Is meat halal if Bismillah was not said at the slaughter?
The question as asked, details removedWhat if the person slaughtering does not say Bismillah? Is the meat still halal?More
This is a sample answer written to show how the site works. It follows the standard Hanafi books, but no mufti has reviewed or signed it yet, so it is not a fatwa. For a real answer, ask a question. Ask a mufti
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِكِ الْوَهَّابِ اَللّٰهُمَّ هِدَايَةَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
1Short answer
If the slaughterer deliberately leaves out the name of Allah, the meat is haram. If a Muslim forgets to say it, the meat is halal.
2Detailed answer
Saying the name of Allah at the time of slaughter (tasmiyah) is a condition for the meat to be halal. So:
- If the slaughterer deliberately does not say Bismillah, Allahu Akbar, or any other mention of Allah's name, the animal is not halal, even if everything else was correct.
- If a Muslim forgets to say it, the meat is halal, since forgetting is excused.
- The name of Allah must be said by the person doing the slaughter, at the time of cutting, for each animal.
The other conditions also apply: the slaughterer must be a Muslim (or one of the People of the Book in the specific conditions the scholars explain), and the windpipe, the food pipe and the jugular veins must be cut. When buying meat, rely on a trustworthy Muslim source.
3Evidence and sources
- Qur'an, Al-An'am 6:121
- Al-Hidayah, Book of Slaughter
- Bahar-e-Shariat, chapter on slaughter
Arabic texts, translations and how the ruling was derived
ولا تأكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه وإنه لفسق
Meaning: Do not eat of that over which the name of Allah has not been mentioned; it is indeed disobedience.
The verse forbids meat over which Allah's name was not mentioned. The Hanafi scholars, following the Companions, apply it to deliberate omission, and excuse a Muslim who forgets, because a Muslim has the name of Allah in his heart.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُهُ أَعْلَمُ صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ