Answer:
The Islamic method of
slaughtering animals, known as Zabiha has
been the object of much criticism from a large number of people.
1. Islamic method of slaughtering animal
Zakkaytum
is a verb derived from the root word Zakah
(to purify). Its infinitive is Tazkiyah
which means purification. The Islamic mode of slaughtering an animal
requires the following conditions to be met:
a. Animal
should be slaughtered with sharp object (knife)
The animal has to be
slaughtered with a sharp object (knife) and in a fast way so that the pain of
slaughter is minimised.
b. Cut wind pipe,
throat and vessels of neck
Zabiha is
an Arabic word which means ‘slaughtered’. The ‘slaughtering’ is to be done by
cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck causing the
animal’s death without cutting the spinal cord.
c. Blood should be
drained
The blood has to be
drained completely before the head is removed. The purpose is to drain out most
of the blood which would serve as a good culture medium for micro organisms. The
spinal cord must not be cut because the nerve fibres
to the heart could be damaged during the process causing cardiac arrest,
stagnating the blood in the blood vessels.
2. Blood is a good
medium for germs and bacteria
Blood is a good media of
germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. Therefore the Muslim way of slaughtering is more
hygienic as most of the blood containing germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. that are
the cause of several diseases are eliminated.
3. Meat remains
fresh for a longer time
Meat slaughtered by
Islamic way remains fresh for a longer time due to deficiency of blood in the
meat as compared to other methods of slaughtering.
4. Animal does not
feel pain
The swift cutting of
vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain
responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain. While dying, the
animal struggles, writhers, shakes and kicks, not due to pain, but due to the
contraction and relaxation of the muscles deficient
in blood and due to the flow of blood out of the body.