In Islam, the word Zakat refers to the aroma and purification. In the case of slaughter according to Islamic rites, it means that the animal is purified and is good for consumption by Muslims. This applies to healthy animals fit for human consumption, and especially part of animals allowed for food in Islam.
The rules of Halal slaughter:
• The Al Zabeh method is applied for the slaughter of all animals.
• The Al Naher method is applied for the slaughter of large animals (camel, cattle ...).
As part of its halal certification, AFCAI is committed to the following principles:
The animal:
The animal must be part of the category of animals allowed to be consumed in Islam and must be alive at the time of slaughter.
The slaughterer:
The slaughterer must be a man or a woman, conscious Muslim of any trend or if needed, belonging to People of the Book (Jews and Christians). If the slaughterer loses his mind by drunkenness or madness or is atheist, the slaughter will not be considered Halal.
Tools:
The slaughter tool should be sharp and should help to bleed and cut the throat. It can be a knife, stone, wood,
a sword, it can be glass or bamboo, anything that has a sharp edge, such as knife or bone, except teeth and nails,may be considered as a legitimate tool.
In the case of a mechanized slaughter, the blade disc must be sharp and non-toothed, and it must be cut by the sharp edge and not by its weight. This tool must be continuously cleaned by a stream of water and sharpened regularly during the day.
The slaughterers are also equipped with several sharp knives to conduct a lawful killing if it was imperfectly realized.
The cut:
The cut should be done with a quick and frank movement in front of the animal (Al Zabeh) to incise the 4 elements of life, namely, the jugular vein, carotid artery, trachea (breathing) and esophagus (food).
Prayers:
The slaughterer should recite the Bismillah prayer at the time of slaughter and during the time of his presence near the sacrifice zone.
And eat not of that on which Allah’s name has not been mentioned, and that is surely a transgression.
(Surah 6 – Al-An’âm (The Cattle), verse 121)
Orientation:
The orientation towards Mecca at the time of slaughter is preferable. If the direction of Mecca is known, but the
killing is still knowingly in an opposite direction, the slaughter will not be considered Halal. If the direction to Mecca is not respected by forgetfulness, by mistake or ignorance, it will be considered as Halal slaughter.
The orientation of the slaughterer to Mecca at the time of performing the gesture is also preferred, but not required.
In western France, the face of the animal should be facing Mecca when bleeding (direction of Mecca:
21 ° 25'21.66 "N 39 ° 49'35.33" E in western France).
Slaughter by People of the Book:
It is allowed in the Holy quran, and this through Surah 5 – Al-Ma’idah (The Food), verse 5 : “This day (all) good things are made lawful for you. And the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them.”
Stunning:
Stunning, according to specific criteria, agrees with the requirements of halal and does not mean animal’s death (hayât mustakura).
For this process to be considered as lawful, AFCAI requires strict compliance with its specifications.
In the case of poultry for example, stunning must not kill the animal, it must be reversible and controlled. For this, revival tests are always set up in supervised slaughter units. The stunning settings are automatically adapted to the weight and age of the poultry on the slaughter line. Revival tests are performed at the beginning of the slaughter of each lot in regular and unannounced ways. If problems occur, it is necessary to take corrective action by adjusting the settings and start the nrevival test,in order to avoid any animal slaughtered unlawfully.
See also : “L’International Islamic Fiqh Academy IIFA, Resolution 101/3/10 in Sharia Rules of Slaughtering, 28.06.1997”.
In conclusion:
The tool should be sharp and slaughter should not hurt the animal. Halal slaughter is practiced in order to preserve human health on the one hand and to comply with the precepts of Halal slaughter on the other hand. In Islam, every living creature has a soul and it should not be abused or suffered at the time of slaughter. It must be treated in good conditions before slaughter by giving it food and drink. Do not slaughter an animal in front of another animal or pluck or carve the animal before ensuring that it is actually dead. It is important to note that the production and the presence of pig products on a production site hinder the aspect of other Halal products on this site that are therefore considered Haram.
Source : كتاب الفقه على المذاهب الأربعة
