عربي
Home


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No. (315) : "Ruling on Pre-Slaughter Electrical Stunning of Birds."

Date Added : 17-07-2022

Resolution No.(315), By The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Pre-Slaughter Electrical Stunning of Birds"

Date (27 of Thilgidah, 1443 AH), corresponding to (27/6/2022 AD).

 

 

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions

In its ninth meeting held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa` reviewed the resolution of the joint commission in charge of examining the use of electrical stunning of birds (Poultry) before slaughter in local slaughterhouses.

After thorough deliberations, the Board decided what follows:

Slaughtering an animal in accordance with Islamic Law is the condition that makes an animal`s meat lawful to eat and distinguishes it from dead animal, as reflected in the following verse (What means): "unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form)." {Al-Ma`idah, 3}. Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "As long as it causes blood to flow, and Allah's Name has been mentioned over it, then eat it." {Agreed upon}. When jugular veins, food tract and windpipe of the animal whose life is stable are cut, its meat is lawful to eat, whether the slaughtering was done with or without the electrical stunning. What counts is that the stunning doesn`t lead to killing the animal on the spot or later, in case it was left without slaughtering, since the purpose behind the stunning is to relieve that animal and facilitate the slaughtering process. In order to achieve this purpose, the Board is of the view that using the electrical stunning based on the afore-stated conditions is permissible according to Islamic Law. The Board also considers that it is essential to implement the Jordan Standard Specification No.2060/214 issued by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO) to guarantee the implementation of all the general requirements of the sanitary and safety standards of the product.

Given the difficulty of implementing technical requirements or specific standards on all the local slaughterhouses, due to their using different machines and production lines, the Board is of the view that the management of each slaughterhouse should submit an individual application to the (JSMO). This concerns its production line and in the event it uses electrical waterbath stunning of poultry before manual slaughtering by knife. In fact, this enables a special commission from the Iftaa` Department to participate with specialized technicians to arrive at a special Fatwa regarding the method used by the applicant slaughterhouse. The Fatwa will either permit or prohibit this method of slaughter based on the ground reality and after the joint commission carries out its checks. 

In addition, the Iftaa` Board recommends that a "Halal" certificate, which is issued by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO) Conformity Certificate Directorate, is required. It also recommends strengthening the role of oversight regarding this certificate and the stunning process. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best. 

 

 

 

Grand Mufti of Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

Prof. Amjad Rasheed/ Member

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodah/ Member

Dr.Majid Darawsheh/ Member

Dr. Jameel Khatatbeh/ Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Younes al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

What is the wisdom and purpose behind the 'aqīqah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Among the wisdoms and purposes of the 'aqīqah are the following:
First: Expressing joy at the blessing of Allah the Almighty, rejoicing in the newborn, and giving thanks to Allah for this gift. Allah the Almighty says (what means): "If you are grateful, I will surely increase you." [Ibrāhīm/7]
Second: Proclaiming and publicising the lineage (nasab) of the child — and the 'aqīqah serves as an appropriate and fitting means to this end.
Third: Gladdening the hearts of family members, relatives, friends, and the poor by gathering them together over a shared meal. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the Sharia basis of the Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The Sharia basis of the Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is firmly established through the Quran, the Sunnah, and the Consensus (Ijma') of the Muslims:
1. Evidence from the Holy Quran
Allah the Exalted says {what means}: "And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good." [Al-Hajj/36]. He also says {what means}: "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]" [Al-Kawthar/2]. According to the most well-known scholarly interpretations of this verse, "prayer" refers to the Eid prayer, and "sacrifice" refers to the slaughtering of the Udhiyah.
2. Evidence from the Sunnah
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The first thing we start with on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and sacrifice. Whoever does that has followed our Sunnah, and whoever slaughters before [the prayer], it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it is not part of the ritual sacrifice in any way" [Reported by Bukhari & Muslim].
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "The Prophet ﷺ sacrificed two white rams with horns. He slaughtered them with his own hand, mentioned the name of Allah (Tasmiyah), and said the Takbir" [Reported by Bukhari & Muslim].
3. Evidence from Scholarly Consensus (Ijma')
The Muslims have reached a unanimous consensus on the Sharia basis of the Udhiyah, and no one among the scholars has disagreed with this. [Al-Sherbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj, Vol.6/P.122].And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Is a woman`s prayer considered invalid if non-Mahrams (marriageable men) saw her offering it?

A woman`s prayer isn`t invalidated if non-Mahrams saw her offering it, but she had better pray in isolation.

What is the wisdom behind legislating the Udhiyah?

The Muslim must know that through the Uḍḥiyah, he complies with the command of Allah, the Exalted, and performs a worship that brings him closer to Allah and distances him from the Fire.
 
The Uḍḥiyah holds profound wisdoms and noble meanings, including:
 
1-Reviving the Sunnah of Abraham, peace be upon him: He complied with Allah's command when He ordered him to slaughter his son Ishmael. Abraham, peace be upon him, succeeded in the test, and when he was about to slaughter his son, Allah sent down a ram to ransom Ishmael and commanded him to slaughter it instead. Allah, the Exalted, says {what means]: "And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, 'O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.' He said, 'O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.' And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, We called to him, 'O Abraham, You have fulfilled the vision.' Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, this was the clear trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice." [Al-Ṣāffāt/102-107]. Thus, the sacrificial offering became an enduring Sunnah until the Day of Judgment, and Muslims offer their wealth as sacrifices, drawing closer to Allah, the Exalted, reviving this great Sunnah.
 
2-Providing abundance for people on Eid day and the Days of Tashrīq: Among the wisdoms of the Uḍḥiyah is that the Muslim provides generously for his family, neighbors, relatives, and the poor during these days. The Muslim is encouraged to eat from his sacrifice, give charity from it to the poor, and gift from it to his wealthy neighbors. Thus, goodness spreads throughout the entire community. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The Days of Tashrīq are days of eating and drinking." (Narrated by Muslim). Allah, the Exalted, says {what means}: "And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good." [Al-Ḥajj/36]. This good includes the good of both this world and the Hereafter.

See More