Assalam u Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah,

Many Muslims and Muslim owned shops/restaurants have been buying chicken with a Halal label sold at Restaurant Depots around the country.

 

I have recently completed my investigation into the Halal status of that chicken. After speaking to the director of Halal food council which issues the Halal certificate for the chicken sold at Restaurant Depot in Mountaire boxes, We have concluded that the chicken with Halal label is not truly Halal as it is mechanically slaughtered.

 

According to the opinion of majority of contemporary scholars, Ulama and Muftis from around the world, machine slaughter does not qualify to be Halal Islamically.
Allah (S.W.T) states in the Holy Quran:
ولا تأكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه وانه لفسق
Do not eat that (meat) over which the name of Allah has not been pronounced. This is surely a sin.

 

From the above Verse of Surah An’aam, it become clear that it is necessary to invoke the name of Allah at the time of slaughtering the animal/bird. If Allah’s name is intentionally omitted then the animal becomes Haram for consumption.

 

In mechanical slaughter, the condition of Tasmiyah (invoking the name of Allah) is omitted as the slaughtering act is performed by the machine and the machine kills of 120 birds a minute. The name of Allah is not pronounced on every chicken. Therefore, the chicken becomes Haram.

 

We advise all the Muslims not to buy chicken from Restaurant Depot as it is not deemed Halal until further notice.

 

Our investigation into the Halal status of meat sold at Restaurant Depot is ongoing and We will inform the community soon Insha’allah.

 

Wass Salam u Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah,

 

Mufti Ikram ul Haq
Imam, Masjid Al-Islam
Rhode Island, USA

www.AskaMufti.com
www.Masjidislam.org