Slaughtering animals in an Islam way is very important and should be taken seriously. But sadly, a visit to slaughterhouses in Jeddah suggests nothing more to the contrary. The ruling is that the animals are to be spared any unwanted pain or anxiety. This includes that the animals must not witness another animal being slaughtered.
A Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas relates the Prophet (peace be upon him) admonishing a man who threw a goat down and then started sharpening his knife, asking him, "Do you intend to kill it twice? Why did you not sharpen the knife before?" However, it is doubtful whether the Takbir is even uttered by the butchers here in slaughterhouses.
It was horrific to see cattle of around 150-200 kilos 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, "Mercy halal slaughter" shows the natural submission of these animals when God's name is pronounced and beautifully illustrates Islamic rulings on this issue.
We have all heard the story of a man who fed a thirsty dog with water. God was pleased with this act of kindness and pardoned his sins. The companions asked, "O Messenger of God, is there recompense in the matter of beasts and wild animals also?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, "There is recompense in regard to every creature that has a living heart." If we still choose to ignore this, our fate will not be very different from the woman who fasted and prayed, but went to Hell because she had locked up a cat and denied it its provision.
This is because "He who does not show mercy to those on earth will not be shown mercy by the One in the Heaven." I am sure the authorities, once this comes to light, will not tolerate such crimes and will bring about the necessary changes. — Wardah M.K, By e-mail
