Rules regarding Slaughtering according to Shariah


1.      The animal must be a permitted animal – cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat.

2.      All slaughterers must be Muslims, reputable persons of good character and practising Muslims.

3.      The Muslim slaughterers must at all times follow the method of Halaal slaughtering as required by the Shariáh.

4.      Before slaughter, the slaughterer must recite these words, ‘Bismillaahi Allaahu Akbar’ meaning, ‘In the name of Allah, Allah is the Great’.

5.      It is preferable that the animal faces the direction of the Qibla (Makkah).

6.      It is also preferable that the animal be laid on its left side for slaughter.

7.      The knife used must be sharp so that the animal suffers very little pain.

8.      The slaughter takes place whilst the animal is still alive.

9.      The slaughterer should ensure that the four veins are cut, viz. the gullet (oesophagus), two jugular veins (blood vessels), the windpipe (trachea).

10.    Cutting of any three (3) of the abovementioned renders the animal Halaal for consumption; nevertheless it would become objectionable if this is made a general pattern of slaughter.

11.    The time between stunning and slaughtering should be reduced to the absolute minimum.

12.    In the case of cattle, the gun used must be properly adjusted and modified (to knock the animal unconscious).

13.    In the case of lamb and sheep also, it has to be electrically stunned under controlled voltage.

14.    Once slaughtered, the processing must not start on the dressing floor until the animal is completely motionless.

15.    After the process of stunning (cattle and sheep), the animal should show some clear signs of survival, for instance movement of limbs after slaughter, gushing flow of blood from the blood vessels.

16.    There should be no contamination of Halaal carcasses with non-Halaal carcasses from the slaughtering floor until the point of loading.

17.    Any equipment used for killing and cleaning pigs must not be used for slaughtering or processing Halaal animals.

18.    The Halaal area must be free of contamination from the pig or non-Halaal area.

19.    The neck of the animal should not be broken nor completely cut off.

20.    If a slaughterer deliberately leaves out reciting the ‘Tasmiyah’, then the animal will be non-Halaal.

21.    In the case of non-Halaal, at all sections and at all times separate facilities must be provided.

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