Udhiyah is an important ritual of Islam and should be done with reverence. But sadly, a visit to the slaughterhouses in Jeddah suggests nothing more to the contrary. The ruling is that the animals are to be spared of any unwanted pain or anxiety.
This includes that the animals must not witness another animal being slaughtered. A Hadith by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) relates the Prophet (peace be upon hime admonishing a man who threw a goat down and then started sharpening his knife, asking him “Do you want to kill it twice? Why didn’t you sharpen the knife before throwing it on the ground?”
However, it is doubtful whether the takbir is even uttered by the butchers here. It was horrific to see cattle of around 150-200 kg being suspended upside down by one foot (imagine the pain!) and slaughtered this way. To make things worse, this act is witnessed by other animals in the same room. As they try to escape this horror, the blood on the ground makes these poor animals slip and fall. What is the purpose of such cruelty? A YouTube video entitled “Mercy Halal slaughter” shows the natural submission of these animals when God’s name is pronounced and beautifully illustrates Islamic rulings on this issue. — Wardah M.K., by e-mail
Compassion for animals
