You mentioned cutting the two carotid arteries in the slaughtered animal, but many Muslims are now hesitant to look at the carcasses hanging in butchers' shops, where
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The questioner : You mentioned cutting the two carotid arteries in the slaughtered animal, but many Muslims are now hesitant to look at the carcasses hanging in butchers' shops, where they see that the connection of the spinal cord to the head has not been cut. What is the ruling on that?
The Shaykh : Do you mean by the spinal cord the windpipe, I mean, the windpipe?
The questioner : I mean, yes, the neck, the same neck, yes.
The Shaykh : This does not harm.
The questioner : It does not harm.
The Shaykh : It does not harm, and there is no detailed specification from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this issue concerning what is cut in the neck. There are four things in the neck: the two carotid arteries are two.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the windpipe and the esophagus. The windpipe is the passage for breath, and it is these soft, round bones.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the esophagus is the passage for food and drink, and it is under the windpipe, closer to the neck bone. These four things constitute the completion of lawful slaughter by cutting them all, without doubt.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If they are all cut, this is the completion of lawful slaughter. If some of them are cut, some scholars hold that the condition is cutting the windpipe and the esophagus, and that cutting the two carotid arteries is not a condition. Others hold that cutting the two carotid arteries is the condition.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that cutting the windpipe and the esophagus is only recommended. And some hold that the condition is cutting three of the four, either specified or not specified. The reason for these discrepancies in the opinions of the scholars is that there is no definitive Sunnah in this issue that clarifies what is cut in lawful slaughter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if we look at the meaning indicated by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Sunan al-Bayhaqi 16:1491 and he did not mention the condition of anything else at all, then if we consider the cutting of these four things, what causes the blood to flow out? It becomes clear that the blood flows out by cutting the two carotid arteries, as is well known.
Then the scholars attributed the prohibition of carrion that has not been slaughtered, such as the strangled animal, the beaten animal, and the like, to the fact that the blood has coagulated in it, making it impure because of it. And it is known that the two carotid arteries allow the blood to be completely drained.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For this reason, we hold that what is considered in lawful slaughter is cutting the two carotid arteries only, due to the indication of the hadithSunan Ibn Majah 3178Sahih (Darussalam), the indication of the hadith. This indicates the obligation of cutting them and the absence of anything that obligates cutting the windpipe and the esophagus.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you mean by the spinal cord the windpipe, I mean, the windpipe?
The questioner : I mean, yes, the neck, the same neck, yes.
The Shaykh : This does not harm.
The questioner : It does not harm.
The Shaykh : It does not harm, and there is no detailed specification from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this issue concerning what is cut in the neck. There are four things in the neck: the two carotid arteries are two.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the windpipe and the esophagus. The windpipe is the passage for breath, and it is these soft, round bones.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the esophagus is the passage for food and drink, and it is under the windpipe, closer to the neck bone. These four things constitute the completion of lawful slaughter by cutting them all, without doubt.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If they are all cut, this is the completion of lawful slaughter. If some of them are cut, some scholars hold that the condition is cutting the windpipe and the esophagus, and that cutting the two carotid arteries is not a condition. Others hold that cutting the two carotid arteries is the condition.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that cutting the windpipe and the esophagus is only recommended. And some hold that the condition is cutting three of the four, either specified or not specified. The reason for these discrepancies in the opinions of the scholars is that there is no definitive Sunnah in this issue that clarifies what is cut in lawful slaughter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if we look at the meaning indicated by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
Whatever causes the blood to flow out and the name of Allah is mentioned over it, all
ما أنهر الدم وذكر عليه اسم الله فكلThen the scholars attributed the prohibition of carrion that has not been slaughtered, such as the strangled animal, the beaten animal, and the like, to the fact that the blood has coagulated in it, making it impure because of it. And it is known that the two carotid arteries allow the blood to be completely drained.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For this reason, we hold that what is considered in lawful slaughter is cutting the two carotid arteries only, due to the indication of the hadith
(Use) whatever causes the blood to flow, mention the Name of Allah
ما أنهر الدم وذكر اسم الله عليهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.