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Three Challenges with Modern Day Slaughtering
Several modern challenges emerge in the realm of meat slaughter, posing direct conflicts with the obligatory requirements for the slaughter to adhere to the standards of being considered Halal. Some of these challenges include:
- There exist various circumstances that animals might undergo, potentially causing their death even before the slaughtering process. For instance, certain slaughterhouses utilize methods like stunning, gassing, or administering a blow from a shotgun or another object. These methods are employed to immobilize the animal, yet there's a possibility it could result in the animal's death. Should an animal pass away prior to being slaughtered, it would be considered as Maitah (dead animal) and thus impermissible for consumption (Qur'an: Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 173).
- Reciting the Tasmiyah for each individual animal is obligatory. This responsibility rests with the butcher who is personally conducting the slaughter (Fatawaa Alamghiriyyah P. 286. Vol. 5). Challenges emerge, especially in the context of machine slaughter. Certain slaughterhouses utilize a pre-recorded tape playing the Tasmiyah continuously from morning till the end of the slaughter process. Alternatively, some operators might utter "Bismillah" once before initiating the machine and then proceed with its operation. However, these methods would not sufficiently fulfill this requirement (Durr al-Mukhtar with Radd, 6/302).
- Oftentimes, animals are placed on a conveyor belt and suspended upside down in the air. During this process, there's a possibility of the animals moving while being hung. Specifically in the case of machine slaughter, a concern arises where the animals could potentially shift away from the blade, resulting in improper severing of the major veins. Additionally, certain slaughterhouses utilize a "vertical cut" approach - where the animal is incised vertically from the upper throat to the lower throat, deviating from the required horizontal cut across the throat. This strategy is intended to minimize blood spillage and hasten the process. However, this method also leads to inadequate severing of the major veins, ultimately rendering the animal Haram (unlawful) for consumption.