OTHER POINTS RELATING TO HALAL SLAUGHTERING

As well as the six main conditions of slaughtering, the following should also be considered.

1.      The animal can be slaughtered by a woman

لِكَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ امْرَأَةً ذَبَحَتْ شَاةً بِحَجَرٍ ، فَسُئِلَ النَّبِىُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - عَنْ ذَلِكَ ، فَأَمَرَ بِأَكْلِهَا

Narrated by Ka’b bin Malik (ra): A woman slaughtered a sheep with a stone, and the Prophet (saw) was asked about it. He permitted it to be eaten. [Sahih Bukhari] #5504

2.      The slaughtering should take place in a slaughter house

ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ لاَ ذَبْحَ وَلاَ مَنْحَرَ إِلاَّ فِى الْمَذْبَحِ وَالْمَنْحَرِ

Ibn Juraij said Ata said “neither dhabh nor Nahr is to be done except in a slaughter house” [Sahih Bukhari]

3.      The slaughter house must be free from contamination  

Often slaughter houses are shared by Muslims and non-Muslims, where they may sometimes use the same machines, utensils, benches etc.  We are not allowed to share utensils, and if we do we must clean them before hand.

The Prophet (saw) was asked regarding this issue, he (saw) replied as follows.

أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ أَنَّكَ بِأَرْضِ أَهْلِ كِتَابٍ فَلاَ تَأْكُلُوا فِى آنِيَتِهِمْ ، إِلاَّ أَنْ لاَ تَجِدُوا بُدًّا ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا بُدًّا فَاغْسِلُوهَا وَكُلُوا

The Prophet (saw) said “As for your saying that you are in the land of the people of the book,  you should not eat in their utensils  unless you have no alternative, in which case you must wash the utensils and then eat in them” [Sahih Bukhari] #5496

Non-Muslims are not allowed to do the actual slaughtering; however they may skin the hide, package, carry and load the carcasses.

4.      Do not harm the animal 

It is Haram to harm the animal before slaughter using methods such as stunning, striking it or giving it an electric shock.

Jabir ibn Abdullah (ra) said: “The Messenger (saw) forbade tormenting any kind of animal to death” [Sahih Muslim]