Q: Certain things happen at some sheep slaughterhouses that I hope Your Eminence will explain to me and advise those who are in charge of such slaughterhouses if any mistakes are involved.1. Many animals are Slaughtered in front of other animals waiting their turn, what is the ruling on this?2. Some animals are slaughtered by cutting the jugular vein until it reaches the spinal cord in the vertebral column so the animal immediately loses its ability to move. The reason that some slaughterhouses do so is that they like to finish their work quickly. What is the ruling on this?

A: Firstly: The prohibition of dead animals and the permissibility of slaughtered ones:Allah (Exalted be He) says, Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals - cattle - beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns, and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal, unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:3). (Part No. 22; Page No. 361) Dead animals are animals that die without being slaughtered in the Shar`y (Islamic legal) way. They are Haram (prohibited) as the previous Ayah (Qur'anic verse) explicitly states. However, certain exceptions were made by the Prophet (peace be upon him) from this prohibition. He (peace be upon him) said, We are allowed to eat two dead things and two (kinds of) blood. As for the two dead things, they are fish and locust. As for the two bloods, they are liver and spleen. Munkhaniqah are those animals which are directly suffocated or which are tied up until they become unbalanced and die. It is Haram (prohibited) to eat from the meat of such animals.Mawqudhah are those animals killed by violent blows are those which are killed by being beaten with a stick or any other heavy tool.Mutaradiyah are those animals killed by headlong falls are those which are killed by falling from a high place or falling into a hole etc.Natihah are those animals killed by the goring of horns are animals which die as a result of being butted by other animals.Animals that have been (partly) eaten by a wild animal are animals that have died after being attacked by a wild animal.Animals on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned are animals which are slaughtered while mentioning a name other than the Name of Allah on them such as the names of idols and Taghut (false gods) or the animal which is slaughtered for Jinn (creatures created from fire) to avoid their evils or for graves to draw close to the dead.Secondly: Conditions of Shar`y slaughtering:The following are the conditions of Shar`y slaughtering that should be met in order for the meat of the animal to be Halal (lawful): (Part No. 22; Page No. 362) 1. Slaughtering has to be done using any sharp tool except a tooth or a nail. Proof for the foregoing is a Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, If the killing tool causes blood to gush out, and if Allah’s Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughtered animal). But do not slaughter with a nail or a tooth. If the killing tool kills with its weight and not its edge, then the slaughtered animal will not be lawful. 2. The slaughterer should be competent for religious assignment, i.e. they should be sane and Muslim or one of the people of the Book for Allah (Exalted be He) says, The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you "The food" in the previous Ayah (Qur'anic verse) refers to animals which are slaughtered by the people of the Book as authentically narrated by Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both).3. Cutting the gullet, which is the passage of food, the throat which is the passage of air, and the two jugular veins where blood runs by the two sides of the neck. Proof for the foregoing is the Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, If the killing tool causes blood to gush out, and if Allah’s Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughtered animal). The place of slaughtering is the throat for all animals other than camels, for which it is the upper part of the chest.4. Mentioning the Name of Allah upon slaughtering the animal saying: "Bismillah" (In the Name of Allah). Proof for this is Allah's saying, So eat of that (meat) on which Allâh’s Name has been pronounced (while slaughtering the animal) until He (Exalted be He) says, (Part No. 22; Page No. 363)  Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allâh’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal) Thus, if a person abandons mentioning the Name of Allah deliberately upon slaughtering the animal, such an animal will not be Halal but if someone forgets to do so; the animal that they slaughter will be considered Halal. The foregoing is proven by a Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, It is still Halal to eat from a sacrifice slaughtered by a Muslim even if he does not mention the name of Allah, as long as he does not drop it on purpose. (Related by Sa`id ibn Mansur in his Sunan 'Book of Hadith compilation') Thirdly: Sunnahs (commendable acts) of slaughtering:1. Sharpening the tool which is used for slaughtering and comforting the animal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Verily Allah has enjoined goodness for everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way. So every one of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably. 2. That the slaughterer presses heavily on the slaughtering tool according to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), ... And let the slaughtered animal die comfortably. 3. Not to sharpen the slaughtering tool in front of the animal as the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed.4. Not to slaughter an animal in front of the others lest animals should feel pain.5. Turning the animal to be slaughtered towards the Qiblah (Ka`bah-direction faced in Prayer) for the Prophet (peace be upon him), Never slaughter an animal or a Hady (sacrificial animal offered by pilgrims) unless it is turned towards the Qiblah. He (peace be upon him) used to slaughter camels while standing with their front left foot (Part No. 22; Page No. 364) tied. This is in conformity with Allah's saying, So mention the Name of Allâh over them when they are drawn up in lines (for sacrifice). However, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to slaughter sheep and cows while they were lying down on their left sides.6. Delaying separating the neck of the slaughtered animal and skinning it until its meat cools off i.e. until its soul is detached completely from its body. This is because it is narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) sent Badil ibn Warqa' Al-Khuza`y on an Awraq (of black color interpenetrated by some whiteness) camel in the roads of Mina and announced certain things amongst which: 'Do not hasten in slaughtering the animal.' (Related by Al-Daraqutny). May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.