The Ruling on the Slaughter of Christians That Is Slaughtered by Electric Shock or Neck Crushing
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question: The questioner / F. T. from Germany: He asks about: Christian slaughterhouses in most European and American countries have adopted the practice of slaughtering sheep by electric shock and slaughtering chickens by crushing the neck. What is the ruling on this?
Answer: It is said: The Book of Allah the Almighty, the pure Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslims have indicated the lawfulness of the food of the People of the Book; due to the saying of Allah, the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:5] The verse [al-Ma'idah: 5]. This noble verse has indicated the lawfulness of the food of the People of the Book, and what is meant by that is their slaughtered animals.
And in this regard, they are not superior to the Muslims; rather, they are like the Muslims in this matter. So if it is known that they slaughter in a way that renders the animal in the status of carrion, it is forbidden, just as if a Muslim did that; due to the saying of Allah: :[Al-Ma'idah 5:3] The verse [al-Ma'idah: 3].
So any slaughter by a Muslim or a Person of the Book that renders the slaughtered animal in the status of the strangled, the beaten to death, the fallen from a height, or the gored by an animal, is a slaughter that forbids the animal and places it among the carrion because of this noble verse.
And this verse specifies the generality of His saying, the Exalted: [al-Ma'idah: 5], just as it specifies the evidence indicating the lawfulness of the slaughter of a Muslim if his slaughter is done in a way that renders his slaughtered animal in the status of carrion.
As for your statement that Christian slaughterhouses have adopted the practice of slaughtering sheep by electric shock and slaughtering chickens by crushing the neck, I asked some people of expertise about the meaning of "shock" and "crushing"; because you did not clarify their meanings. The person we asked answered us: that "shock" is: the extraction of the soul by electricity without lawful slaughter, and as for "crushing," it is: cutting the neck once.
So if that is what is meant by shock and crushing, then the animal slaughtered by shock is carrion; because it was not slaughtered with the lawful slaughter, which includes cutting the windpipe and the esophagus and letting the blood flow. And it is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 5498
And as for crushing in the aforementioned meaning, it renders the slaughtered animal lawful; because it includes the lawful slaughter, which is: cutting the windpipe, the esophagus, and the two carotid arteries, and in that the blood flows, along with cutting what should be cut.
As for if what is meant by shock and crushing for you is other than what we mentioned, we hope you will inform us about it; so that the answer is based on that.
May Allah guide everyone to hit the truth.
Answer: It is said: The Book of Allah the Almighty, the pure Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslims have indicated the lawfulness of the food of the People of the Book; due to the saying of Allah, the Exalted:
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them
الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلُّ لَّهُمْAnd in this regard, they are not superior to the Muslims; rather, they are like the Muslims in this matter. So if it is known that they slaughter in a way that renders the animal in the status of carrion, it is forbidden, just as if a Muslim did that; due to the saying of Allah: :
Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُSo any slaughter by a Muslim or a Person of the Book that renders the slaughtered animal in the status of the strangled, the beaten to death, the fallen from a height, or the gored by an animal, is a slaughter that forbids the animal and places it among the carrion because of this noble verse.
And this verse specifies the generality of His saying, the Exalted:
and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them
وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلُّ لَّهُمْAs for your statement that Christian slaughterhouses have adopted the practice of slaughtering sheep by electric shock and slaughtering chickens by crushing the neck, I asked some people of expertise about the meaning of "shock" and "crushing"; because you did not clarify their meanings. The person we asked answered us: that "shock" is: the extraction of the soul by electricity without lawful slaughter, and as for "crushing," it is: cutting the neck once.
So if that is what is meant by shock and crushing, then the animal slaughtered by shock is carrion; because it was not slaughtered with the lawful slaughter, which includes cutting the windpipe and the esophagus and letting the blood flow. And it is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
If the killing tool causes blood to gush out and if Allah's Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughterer animal). But do not slaughter with a tooth or a nail.
ما أنهر الدم وذكر اسم الله عليه فكل، ليس السن والظفرAnd as for crushing in the aforementioned meaning, it renders the slaughtered animal lawful; because it includes the lawful slaughter, which is: cutting the windpipe, the esophagus, and the two carotid arteries, and in that the blood flows, along with cutting what should be cut.
As for if what is meant by shock and crushing for you is other than what we mentioned, we hope you will inform us about it; so that the answer is based on that.
May Allah guide everyone to hit the truth.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.