Mechanical slaughtering

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta

Mechanical slaughtering

Question

We reviewed request no. 1867 for the year 2003 which includes the following:

    I own a chicken slaughterhouse where the birds are machine slaughtered without any human intervention. I would like to know the ruling for mechanical slaughtering, taking into account that the person operating the slaughter machine utters "Bismillah, Allahu Akbar" [In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest] once.

Answer

Scholars unanimously agree that anything that causes the blood to flow and severs the jugular veins is considered a slaughtering tool except for a finger nail, toe nail or tooth which is still attached to the body. This is because slaughtering an animal with a tooth or nail that is still attached to the body is considered asphyxiation.

Based on this, if the case is indeed as mentioned in the question, i.e. that the birds are machine slaughtered and the person operating the machine utters the name of Allah [bismillah] and glorifies Him [Allahu akbar], then this manner of slaughtering is permissible and there is no harm in it.

The answer is known from the above and Allah the Almighty knows best.

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