The Significance Of Hari Raya Haji and Halal & Thoyiban Food…
In a few more days, we Muslims, all over the world will celebrate Hari Raya Haji.
Also known as Hari Raya Adha.
Great Day of Sacrifice! 🙂
The festival marks the end of the Haj, which is the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
It also commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Abraham (Peace Be Upon Him) to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act of obedience to Allah S.W.T.
Prophet Abraham (Peace Be Upon Him) was commanded to offer his son Ismail up for sacrifice to Allah S.W.T. Though it grieved him greatly, he made ready to perform the task.
However, as he was about to strike his son, God stopped him and revealed that it was a trial of his devotion to the Lord.
Ismail’s life was spared and a ram sacrificed in his place.
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During Hari Raya Haji, we Muslims go to the mosque for our morning prayers.
Then, we went visiting our parents and in laws.
(Myself and my wife in our traditional clothes, visiting our family)
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One of the main rituals of the festival is the korban, which involves the sacrificial slaughtering of livestock such as lambs and goats.
The animals are slain in accordance with the proper religious rites, such that they suffer minimal pain.
An individual or a family will donate the sacrificial animal, and Muslims from a particular community will gather in fairly large numbers to help out in the slaughtering and distribution of the meat.
Recipients include the poor and the destitute and other Muslims.
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Today’s post, I will like to focus more on methods of slaughtering according to Islamic guidelines.
When I dine out with my Non Muslim friends, they often asked me, “This restaurant don’t have Halal logo, but they never serve pork. You can join us or not?”
I usually agree to join them, on the note that I will only drink, but will not eat.
Then, they will ask me, “Why never eat? There is no pork? Only chicken, beef, mutton and seafood”
Then, I will start explaining…. This post might be educational for you too. 🙂
There is halal chicken and non halal chicken. There is halal beef and non halal beef. There is halal mutton and non halal mutton.
So, what is the difference that makes the difference?
It all boils down to the method of slaughtering. To attain the Halal logo, there are sets and procedures that we have to abide to.
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Summary of conditions for Halal slaughter
Islamic law requires that animals intended for human consumption be slain in a certain manner.
The conditions for Halal slaughter can be summarized as follows:
1) The animal to be slaughtered must be from the categories that are permitted for Muslims to eat.
2) The animal must be alive at the time of slaughter.
3) No electric shock, bullet or any other means should be used before slaughtering.
Using any such method may lead to the death of the animal before it is cut. Islam prohibits Muslims from eating any meat coming from an animal that is dead before slaughter. Muslims are also advised to avoid eating anything doubtful.
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4) The animal must be slaughtered by the use of a sharp knife. The knife must not kill due to its weight. If it kills due to the impact the meat may not be permissible.
5) The windpipe (throat), food-tract (oesophagus) and the two jugular veins must be cut.
6) The slaughtering must be done in one stroke without lifting the knife. The knife should not be placed and lifted when slaughtering the animal.
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7) Slaughtering must be done by a sane adult Muslim.
The name of Allah must be invoked (mentioned) at the time of slaughtering by saying:
Bismillah Allahu Akbar. (In the Name of Allah; Allah is the Greatest.)
If at the time of slaughtering the name of anyone else other than Allah is invoked (i.e. animal sacrificed for him/her), then the meat becomes Haram “unlawful.”
If a Muslim forgets to invoke the name of Allah at the time of slaughtering, the meat will remain Halal. However, if he intentionally does not invoke the name of Allah, the meat becomes Haram.
The head of the animal must not be cut off during slaughtering but later after the animal is completely dead, even the knife should not go deep into the spinal cord.
Skinning or cutting any part of the animal is not allowed before the animal is completely dead.
Slaughtering must be made in the neck from the front (chest) to the back.
The slaughtering must be done manually not by a machine, as one of the conditions is the intention, which is not found in a machine.
The slaughtering should not be done on a production line where pigs are slaughtered. Any instrument used for slaughtering pigs should not be used in the Halal slaughtering.
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Customary and Desirable Practices When Slaughtering
Water should be offered to the animal before slaughter.
AND it should not be slaughtered when hungry.
The knife should be hidden from the animal, and slaughtering should be done out of sight of other animals waiting to be slaughtered.
Animals should be killed in a comfortable way. Unnecessary suffering to them must be avoided.
The knife should be re-sharpened before slaughter.
Storage, Processing and Transport of Halal Meat
Meat chilled or frozen for export to Muslims should be stored in separate cold stores other than those in which pork or other non-Halal meat is stored.
Meat minced or processed for Muslims should not be minced in the same machines used to mince pork or other non-Halal meat.
(Summarised from halalcertification.ie)
I do hope your learn something from my sharing. 🙂
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