Standard for Islamic Halal Slaughter Regulations for Meat and Poultry 2004

By USDA Foreign Agricultural Service – This report is an unofficial translation of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Standard No. 993/1998. This standard governs conditions of “Halal” slaughter of animals that is to be conducted according to the Islamic Law (Shari’a).

Conditions for Animal Slaughter According to the Rules of Islamic Law (Shari’a)

This standard specification was issued in response to a decision of the Board of Directors of the Organization and a decision of the Supreme GCC Council, taken at its third session held in Bahrain on 23/1/1403 Hijra or 9/11/1982 A.D.

1- Field and scope of application
This Gulf standard covers the general conditions of animal slaughter – including poultry – according to the rules of Islamic Law (Shari’a).

2- Terminology
2/1 Al Zakah: Slaughtering an animal in accordance to the Islamic Law (Shari’a). This is performed in one of the following ways:

2/1/1 Al Zabeh: (Slaughter): Cutting the throat: cutting the trachea and esophagus and the jugular veins, usually used for sheep, cattle and poultry.

2/1/2 Al Naher: (Slaying): Stabbing in the throat and then cutting it up to the top of the chest. Usually used for camels.

2/1/3 Al ‘Aqer: Wounding an animal which cannot be controlled, whether it be a wild animal whose hunting is allowed or a domesticated animal that has gone wild.

2/2 Al Meeta: Animals that have died a natural death without Zakah. Any part cut from an animal before it is slaughtered is considered to be “Meeta”.

2/3 Al Monkhaniqa: Animals that die by suffocation.

2/4 Al Mawqooza: (Fatally beaten animal): Animals that have died as a result of being beaten with a stick or other instrument, which kills by virtue of its weight. This excludes animals killed by arrow or bullet or a similar method, for hunting purposes.

2/5 Al Mutaradiya: Animals that have died as a result of falling from a height or falling into a pit or similar location.

2/6 Al Nateeha: Animals that have died as a result of being butted in the head.

2/7 Ma Akal Assab’: Animals that have been caught by a lion or a bird of prey (except hunting).

2/8 Ma ohilla ligheir Allah bihi: Animals who have been slaughtered in the name of some other than Allah, such as idols or false gods.

2/9 Large animals: large-sized mature animals such as camels, cows, goats, sheep and other animals that are of similar dimensions.

3- Requirements
3/1 Requirements of the animal that is to be slaughtered:

3/1/1 The animal must not be one whose meat Muslims have been prohibited from eating, such as:

3/1/1/1 Meeta (carrion), Monkhaniqa (an animal that died by suffocation), Mawqooza (one that has been fatally beaten), Mutaradiya (one that has fallen from a height or into a pit), Nateeha (one that has been butted to death), or Ma Akal Assab’ (the remains of what the lion or a bird of prey has eaten and Ma ohilla ligheir Allah bihi (what has been slaughtered in a name other than that of Allah).

3/1/1/2 Pigs, dogs, domesticated donkeys, elephants and mules.

3/1/1/3 Wild animals such as lions, leopards and bears.

3/1/1/4 Birds of prey with sharp talons that they use in hunting, such as eagles and falcons.

3/2 Requirements of the slaughterer (Al Muzakki) and the instrument of slaughter:

3/2/1 The slaughterer must a Muslim, or a person of the scriptures, (Ahl Al Kitab, i.e. a Jew or a Christian).

3/2/2 The slaughter must be performed under the supervision of a Muslim who has been entrusted with the job and who knows the rules of slaughter (Zakah) under Islamic Law (Shari’a).

3/2/3 The instrument used for slaughtering the animal should be made of any material except bone or nails (Dhofr).

3/2/4 The slaughter instrument should be clean and sharp, cutting with its edge and not by its weight. The slaying operation should be done as thoroughly as possible.

3/2/5 The mechanical blade in slaughterhouses that follow this system should be calibrated to cut only the four jugular veins and not other parts of the neck. This should be done from the front and not from the sides of the neck.

3/2/6 It is not allowed to hit the animal on the head or to use any method similar to that (such as a stun gun, stun hammer and carbon dioxide).

3/2/7 The animals stay alive – in the event that low-grade electrical stunning is used on the head alone – in order that the Zakah (slaughter) may be performed. The sign for that is that the animal should move when it is slaughtered. If it dies before the Zakah then it is considered to be Mawqooza (fatally beaten) and is rejected. Electrical stunning is not permitted for poultry.

3/3 The requirements of the method of slaughter (Al Zakah).

3/3/1 Mention of the name of Allah when slaughtering (Bismillah).

3/3/2 That the slaughter (Zakah) of the animal be carried out in one of the Islamic Law (Shari’a) ways mentioned in Section 2/1.

3/3/3 The animal is slaughtered by cutting the trachea, the esophagus and the jugular veins from the front, from the side of the chest, not on the side of the back of the neck or the back.

3/3/4 The neck of the animal must not be cut or broken or any other similar action undertaken, until the bleeding has stopped.

3/3/5 No part of the animal is cut until the slaughter (Zakah) has been performed.

3/3/6 Animals should not be slaughtered nor stored in places, nor using instruments that have been used on animals whose meat Muslims are forbidden to eat.

3/4 Requirements of Supervision, Control and Stamping.

3/4/1 Every consignment should be accompanied by a certificate ratified by the missions of the concerned GCC states, or their representatives, or a certificate issued by an Islamic Center or establishment (if any) recognized by the concerned authorities in the GCC states, proving that the slaughter has been carried out in accordance with the rules of Islamic Law (Shari’a). The latter must be ratified by the missions of the GCC states or their representatives.

3/4/2 The stamp of the Islamic Center or establishment should be difficult to forge and the ink should be permanent and non-toxic.

3/4/3 Every slaughtered animal (chilled or frozen) or the final packages of special cuts of meat should bear the stamp of the Islamic Center or establishment by its representative to indicate that the slaying has been done under the supervision of that center or establishment.

From the Library of Congress: HALA FOOD PRODUCTION http://www.halalrc.org/images/Research%20Material/Books/Halal%20Food%20-%20A%20compelete%20Book.pdf 348 pages devoted to the halal industry

Conditions and Method of Slaughtering (Dhabh or Zabh*)

Dhabh is a clearly defined method of killing an animal for the sole purpose of

making its meat fit for human consumption. The word dhabh in Arabic means

purification or rendering something good or wholesome. The dhabh method is

also called dhakaat in Arabic, which means purification or making something

complete.

The following conditions must be fulfilled for dhabh to meet the requirements

of the shariah (jurisprudence).

The Slaughter Person

The person performing the act of dhabh must be of sound mind and an adult

Muslim. The person can be of either sex. If a person lacks or loses the competence

through intoxication or loss of mental abilities, he or she may not perform halal

slaughter. The meat of an animal killed by an idolater, a nonbeliever, or someone

who has apostatized from Islam is not acceptable.

The Instrument

The knife used to perform dhabh must be extremely sharp to facilitate quick cutting

of the skin and severing of blood vessels to enable the blood to flow immediately

and quickly, in other words, to bring about an immediate and massive hemorrhage.

Muhammad said: “Verily God has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus if you

kill, kill well; and if you perform dhabh, perform it well. Let each of you sharpen

his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slays” (Khan, 1991). Muhammad

is reported to have forbidden the use of an instrument that killed the animal

by cutting its skin but not severing the jugular vein. It is also a tradition not to

sharpen the knife in front of the animal about to be slaughtered.

The Cut

The incision should be made in the neck at some point just below the glottis and

the base of the neck. Traditionally, camels used to be slayed by making an incision

anywhere on the neck. This process is called nahr, which means spearing the hollow

of the neck. With modern restraining methods and stunning techniques, this procedure

might not be appropriate any longer. The trachea and the esophagus must

be cut in addition to the jugular veins and the carotid arteries. The spinal cord

must not be cut. The head is therefore not to be severed completely. It is interesting

to note that the kosher kill is very similar to the traditional method of dhabh

described, except that the invocation is not made on each animal.

* Dhabh or zabh is the same word pronounced differently. It means the method and conditions

of slaughtering.

The Invocation

Tasmiyyah or invocation means pronouncing the name of God by saying Bismillah

(in the name of Allah) or Bismillah Allahu Akbar (in the name of God, God is

Great) before cutting the neck. Opinions differ somewhat on the issue of invocation,

according to three of the earliest jurists. According to Imam Malik, if the

name of God is not mentioned over the animal before slaughtering, the meat of

such animal is haram or forbidden, whether one neglects to say Bismillah intentionally

or unintentionally. According to the jurist Abu Hanifah, if one neglects to

say Bismillah intentionally, the meat is haram; if the omission is unintentional, the

meat is halal. According to Imam Shaf ’ii, whether one neglects to say Bismillah

intentionally or unintentionally before slaughtering, the meat is halal so long as the

person is competent to perform dhabh (Khan, 1991).

It is also enough to state here that the above tradition does not prove that the

pronouncing of God’s name is not obligatory in performing dhabh. In fact, the

tradition emphasizes that the pronouncing of God’s name was a widely known

matter and was considered an essential condition of dhabh (Khan, 1991).

STATE HALAL LAWS

In 2000, the state of New Jersey passed the Halal Food Protection Act. Minnesota

and Illinois followed suit in 2001, enacting their own laws to regulate the halal food

industry. These laws address the problem of fraudulent use of the term halal or

other such terms to produce and market products that may not be halal. For

example, Nimer (2002) contends that some retailers have wrongly placed halal food

labels on meat items to attract Muslim customers. The Illinois act, which has the

most accommodating language, specifically defines the term halal food as:

being prepared under and maintained in strict compliance with the laws and customs

of the Islamic religion, including, but not limited to, those laws and customs of

zabiha/zabeeha (slaughtered according to appropriate Islamic code) and as expressed

by reliable recognized Islamic entities and scholars. [And is therefore probably

unconstitutional as per the recent second circuit court of appeals ruling that was not

reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.]

This law makes it a misdemeanor for any person to make any oral or written

statement that directly or indirectly tends to deceive or otherwise lead a reasonable

individual to believe that a non-halal food or food product is halal – BUT THEY CAN LIE TO AMERICANS AND NOT ADVERTISE WHICH PRODUCTS ARE HALAL.