Fatwa ID: 09023
Answered by Maulana Nahid Uddin
Question:
So as a bare minimum the animal needs to be alive at the time of slaughter in order for the meat to be rendered tahir. If the animal died prior to the slaughter it is maytah. To what extent does the slaughtering practice have to be investigated?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It is indeed a condition for the permissibility and purity (taharah) of meat that the animal be alive at the time of slaughter. If it dies before proper slaughter, it is classified as maytah, which is impermissible. [1] Imam Kasani states that one of the conditions of slaughter is that the animal be alive at the time of slaughter. [2]
As for the extent of investigation, one is not required to excessively probe or investigate beyond what is apparent and reasonable. When the Companions were unsure about the slaughter of some people, the Prophet SAW did not command a detailed investigation. Therefore, unless there is a strong reason to believe that the animal was dead before slaughter, one may rely on the outward appearance. [3]
However, if reliable information indicates that improper methods are being used, then a higher level of caution is warranted, and one must avoid such meat. At the same time, falling into obsessive scrutiny without evidence is discouraged, as the Shariah seeks balance. [4]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Maulana Nahid Uddin
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
– حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ
(Surah Al-Maidah, A3)
[2]
– (وَجْهُ) قَوْلِهِمَا إنَّهُ إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا حَيَاةٌ مُسْتَقِرَّةٌ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَا كَانَتْ مَيْتَةً مَعْنًى فَلَا تَلْحَقُهَا الذَّكَاةُ كَالْمَيْتَةِ حَقِيقَةً، وَلِأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ ﵁ قَوْله تَعَالَى ﴿حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ﴾ [المائدة: ٣] إلَى قَوْله تَعَالَى ﴿وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ﴾ [المائدة: ٣] اسْتَثْنَى ﷾ الْمُذَكَّى مِنْ الْجُمْلَةِ الْمُحَرَّمَةِ، وَالِاسْتِثْنَاءُ مِنْ التَّحْرِيمِ إبَاحَةٌ وَهَذِهِ مُذَكَّاةٌ لِوُجُودِ فَرْيِ الْأَوْدَاجِ مَعَ قِيَامِ الْحَيَاةِ فَدَخَلَتْ تَحْتَ النَّصِّ.
Badai Al- Sanai, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Chapter of Slaughter, Volume 6, Page 250
[3]
– أَنَّ قَوْمًا قَالُوا لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِنَّ قَوْمًا يَأْتُونَا بِاللَّحْمِ، لَا نَدْرِي أَذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ أَمْ لَا. فَقَالَ : ” سَمُّوا
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, H5507)
وَكَذَا الْأَخِيرُ جَزَمَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ فَقَالَ: فِيهِ أَنَّ مَا ذَبَحَهُ الْمُسْلِمُ يُؤْكَلُ وَيُحْمَلُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ سَمَّى، لِأَنَّ الْمُسْلِمَ لَا يُظَنُّ بِهِ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا الْخَيْرُ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ خِلَافُ ذَلِكَ، وَعَكَسَ هَذَا الْخَطَّابِيُّ فَقَالَ: فِيهِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ التَّسْمِيَةَ غَيْرُ شَرْطٍ عَلَى الذَّبِيحَةِ لِأَنَّهَا لَوْ كَانَتْ شَرْطًا لَمْ تُسْتَبَحِ الذَّبِيحَةُ بِالْأَمْرِ الْمَشْكُوكِ فِيهِ، كَمَا لَوْ عَرَضَ الشَّكُّ فِي نَفْسِ الذَّبْحِ فَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ هَلْ وَقَعَتِ الذَّكَاةُ الْمُعْتَبَرَةُ أَوْ لَا، وَهَذَا هُوَ الْمُتَبَادَرُ مِنْ سِيَاقِ الْحَدِيثِ حَيْثُ وَقَعَ الْجَوَابُ فِيهِ فَسَمُّوا أَنْتُمْ وَكُلُوا كَأَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تَهْتَمُّوا بِذَلِكَ بَلِ الَّذِي يُهِمُّكُمْ أَنْتُمْ أَنْ تَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ وَتَأْكُلُوا، وَهَذَا مِنْ أُسْلُوبِ الْحَكِيمِ كَمَا نَبَّهَ عَلَيْهِ الطِّيبِيُّ. وَمِمَّا يَدُلُّ عَلَى عَدَمِ الِاشْتِرَاطِ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْ﴾ فَأَبَاحَ الْأَكْلَ مِنْ ذَبَائِحِهِمْ مَعَ وُجُودِ الشَّكِّ فِي أَنَّهُمْ سَمَّوْا أَمْ لَا.
Fath Al-Bari, Chapter on Slaughter, Page 636. Assessed on Maktabah Al-Shamilah, 1-05-26
[4]
– وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ
(Surah Al-Hajj, A78)