percent is slaughtered; it takes the ruling of prohibition; because the haram predominates over the halal.
The questioner : In more detail.
The Shaykh: Please proceed.
The questioner : ... Distinguishing from the frozen. Ninety percent of frozen meat is killed, which means there is a way to distinguish. The fifty percent is slaughtered within the country, and only large quantities of meat are imported frozen, slaughtered abroad. As for what is slaughtered, it is slaughtered in Kuwait, meaning it is brought alive to Kuwait.
The Shaykh : I mean, you intend that what is not slaughtered in the country is all slaughtered, but its proportion relative to the imported is fifty percent?
The questioner : Approximately.
The Shaykh : And what is imported is ninety percent?
The questioner : What is imported, if we assume that the meat brought to Kuwait is one hundred tons, fifty tons of it is slaughtered locally, and fifty tons is imported frozen. Of the fifty tons imported frozen, forty-five tons are killed, and five tons may be slaughtered. In this case, is the attribute of killing predominant in the frozen?
The Shaykh : Yes, the attribute of killing is predominant in the imported frozen type. Okay, but is it distinguished from the halal local slaughtered? Distinguished?
The questioner : Distinguished, yes, it is bought fresh, and this is bought frozen from the markets?
The Shaykh : Okay, in that case, it is not permissible to eat this.
The questioner : It is not permissible to eat it, but do we open, I mean, do we open the field.
The Shaykh : No, no, this is the first step, then we come here. This is not permissible to eat. Okay, the doubt that was presented to our brother there, in case the proportion is like this!
The questioner : Regarding restaurants, Shaykh?
The questioner: No, not restaurants, we are talking now from a certain aspect.
The Shaykh : No, I did not mention restaurants, so you do not comment on the word restaurants coming from here. Our brother here said: that it is doubtful. If the proportion is as you say, why the doubt?
The questioner : I have no doubt.
The Shaykh : Yes, so conclude the matter for us, if you two, so that we may clarify the truth!
The questioner : He may have doubt in its entry into a specific restaurant, but we are talking at the level of the state.
The Shaykh : No, no, but he says it enters the restaurant and there are imported frozen carcasses, so he has doubt about this.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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