Fatwa ID: 06798

 

Answered by: Maulana Ubaidur Rahman

 

Question:

 

Is it permissible to do Amal on Shafi Mazhab when in Saudi and eat machine slaughter?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ[1] ۖ

O you who believe follow Allah and his Messenger (PBUH) and those who have authority over you.

 

 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ عَلَيْكَ السَّمْعَ وَالطَّاعَةَ فِي عُسْرِكَ وَيُسْرِكَ وَمَنْشَطِكَ وَمَكْرَهِكَ وَأَثَرَةٍ عَلَيْكَ[2]

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

 

It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.

 

Changing places and the people around you simply and alone will not enable a person to change mazaahib validly.

 

A person should stick to one single mazhab throughout their life unless certain exceptions occur when they need to adopt a different ruling from another mazhab in exceptional circumstances. It also should be noted that Islamic law is not a plaything or for amusement, and each leading scholar and person of the school of thought has applied and strived to reach their rulings for their school, based on their thorough study of Islamic law and principles.

 

It is then upon us, the followers to follow and understand what they have uncovered and unearthed in relation to their ruling and seek to understand the ways in which they reached the ruling in accordance with our capacities. We are not to divert or pick and choose between various rulings based on our own whims and desires.

 

Regarding machine-slaughtered animals, there is a specific and certain style of slaughter which has been Islamically prescribed – a specific number of veins and slaughtering with precision. Having a machine slaughter on behalf of an actual person does not provide that certainty or fulfil that requisite, hence it will not be permissible on the basis of the requirements of Islamic slaughter not being met completely. Also, the slaughtering needs to take place with the name of Allah mentioned beforehand, and this is not able to be done by a machine.

ولا يعقل التسمية والذبيحة لا تحل لأن التسمية على الذبيحة شرط بالنص وذلك بالقصد[3]

 

 

If a slaughtering has occurred without the name of Allah being mentioned directly at the time of slaughtering then it will not be permissible to consume and this is supported by Quranic texts and instructions.

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Ubaidur Rahman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

[1] Surah an-Nisaa, 4:59.

 

[2] Saheeh Muslim, 1836.

 

[3] Hidaayah, 364:4. , as-shamila.