Fatwa ID: 01927

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Is it necessary to be in Wudhu whilst slaughtering an animal? Can some one who is Maazur (urinary problem) slaughter animals? Can he lead the prayers if there is no one else who can lead the prayers properly? 

Answer:

In light of the Qur’an and Hadith there are three conditions for a valid Islamic slaughter.

1. The slaughterer must be a Muslim or from the People of the Book. It is a consensus of the Muslim Ummah that the word ‘book’ is where there exists a certitude, confirmed by the Holy Qur’an to be the Book of Allah, for instance, the Torah, Evangile, Zabur (Psalms) and other scriptures of Saaiduna Musa Alayhis  Salam and Saaiduna Ibrahim Alayhis Salam.

Therefore, people who believe in a book but this book does not stand proved through the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith shall not be included under the term ‘People of the Book.’

This tells us that the Jews and Christians who are believers of the Torah and the Evangile respectively are included in the term of ‘People of the Book.’

Finally Mufti Shafi has said if the Jews and Christians accept and believe in a scripture and claim to follow it- they still be considered as the ‘People of the Book’ even though they may have altered the Torah and the Evangile. (Maariful Quran p.61 v.3)

2. The pronouncing of the name of Allah at the time of slaughter.   (Jawahirul Fiqh p.375 v.2) Furthermore, it is necessary that ‘Bismillah’ is recited at the time the animal is slaughtered before one begins doing something else. So much so that if a person laid down two sheep’s, one over the other, and slaughtered them simultaneously with pronouncing the name of Allah once, then they will both be lawful, contrary to the situation where one slaughters them one after the other with one Bismillah as only the first animal will be lawful. (Khulasatul Masaail p.108 v.3) Also another important masala is that the one who is slaughtering the animal (Zabih) pronounces the Bismillah.

3. Most of the following four needs to be cut; the throat, windpipe and the two jugular veins. (Jawahirul Fiqh p.375 v.2)

With regards to your question, it is not necessary to slaughter the animal in the state of wudhu. Similarly, a Mazuur (someone who has a chronic illness) can sacrife the animal.

Finally, a Mazuur cannot lead a non-Mazuur in salah whether it is fardh prayer or nafl. (Hidayah p.126 v.1)

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham