Post by Arwah on Dec 29, 2009 12:19:02 GMT
Assalamalaikum 
Halal and Haram Meat
By Shaikh M. Ibrahim Memon
The matter of Halal and Haram meat has consensus in the scholars through the history of Islam. The issue has been addressed completely through the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. May Allah guide us towards making the right choices for ourselves in this regard, and May He protect us from all Haram.
Food and drink, being the basic needs of human beings, have been discussed in detail and clearly explained in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. Especially, the issue of Halal and Haram meat is discussed quite extensively.
Unfortunately, we choose not to follow the established rules of Shari’ah based on the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. Instead, we make up our own rules to suit our needs and circumstances and do not seem to care if they are contradictory to the commands of Allah and His beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam
First of all, it should be kept in mind that in order to learn about any particular issue from the Holy Qur’an and Hadith, one muse be thoroughly well versed in the Arabic language. We must never attempt to understand and especially render a judgment about any issue of Shari’ah based on the translations of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. Since translations are never totally accurate and generally do not reflect the true spirit of the message, one takes the risk of misunderstanding an issue based on the translator’s perception of it. Thus, the whole foundation on which we would base our interpretation will be wrong and if the foundation is wrong then the structure we erect on it will be wrong as well.
Secondly, it is essential that one knows the rules governing the interpretation of Qur’an and Hadith. Without this knowledge we are also very likely to misinterpret the commands of Allah and His Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.
Someone may argue that Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an, “We have made the Quran easy”; then how come we have to learn this and that to understand the true meaning of Quran? It should be borne in mind that whenever and wherever Allah says in the Holy Quran “We have made the Quran easy”. He has also added the word, “To take advice from and remember”, and not to deduce interpretations of your own liking. If the Holy Quran was made easy for everyone to interpret and to deduce the commands of Allah and the practices of Shariah, there would have been no need for sending a prophet and there could not have been any uniformity in the practice of Deen. As Allah says in the Quran:
“And we have also sent down unto you {O Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam the Dhikr, reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qura’n)} that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.” (16:44)
Imam Ghazali and other scholars have mentioned fifteen branches of knowledge which one must acquire in order to gain insight into any particular issue from the Holy Quran and Hadith. One of these branches of knowledge, for example, is the knowledge of the background and circumstances under which Quranic verses were revealed. Without this knowledge, it would be impossible to understand the meaning and rationale of many of the verses in the Holy Quran. Consider the following verse:
“Those who believe and do righteous good deeds there is no sin on them for what they ate if they fear Allah and believe and do righteous good deeds, and again fear Allah and believe and one again fear Allah and do good deeds with Ihsan. And Allah loves the good doers.” (5:93)
If one looks at the literal translation of the above verse, one gets the impression that whatever one eats, whether it is Haram or Halal, will not make any difference as long as one believes in Allah, performs good deeds and is mindful of his/her duties. It is only when we learn the background of and the circumstances under which the verse was revealed that we truly understand the meaning of the verse.
Let us examine the background of this verse. When the verse forbidding alcohol was revealed, some of the companion expressed their concern about those who died before the revelation of this verse. The above verse was revealed to this concern and to ensure the companions that as long as the person believed in Allah and was pious, God-fearing and mindful of his/her duties of Allah, he/she will not be punished for his previous drinking; if he is punished, it will not be because of his drinking but because of his lack of faith and fear of Allah.
The above example clearly demonstrates how essential it is to have the knowledge of the rules dealing with the interpretation of the Holy Quran. Without this knowledge one can easily go astray.
There are many such examples in the Holy Quran and Hadith. Suffice is to say that one must acquire the knowledge of the fifteen subjects mentioned by Imam Ghazali if one intends to deduce the rules of Shariah himself from the Holy Quran and Haidth. If one renders judgments from the Holy Quran and Hadith without this knowledge, he/she will lead himself and other innocent Muslims astray. May Allah protect us and guide us to the right path!!
Thirdly, one should remember that when we investigate an issue through the Quran and Haidth, we should look at all the Quranic verses and Hadith relating to the topic. Only then will we be able to see the total picture of what Allah and His Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam have taught us about this particular issue.
Take for example alcohol, if one reads the verse, “Do not pray when you are drunk” (4:43). One may easily misunderstand and claim that drinking is permitted in the Holy Quran as long as one is not praying while drunk, because drinking is forbidden only at the time of prayer. This person will not be able to understand the rules of Shariah about drinking because of his lack of knowledge of other verses of the Holy Quran and Hadith dealing with the commands of Allah about drinking. He may not realize that this verse was revealed at eh beginning of Islam and that another verse forbidding it altogether was revealed later on. The verse read as follows:
“ O believers, wine, gambling, (ungodly) shrines and divining devices are all abominable works of Satan; therefore refrain from these so that you may attain true success. Indeed Satan intends to sow enmity and hatred among you by means of wine, gambling to prevent you from the remembrance of Allah and from Salah. Will you not, therefore, abstain from these things?” (5:90-91)
since the intent of this short article is not to discuss the rules of interpretation of the Holy Quran and Hadith, we will not go into the details of the fifteen branches of knowledge described by Imam Ghazali. Those who are interested in learning more about them may consult Imam Ghazali’s writings such as, “Ihya-Al-Uloom”.
Let us now return to the main purpose for which I started to write this little article.
Allah has mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah,
“Those four things are forbidden from you: 1) Dead animal, 2) Blood, 3) Pork, and 4) any animal slaughtered in the name other than Allah.” (2:173)
As I have mentioned before, it is not enough to take only one verse from the Holy Quran to deduce the rules about an issue because we have to consider all the verses that may be directly or indirectly related to this issue. When we search the Holy Quran for verses related to the slaughtered animal (Zabiha) and Halal and Haram meat, we find that there are a number of other things, which are forbidden. Take for example verse #3 of Surah al-Ma’idah.
“ Forbidden for you are: 1) dead animal, 2) blood, 3) the flesh of pork, 4) any animal slaughtered in the name other than Allah, 5) or killed by strangling, 6) or through a deadly blow, 7) or by falling from a height, 8) or killed by (the goring of) horns, 9) or eaten by wild beasts, 10) or the one which has been sacrificed on altars (or at a shrine)” (5:3)
If we take only the first verse from Surah Baqarah mentioned above, we may believe that only three types of meat and blood are forbidden (Haram) and everything else is permitted (Halal). Even in the second verse quoted from Surah Ma’idah, all other forbidden animals, such as lion, dog, tiger, etc., have not been mentioned. Although every Muslim knows these beasts are also forbidden for consumption. We find these details only in Ahadith. For the animal to be Halal there are certain conditions that follow.
FIRST CONDITION: TO RECITE THE NAME OF ALLAH:
Similarly, according to the Holy Quran an animal slaughtered without reciting the Takbir (the Name of Allah) is also forbidden as stated in Quran:
“ And do not eat the flesh of an animal over which Allah’s name has not been mentioned at the time of Slaughter; this is indeed sinful. The Satan puts doubts and objections into the minds of their friends, so that they should dispute with you, but if you obey them , you are surely Mushriks.” (6-121)
It follows from this verse that it is essential to say the Takbir (reciting the name of Allah) when slaughtering the animal. If the Takbir was not recited, the meat becomes forbidden for consumption.
Imam Raghib Asfahani has mentioned seven verses from the Holy Quran in support of reciting the Takbir when slaughtering an animal for consumption.
1. “ So eat of that (flesh of the animal) over which Allah’s name has been mentioned, if you truly believe in His Revelations”. (6:118)
In this verse Allah clearly commanded us not to consume the animal upon which the Takbir was not recited at the time of slaughtering. It is; therefore, abundantly clear that if we believe in the Holy Quran, we must not eat of an animal that has not been slaughtered in the name of Allah.
2. “Why should you not eat of that over which Allah’s names has been mentioned, when he has already given you explicit knowledge of those things which He has forbidden for you except in a case of extreme helplessness? And surely many people lead others astray by following their own desires without any knowledge. Indeed your Lord best knows the transgressors.” (6:119)
In this verse Allah has once again made it very clear that those who eat the meat of animals not slaughtered in the name of Allah are ignorant, following their desires blindly.
3. “And do not eat the flesh of the animal over which Allah’s name has not been mentioned at the time of slaughter; this is indeed sinful..” (6:121)
In this verse it is clearly stated once again that the animal which has not been slaughtered in the name of Allah is forbidden for eating, and to do so is a great sin. It is further stated in the same verse:
“ And certainly, the Shayatin (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you, and if you obey them [by making al-Maitah (a dead animal) legal by eating it], then you would indeed be Mushrikun (polytheists);” [because they (devils and their friends) made lawful to you to eat which Allah has made unlawful to eat and you obeyed them by considering it lawful to eat, and by doing so you worshipped them; and to worship others besides Allah is polytheism]
Clearly Allah has warned us that Satan will inspire their friends in fabricating arguments and excuses to make Halal what Allah has made Haram for us. Obviously, these friends of Satan would be the ones who follow their own desires without knowledge. If we follow them, Allah says we would become Mushriks, because we associated these people with Allah in giving us commands.
4. “That they may witness the benefits made available for them, and mention the name of Allah on the appointed days over the cattle he has provided them”. (22:28)
In this verse where Allah has ordered us to sacrifice the animal, He has once again reminded us not to forget to mention the name of Allah when sacrificing the animal.
5. “And for every nation We have prescribed a way of sacrifice so that they should pronounce the name of Allah over the cattle which he has provided for them”. (22:34)
In this verse Allah has informed us of a very important fact, that He made it compulsory for the previous Ummahs as well to recite His name when slaughtering the animal. Therefore, it is also compulsory for the Jews and the Christians to recite the name of Allah when they slaughter an animal for consumption. This is whey we have been allowed to eat the meat of an animal slaughtered by the people of the Divine Books. This issue is discussed in more details in the next section.
6. "And We have included the camels (dedicated for sacrifice) among the Symbols of Allah, for there is much good for you in them. Therefore, mention the name of Allah over them when they are drawn up in lines (for sacrifice)." (22:36)
In this verse too, Allah impressed the need of reciting His name, when animals are slaughtered to offer sacrifice. Ordinarily a butcher slaughters an animal tor consumption, but during the Hajj season every one has to slaughter his own animal. This is why Allah is emphasising and reminding us not to forget reciting His name at the time of slaughter.
7. "They ask you what has been made lawful for them. Say, all the good and pure things have been made lawful for you. You may also eat of what the hunting animals, which you have trained lo hunt in accordance with the knowledge Allah has given you, catch and hold for you. You should, however, mention Allah's name over it and fear (to violate the Law of) Allah, for Allah is swift at reckoning." (5:4)
This verse deals with hunting for meat. Allah has commanded us to recite His name before letting loose the hunting animals (e.g., dogs, hawks, etc.) after the prey. Only then the hunted animal will be Halal; otherwise, it will be Haram. This law of hunting has been mentioned very clearly in many Ahadith as well. This is the only right way to make sure the hunt is Halal.
I will present the following two Ahadith as examples.
1. The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said, "If you recited the name of Allah, then released one hound after the prey and another hound joined him, and the two dogs hunted the prey together; then the hunt will not be Halal because it is possible that the animal may have been killed by the dog on which Allah's name was not recited."
2. If an animal is hunted with an arrow and the prey fell in water after getting hit, then the animal will not be Halal because it is possible that his death may have been caused by the fall
or by drowning. There are many Ahadith on this subject in the authentic books such as Bukhari. Muslim, Abu-Daud, Tirmiz, Nasai, and Ibn-Majah etc. All of these Ahadith make it abundantly clear that an animal killed without reciting the name of Allah at the time of slaughter is Haram.
Therefore, reciting the name of Allah at the time of slaughter is the first condition for the meat to be Halal, Now, whoever tries to prove otherwise is ignorant and is following his own whims and desires; thereby, misleading himself and others.
SECOND CONDITION: SLAUGHTERING BY CUTTING THE THROAT
The second condition is that the animal should be slaughtered by cutting the throat, as it has been made clear in the following two Ahadith.
1. Abu Hurrairah Radi Allahu anhu narrated that the beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam once sent Budail bin Waraqah Radi Allahu anhu to Mina to announce and inform the pilgrims to slaughter their animals at the neck. (Dar Qutni. p. 544)
2. Abdullah bin Abbas Radi Allahu anhu, Umar Radi Allahu anhu and Ali Radi Allahu anhu have all narrated that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam instructed them to slaughter the animal at the neck. (Bukhari)
How and where should the neck be cut has been explained as well. Look at this Hadith:
1. Rafi bin Khudaij Radi Allahu anhu narrated that I asked the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam about slaughtering the animal: he Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam replied, "That slaughtering the animal with any sharp object (with the exception of nail and teeth) makes it Halal." (Ibn Abi Shaibah, Zaila'i)
The word (Awdaaj) in this Hadith means the two blood vessels, the oesophagus and the windpipe. Out of these four, at least three must be cut for the animal to be Halal for consumption.
Now, regarding the question about the animals slaughtered by People of the Book, that is. the Jews and Christians, we find the following verse in the Holy Qur'an.
"This day We have made lawful (Halal) for you all the clean and pure things, and We have also made lawful (Halal) the food of the people of Scripture for you and your food for them." (5:5)
According to the above verse, we are allowed to eat the food of the people of the Book. But. does this mean that we are allowed to eat the meal of animals slaughtered by the Jews and Christian even if they do not follow the requirements of slaughter prescribed by Allah i.e., reciting the name of Allah and cutting the animal's throat as prescribed? Not at all. Interpreting the meaning of the verse in this manner will amount to abolishing these requirements, discarding all the verses in the Holy Qur'an and literally hundreds of Ahadith about them without any proof to the contrary.
. Under no circumstances are we allowed to discard, disregard any command of Allah in the Holy Qur'an and the Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam without any solid proof to the contrary.
Even a Muslim that kills an animal without the prescribed method, it will be rendered as Haram so how about the others. In this case, if we assume that the above mentioned conditions for the slaughter of animals are meant only for Muslims and not for Christians and Jews, then it means that no matter how they kill the animal, it will be Halal for them and for us. But if a Muslim slaughters an animal without meeting these requirements, the meat would be Haram for our consumption. Does this make sense? It may also mean that Allah 's more lenient with the Jews and Christians in this regard than He is with Muslims. Docs that make sense?
In fact, this is not the meaning of this verse. In order to understand the real meaning of this verse, we must first answer two questions.
1. What is meant by the word (Ta'aam)'?
And
2. Why did Allah make Halal for us the food of only the Jews and Christian and not of others?
Let us look at the first question. The Arabic word (Ta'aam) means "food or meal". Now if we take this literal meaning of the word, then, according to this verse, pork and wine will become Halal as well because both of these food items are regularly consumed by the Christians. And, no Muslim will ever agree to this interpretation of the verse because we know that both pork and wine have been clearly declared as Haram lor us by Allah. It, therefore, follows that lhe word "Ta'aam" here does not mean all types of food. In the
interpretation of this verse. Imam Qurtubi has explained, "all those food consumed by the Christian and the Jews, which are forbidden for Muslims, do not become Halal because of this verse." (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, v.6, p.77).
There is a consensus among the scholars of the Holy Qur'an since the time of the Protphet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam that the word "Ta'aam" here means the meat of Halal animals slaughtered by Christians or Jews. Ibn-Kathir, Imam Jassas. Imam Aaiusi and others have derived this interpretation from the narrations by Abdullah bin Abbas. Abu-Darda, Abu-Umamah. Miijahid, Qatadah, Saeed-bin-Jubair, Ikrimah, Ala', Hasan Basri, Makhol Shami, Dhahhak, Ibrahim Nakhai. Imam Suddi, and Imam Muqatil, etc.)
Now then, why was the slaughtered meat of only Jews and Christians made Hala! for us and not of others?
The answer is quiie obvious. The Jews and the Christians used to slaughter their animals in exactly the same way as prescribed in Islam. They recited the name of Allah at the time of slaughter and cut the animal at the neck. So, their method of slaughter was exactly like ours. Allah had prescribed for them the same method of .slaughter as has been mentioned in Surah Hajj, verse 34. This can be confirmed through the Bible, Torah and the well established Jewish Dietary Laws. Look at the following quotations.
1. "You shall kill of your herd and your flock...as I have commanded you" (Deuteronomy 12.21)
2. The mammals and birds that may be eaten must be slaughtered in accordance with the Jewish law. (Dent. 12:21). We may not eat animals that died of natural causes (Dent. 14:21)
or that were killed by other animals. In addition, the animal must have no disease or flaws in the organs at the time of slaughter. These restrictions do not apply to fish; only to the
flocks and herds (Num. 11:22).
3. Ritual slaughter is known as shechitah and the person who performs the slaughter is called a shochet, both from the Hebrew root Shin-Chet-Tav, meaning to destroy or kill. The
method of slaughter is a quick, deep stroke across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade with no nicks or unevenness. This method is painless, causes unconsciousness within two
seconds, and is widely recognized as the most humane method of slaughter possible. Another advantage of shechitah is that it ensures rapid, complete draining of the blood, which is also necessary to render the meal kosher. The shochet is not simply a butcher; he must be a pious man, well-trained in Jewish law, particularly as it relates to kashrut. In smaller, more remote communities, the rabbi and the shochet were often the same person.
4. The humane laws of shechita probably go back to biblical times. The Torah itself implies knowledge of it: "You shall kill of your herd and your flock... as I have commanded you"
(Deuteronomy 12.21). And the moral basis of shechita was explained 800 years ago by Maimonides in his Guide of the Perplexed: "...the Law enjoins that the death of the animal
should be the easiest. It is not allowed to torment the animal by cutting the throat in a clumsy manner, by pole axing, or by cutting off a limb while the animal is alive. It is also
prohibited to kill an animal with its young on the same day (Leviticus 22.08). in order thai people should be restrained from killing the two together in such a manner thai the young is slain in the sight of the mother...."
5. In our time, the ethics of shechita were summarized by the noted Conservative rabbi. Samuel Dresner in the excellent booklet The Jewish Dietary Laws: "The laws of shechita
provide the most humane method of slaughtering animals. Great care is exercised that the knife to be used must be regularly examined before and after it is used to determine that it is perfectly smooth, without a notch that might tear the flesh. The cut severs the arteries to the head of the animal, thereby stopping circulation to the head and rendering the animal unconscious of all pain. This is not true when the animal is only stunned by a blow."
All of the above quotations have been taken from the web-page "Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws" on the internet at the site, whit.org/shofar/html/kosher.html/schechita.
It should be clear now why the slaughtered meat of the Jews and Christians was made Halal for us. If the Jews, Christians, or even a Muslim slaughter an animal without properly following the prescribed requirements; the meat will not be Halal for us.
There are lots of people these days who claim to be Jews and Christians, but their beliefs are not exactly in accordance with their faith. Can they be included in the definition of the People of the Book? Similarly, there are people who claim to be Muslims, but refuse to accept the basic tenants of Islam. Can they be considered Muslims? Certainly not. Besides, there are many Christians and Jews who do not even believe in God anymore.
In Summary, therefore, the first condition for their meat to be Halal for us is that they should be People of the Book (Jews or Christians), and secondly, they must slaughter according to their religious requirements (which are not different from Islam).
Generally, Jews and Christians do not slaughter their animals according to their religion with the exception of orthodox Jews who cat the Kosher; because they know that what is available in the market-place is not permissible for them to eat.
How unfortunate it is that there are Jews who still follow the commands of Allah , whereas the Muslims are looking for all kinds of excuses to violate them. May Allah give us the guidance.
It should also be remembered that all the butchers in the slaughter-houses may not necessarily be Jews and Christians: they could be persons from other faiths also.
Some people present the Fataawa (verdicts) of Islamic scholars from Saudi Arabia as a proof that we can eat the meat of an animal slaughtered by Christians and Jews. But this is merely another ploy to misguide the lay Muslims, because the fataawa of Saudi scholars deal with the packed meat they import from outside on which it is very clearly written that it has been slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic principles. Saudi Government has proclaimed a law that no Haram meat will be imported, and Saudi scholars keep this rule in mind when they render a Fatwa. Their faiaawa do not apply to the meat we get in the North American grocery stores and slaughter houses.
It is common knowledge that the meat sold in the grocery stores in North America and other western countries is neither slaughtered by the Jews or Christians necessarily, nor is it slaughtered in accordance with their religious requirement. It is, there-fore, clearly not Hlalal for our consumption.
By now, all doubts in our minds about which meat is permissible (Halal) and which is forbidden (Haram) should have been lifted. I pray to Allah for His protection from Satan and his human friends who are leading us astray from His straight path..
Halal and Haram Meat
By Shaikh M. Ibrahim Memon
The matter of Halal and Haram meat has consensus in the scholars through the history of Islam. The issue has been addressed completely through the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. May Allah guide us towards making the right choices for ourselves in this regard, and May He protect us from all Haram.
Food and drink, being the basic needs of human beings, have been discussed in detail and clearly explained in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. Especially, the issue of Halal and Haram meat is discussed quite extensively.
Unfortunately, we choose not to follow the established rules of Shari’ah based on the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. Instead, we make up our own rules to suit our needs and circumstances and do not seem to care if they are contradictory to the commands of Allah and His beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam
First of all, it should be kept in mind that in order to learn about any particular issue from the Holy Qur’an and Hadith, one muse be thoroughly well versed in the Arabic language. We must never attempt to understand and especially render a judgment about any issue of Shari’ah based on the translations of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. Since translations are never totally accurate and generally do not reflect the true spirit of the message, one takes the risk of misunderstanding an issue based on the translator’s perception of it. Thus, the whole foundation on which we would base our interpretation will be wrong and if the foundation is wrong then the structure we erect on it will be wrong as well.
Secondly, it is essential that one knows the rules governing the interpretation of Qur’an and Hadith. Without this knowledge we are also very likely to misinterpret the commands of Allah and His Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.
Someone may argue that Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an, “We have made the Quran easy”; then how come we have to learn this and that to understand the true meaning of Quran? It should be borne in mind that whenever and wherever Allah says in the Holy Quran “We have made the Quran easy”. He has also added the word, “To take advice from and remember”, and not to deduce interpretations of your own liking. If the Holy Quran was made easy for everyone to interpret and to deduce the commands of Allah and the practices of Shariah, there would have been no need for sending a prophet and there could not have been any uniformity in the practice of Deen. As Allah says in the Quran:
“And we have also sent down unto you {O Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam the Dhikr, reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qura’n)} that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.” (16:44)
Imam Ghazali and other scholars have mentioned fifteen branches of knowledge which one must acquire in order to gain insight into any particular issue from the Holy Quran and Hadith. One of these branches of knowledge, for example, is the knowledge of the background and circumstances under which Quranic verses were revealed. Without this knowledge, it would be impossible to understand the meaning and rationale of many of the verses in the Holy Quran. Consider the following verse:
“Those who believe and do righteous good deeds there is no sin on them for what they ate if they fear Allah and believe and do righteous good deeds, and again fear Allah and believe and one again fear Allah and do good deeds with Ihsan. And Allah loves the good doers.” (5:93)
If one looks at the literal translation of the above verse, one gets the impression that whatever one eats, whether it is Haram or Halal, will not make any difference as long as one believes in Allah, performs good deeds and is mindful of his/her duties. It is only when we learn the background of and the circumstances under which the verse was revealed that we truly understand the meaning of the verse.
Let us examine the background of this verse. When the verse forbidding alcohol was revealed, some of the companion expressed their concern about those who died before the revelation of this verse. The above verse was revealed to this concern and to ensure the companions that as long as the person believed in Allah and was pious, God-fearing and mindful of his/her duties of Allah, he/she will not be punished for his previous drinking; if he is punished, it will not be because of his drinking but because of his lack of faith and fear of Allah.
The above example clearly demonstrates how essential it is to have the knowledge of the rules dealing with the interpretation of the Holy Quran. Without this knowledge one can easily go astray.
There are many such examples in the Holy Quran and Hadith. Suffice is to say that one must acquire the knowledge of the fifteen subjects mentioned by Imam Ghazali if one intends to deduce the rules of Shariah himself from the Holy Quran and Haidth. If one renders judgments from the Holy Quran and Hadith without this knowledge, he/she will lead himself and other innocent Muslims astray. May Allah protect us and guide us to the right path!!
Thirdly, one should remember that when we investigate an issue through the Quran and Haidth, we should look at all the Quranic verses and Hadith relating to the topic. Only then will we be able to see the total picture of what Allah and His Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam have taught us about this particular issue.
Take for example alcohol, if one reads the verse, “Do not pray when you are drunk” (4:43). One may easily misunderstand and claim that drinking is permitted in the Holy Quran as long as one is not praying while drunk, because drinking is forbidden only at the time of prayer. This person will not be able to understand the rules of Shariah about drinking because of his lack of knowledge of other verses of the Holy Quran and Hadith dealing with the commands of Allah about drinking. He may not realize that this verse was revealed at eh beginning of Islam and that another verse forbidding it altogether was revealed later on. The verse read as follows:
“ O believers, wine, gambling, (ungodly) shrines and divining devices are all abominable works of Satan; therefore refrain from these so that you may attain true success. Indeed Satan intends to sow enmity and hatred among you by means of wine, gambling to prevent you from the remembrance of Allah and from Salah. Will you not, therefore, abstain from these things?” (5:90-91)
since the intent of this short article is not to discuss the rules of interpretation of the Holy Quran and Hadith, we will not go into the details of the fifteen branches of knowledge described by Imam Ghazali. Those who are interested in learning more about them may consult Imam Ghazali’s writings such as, “Ihya-Al-Uloom”.
Let us now return to the main purpose for which I started to write this little article.
Allah has mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah,
“Those four things are forbidden from you: 1) Dead animal, 2) Blood, 3) Pork, and 4) any animal slaughtered in the name other than Allah.” (2:173)
As I have mentioned before, it is not enough to take only one verse from the Holy Quran to deduce the rules about an issue because we have to consider all the verses that may be directly or indirectly related to this issue. When we search the Holy Quran for verses related to the slaughtered animal (Zabiha) and Halal and Haram meat, we find that there are a number of other things, which are forbidden. Take for example verse #3 of Surah al-Ma’idah.
“ Forbidden for you are: 1) dead animal, 2) blood, 3) the flesh of pork, 4) any animal slaughtered in the name other than Allah, 5) or killed by strangling, 6) or through a deadly blow, 7) or by falling from a height, 8) or killed by (the goring of) horns, 9) or eaten by wild beasts, 10) or the one which has been sacrificed on altars (or at a shrine)” (5:3)
If we take only the first verse from Surah Baqarah mentioned above, we may believe that only three types of meat and blood are forbidden (Haram) and everything else is permitted (Halal). Even in the second verse quoted from Surah Ma’idah, all other forbidden animals, such as lion, dog, tiger, etc., have not been mentioned. Although every Muslim knows these beasts are also forbidden for consumption. We find these details only in Ahadith. For the animal to be Halal there are certain conditions that follow.
FIRST CONDITION: TO RECITE THE NAME OF ALLAH:
Similarly, according to the Holy Quran an animal slaughtered without reciting the Takbir (the Name of Allah) is also forbidden as stated in Quran:
“ And do not eat the flesh of an animal over which Allah’s name has not been mentioned at the time of Slaughter; this is indeed sinful. The Satan puts doubts and objections into the minds of their friends, so that they should dispute with you, but if you obey them , you are surely Mushriks.” (6-121)
It follows from this verse that it is essential to say the Takbir (reciting the name of Allah) when slaughtering the animal. If the Takbir was not recited, the meat becomes forbidden for consumption.
Imam Raghib Asfahani has mentioned seven verses from the Holy Quran in support of reciting the Takbir when slaughtering an animal for consumption.
1. “ So eat of that (flesh of the animal) over which Allah’s name has been mentioned, if you truly believe in His Revelations”. (6:118)
In this verse Allah clearly commanded us not to consume the animal upon which the Takbir was not recited at the time of slaughtering. It is; therefore, abundantly clear that if we believe in the Holy Quran, we must not eat of an animal that has not been slaughtered in the name of Allah.
2. “Why should you not eat of that over which Allah’s names has been mentioned, when he has already given you explicit knowledge of those things which He has forbidden for you except in a case of extreme helplessness? And surely many people lead others astray by following their own desires without any knowledge. Indeed your Lord best knows the transgressors.” (6:119)
In this verse Allah has once again made it very clear that those who eat the meat of animals not slaughtered in the name of Allah are ignorant, following their desires blindly.
3. “And do not eat the flesh of the animal over which Allah’s name has not been mentioned at the time of slaughter; this is indeed sinful..” (6:121)
In this verse it is clearly stated once again that the animal which has not been slaughtered in the name of Allah is forbidden for eating, and to do so is a great sin. It is further stated in the same verse:
“ And certainly, the Shayatin (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you, and if you obey them [by making al-Maitah (a dead animal) legal by eating it], then you would indeed be Mushrikun (polytheists);” [because they (devils and their friends) made lawful to you to eat which Allah has made unlawful to eat and you obeyed them by considering it lawful to eat, and by doing so you worshipped them; and to worship others besides Allah is polytheism]
Clearly Allah has warned us that Satan will inspire their friends in fabricating arguments and excuses to make Halal what Allah has made Haram for us. Obviously, these friends of Satan would be the ones who follow their own desires without knowledge. If we follow them, Allah says we would become Mushriks, because we associated these people with Allah in giving us commands.
4. “That they may witness the benefits made available for them, and mention the name of Allah on the appointed days over the cattle he has provided them”. (22:28)
In this verse where Allah has ordered us to sacrifice the animal, He has once again reminded us not to forget to mention the name of Allah when sacrificing the animal.
5. “And for every nation We have prescribed a way of sacrifice so that they should pronounce the name of Allah over the cattle which he has provided for them”. (22:34)
In this verse Allah has informed us of a very important fact, that He made it compulsory for the previous Ummahs as well to recite His name when slaughtering the animal. Therefore, it is also compulsory for the Jews and the Christians to recite the name of Allah when they slaughter an animal for consumption. This is whey we have been allowed to eat the meat of an animal slaughtered by the people of the Divine Books. This issue is discussed in more details in the next section.
6. "And We have included the camels (dedicated for sacrifice) among the Symbols of Allah, for there is much good for you in them. Therefore, mention the name of Allah over them when they are drawn up in lines (for sacrifice)." (22:36)
In this verse too, Allah impressed the need of reciting His name, when animals are slaughtered to offer sacrifice. Ordinarily a butcher slaughters an animal tor consumption, but during the Hajj season every one has to slaughter his own animal. This is why Allah is emphasising and reminding us not to forget reciting His name at the time of slaughter.
7. "They ask you what has been made lawful for them. Say, all the good and pure things have been made lawful for you. You may also eat of what the hunting animals, which you have trained lo hunt in accordance with the knowledge Allah has given you, catch and hold for you. You should, however, mention Allah's name over it and fear (to violate the Law of) Allah, for Allah is swift at reckoning." (5:4)
This verse deals with hunting for meat. Allah has commanded us to recite His name before letting loose the hunting animals (e.g., dogs, hawks, etc.) after the prey. Only then the hunted animal will be Halal; otherwise, it will be Haram. This law of hunting has been mentioned very clearly in many Ahadith as well. This is the only right way to make sure the hunt is Halal.
I will present the following two Ahadith as examples.
1. The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said, "If you recited the name of Allah, then released one hound after the prey and another hound joined him, and the two dogs hunted the prey together; then the hunt will not be Halal because it is possible that the animal may have been killed by the dog on which Allah's name was not recited."
2. If an animal is hunted with an arrow and the prey fell in water after getting hit, then the animal will not be Halal because it is possible that his death may have been caused by the fall
or by drowning. There are many Ahadith on this subject in the authentic books such as Bukhari. Muslim, Abu-Daud, Tirmiz, Nasai, and Ibn-Majah etc. All of these Ahadith make it abundantly clear that an animal killed without reciting the name of Allah at the time of slaughter is Haram.
Therefore, reciting the name of Allah at the time of slaughter is the first condition for the meat to be Halal, Now, whoever tries to prove otherwise is ignorant and is following his own whims and desires; thereby, misleading himself and others.
SECOND CONDITION: SLAUGHTERING BY CUTTING THE THROAT
The second condition is that the animal should be slaughtered by cutting the throat, as it has been made clear in the following two Ahadith.
1. Abu Hurrairah Radi Allahu anhu narrated that the beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam once sent Budail bin Waraqah Radi Allahu anhu to Mina to announce and inform the pilgrims to slaughter their animals at the neck. (Dar Qutni. p. 544)
2. Abdullah bin Abbas Radi Allahu anhu, Umar Radi Allahu anhu and Ali Radi Allahu anhu have all narrated that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam instructed them to slaughter the animal at the neck. (Bukhari)
How and where should the neck be cut has been explained as well. Look at this Hadith:
1. Rafi bin Khudaij Radi Allahu anhu narrated that I asked the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam about slaughtering the animal: he Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam replied, "That slaughtering the animal with any sharp object (with the exception of nail and teeth) makes it Halal." (Ibn Abi Shaibah, Zaila'i)
The word (Awdaaj) in this Hadith means the two blood vessels, the oesophagus and the windpipe. Out of these four, at least three must be cut for the animal to be Halal for consumption.
Now, regarding the question about the animals slaughtered by People of the Book, that is. the Jews and Christians, we find the following verse in the Holy Qur'an.
"This day We have made lawful (Halal) for you all the clean and pure things, and We have also made lawful (Halal) the food of the people of Scripture for you and your food for them." (5:5)
According to the above verse, we are allowed to eat the food of the people of the Book. But. does this mean that we are allowed to eat the meal of animals slaughtered by the Jews and Christian even if they do not follow the requirements of slaughter prescribed by Allah i.e., reciting the name of Allah and cutting the animal's throat as prescribed? Not at all. Interpreting the meaning of the verse in this manner will amount to abolishing these requirements, discarding all the verses in the Holy Qur'an and literally hundreds of Ahadith about them without any proof to the contrary.
. Under no circumstances are we allowed to discard, disregard any command of Allah in the Holy Qur'an and the Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam without any solid proof to the contrary.
Even a Muslim that kills an animal without the prescribed method, it will be rendered as Haram so how about the others. In this case, if we assume that the above mentioned conditions for the slaughter of animals are meant only for Muslims and not for Christians and Jews, then it means that no matter how they kill the animal, it will be Halal for them and for us. But if a Muslim slaughters an animal without meeting these requirements, the meat would be Haram for our consumption. Does this make sense? It may also mean that Allah 's more lenient with the Jews and Christians in this regard than He is with Muslims. Docs that make sense?
In fact, this is not the meaning of this verse. In order to understand the real meaning of this verse, we must first answer two questions.
1. What is meant by the word (Ta'aam)'?
And
2. Why did Allah make Halal for us the food of only the Jews and Christian and not of others?
Let us look at the first question. The Arabic word (Ta'aam) means "food or meal". Now if we take this literal meaning of the word, then, according to this verse, pork and wine will become Halal as well because both of these food items are regularly consumed by the Christians. And, no Muslim will ever agree to this interpretation of the verse because we know that both pork and wine have been clearly declared as Haram lor us by Allah. It, therefore, follows that lhe word "Ta'aam" here does not mean all types of food. In the
interpretation of this verse. Imam Qurtubi has explained, "all those food consumed by the Christian and the Jews, which are forbidden for Muslims, do not become Halal because of this verse." (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, v.6, p.77).
There is a consensus among the scholars of the Holy Qur'an since the time of the Protphet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam that the word "Ta'aam" here means the meat of Halal animals slaughtered by Christians or Jews. Ibn-Kathir, Imam Jassas. Imam Aaiusi and others have derived this interpretation from the narrations by Abdullah bin Abbas. Abu-Darda, Abu-Umamah. Miijahid, Qatadah, Saeed-bin-Jubair, Ikrimah, Ala', Hasan Basri, Makhol Shami, Dhahhak, Ibrahim Nakhai. Imam Suddi, and Imam Muqatil, etc.)
Now then, why was the slaughtered meat of only Jews and Christians made Hala! for us and not of others?
The answer is quiie obvious. The Jews and the Christians used to slaughter their animals in exactly the same way as prescribed in Islam. They recited the name of Allah at the time of slaughter and cut the animal at the neck. So, their method of slaughter was exactly like ours. Allah had prescribed for them the same method of .slaughter as has been mentioned in Surah Hajj, verse 34. This can be confirmed through the Bible, Torah and the well established Jewish Dietary Laws. Look at the following quotations.
1. "You shall kill of your herd and your flock...as I have commanded you" (Deuteronomy 12.21)
2. The mammals and birds that may be eaten must be slaughtered in accordance with the Jewish law. (Dent. 12:21). We may not eat animals that died of natural causes (Dent. 14:21)
or that were killed by other animals. In addition, the animal must have no disease or flaws in the organs at the time of slaughter. These restrictions do not apply to fish; only to the
flocks and herds (Num. 11:22).
3. Ritual slaughter is known as shechitah and the person who performs the slaughter is called a shochet, both from the Hebrew root Shin-Chet-Tav, meaning to destroy or kill. The
method of slaughter is a quick, deep stroke across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade with no nicks or unevenness. This method is painless, causes unconsciousness within two
seconds, and is widely recognized as the most humane method of slaughter possible. Another advantage of shechitah is that it ensures rapid, complete draining of the blood, which is also necessary to render the meal kosher. The shochet is not simply a butcher; he must be a pious man, well-trained in Jewish law, particularly as it relates to kashrut. In smaller, more remote communities, the rabbi and the shochet were often the same person.
4. The humane laws of shechita probably go back to biblical times. The Torah itself implies knowledge of it: "You shall kill of your herd and your flock... as I have commanded you"
(Deuteronomy 12.21). And the moral basis of shechita was explained 800 years ago by Maimonides in his Guide of the Perplexed: "...the Law enjoins that the death of the animal
should be the easiest. It is not allowed to torment the animal by cutting the throat in a clumsy manner, by pole axing, or by cutting off a limb while the animal is alive. It is also
prohibited to kill an animal with its young on the same day (Leviticus 22.08). in order thai people should be restrained from killing the two together in such a manner thai the young is slain in the sight of the mother...."
5. In our time, the ethics of shechita were summarized by the noted Conservative rabbi. Samuel Dresner in the excellent booklet The Jewish Dietary Laws: "The laws of shechita
provide the most humane method of slaughtering animals. Great care is exercised that the knife to be used must be regularly examined before and after it is used to determine that it is perfectly smooth, without a notch that might tear the flesh. The cut severs the arteries to the head of the animal, thereby stopping circulation to the head and rendering the animal unconscious of all pain. This is not true when the animal is only stunned by a blow."
All of the above quotations have been taken from the web-page "Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws" on the internet at the site, whit.org/shofar/html/kosher.html/schechita.
It should be clear now why the slaughtered meat of the Jews and Christians was made Halal for us. If the Jews, Christians, or even a Muslim slaughter an animal without properly following the prescribed requirements; the meat will not be Halal for us.
There are lots of people these days who claim to be Jews and Christians, but their beliefs are not exactly in accordance with their faith. Can they be included in the definition of the People of the Book? Similarly, there are people who claim to be Muslims, but refuse to accept the basic tenants of Islam. Can they be considered Muslims? Certainly not. Besides, there are many Christians and Jews who do not even believe in God anymore.
In Summary, therefore, the first condition for their meat to be Halal for us is that they should be People of the Book (Jews or Christians), and secondly, they must slaughter according to their religious requirements (which are not different from Islam).
Generally, Jews and Christians do not slaughter their animals according to their religion with the exception of orthodox Jews who cat the Kosher; because they know that what is available in the market-place is not permissible for them to eat.
How unfortunate it is that there are Jews who still follow the commands of Allah , whereas the Muslims are looking for all kinds of excuses to violate them. May Allah give us the guidance.
It should also be remembered that all the butchers in the slaughter-houses may not necessarily be Jews and Christians: they could be persons from other faiths also.
Some people present the Fataawa (verdicts) of Islamic scholars from Saudi Arabia as a proof that we can eat the meat of an animal slaughtered by Christians and Jews. But this is merely another ploy to misguide the lay Muslims, because the fataawa of Saudi scholars deal with the packed meat they import from outside on which it is very clearly written that it has been slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic principles. Saudi Government has proclaimed a law that no Haram meat will be imported, and Saudi scholars keep this rule in mind when they render a Fatwa. Their faiaawa do not apply to the meat we get in the North American grocery stores and slaughter houses.
It is common knowledge that the meat sold in the grocery stores in North America and other western countries is neither slaughtered by the Jews or Christians necessarily, nor is it slaughtered in accordance with their religious requirement. It is, there-fore, clearly not Hlalal for our consumption.
By now, all doubts in our minds about which meat is permissible (Halal) and which is forbidden (Haram) should have been lifted. I pray to Allah for His protection from Satan and his human friends who are leading us astray from His straight path..
JazakAllah Khayr!
