❖ Question:
Is machine slaughter (mechanical dhabīḥah) considered ḥalāl if “Bismillāh” is recited and the animal’s neck is cut? Also, is it necessary for the person reciting Tasmiyah to be a Muslim?
❖ Answer by: Fadīlat al-Shaykh Saʿīd Mujtabā Saʿīdī ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Ruling on Mechanical Slaughter
✘ Machine slaughter is not considered ḥalāl, as it does not fulfill the essential Sharʿī conditions of proper slaughter (dhabḥ).
✔ For a slaughter to be Sharʿī:
- The slaughterer must be a human being.
- He must personally carry out the act of slaughter by hand.
- He must recite “Bismillāh” at the time of each slaughter.
❖ Severing the Neck During Slaughter
✔ If the animal’s neck is completely severed during the process, there is no issue, provided that:
- The slaughter is done according to Sharʿī method, and
- Tasmiyah (Bismillāh) is recited at the moment of slaughter.
❖ Condition Regarding the One Who Says Tasmiyah
◈ It is a Sharʿī requirement that the person saying “Bismillāh” be a:
- Muslim, or
- Ahl al-Kitāb (Jew or Christian)—and even then, only when they explicitly invoke the name of Allah during slaughter.
✘ In machine slaughter, this condition is typically not met, as the process is:
- Automated, with no individual reciting Tasmiyah per animal
- Often operated by non-Muslims or individuals not fulfilling Sharʿī requirements
Hence, such meat cannot be declared ḥalāl.
❖ Summary
✔ Mechanical slaughter is not permissible, as it fails to meet fundamental Sharʿī requirements.
✔ Severing the neck is not an issue if done properly with Tasmiyah.
✔ The person reciting “Bismillāh” must be Muslim or a valid Ahl al-Kitāb, and must do so at the time of each individual slaughter.
✘ Machine slaughter does not fulfill these conditions, thus it is not ḥalāl.
Conclusion:
To ensure that meat is ḥalāl, it must be slaughtered by hand, with Bismillāh recited at the moment of slaughter, by a Muslim or a qualifying Ahl al-Kitāb. Mechanical slaughter does not meet these criteria and therefore cannot be consumed by those who adhere to the Sharīʿah.
والله أعلم بالصواب
