What is the wisdom behind slaughtering livestock according to Islamic rites?
We all know that the Holy Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, used to slaughter livestock such as cows, goats, camels, and sheep in a specific way: he would not cut off the animal’s head completely, but would leave a part hanging, and wait until the animal had drained all its blood, then it would be ready to be cooked and eaten.
If we were to ask about the secret behind this method, the answers would become clear in what modern medical research has revealed. It has been shown that an animal slaughtered in this way is free of germs and microbes, and is safer for consumption. Scientists today confirm that when an animal's head is completely and suddenly severed from its body, this process allows only a limited amount of blood to drain out, leaving some blood inside.
But what is the harm of this blood? Scientists have found through their tests that blood is the ideal environment for bacterial growth. When this blood is present in the body of a slaughtered animal, it leads to the accumulation and multiplication of germs that cannot be eliminated even after cooking. This is because the heat used in cooking may not penetrate all the particles of the cooked meat, and some may remain raw, which is where the danger lies. Therefore, Islam has addressed any possibility of exposure to these germs.
Some atheists may not have a method of slaughtering animals that causes them suffering and pain, and therefore the head must be completely severed from the body. But the scientific fact is that the pain of a slaughtered animal does not go away for several reasons, because all the body systems are busy with the blood. The nerves that carry the blood benefit the brain by supplying it with blood due to the lack of blood when the animal is slaughtered. The body's muscles begin to spasm and reflex, through which blood is pumped through the blood vessels to the heart. Then the heart directs this blood to the brain, but it will have already exited the body of the slaughtered animal.
Islam is concerned for us and our health, so are we concerned for this great religion? God Almighty says about His Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace: “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.” [From Surat At-Tawbah]
If we were to ask about the secret behind this method, the answers would become clear in what modern medical research has revealed. It has been shown that an animal slaughtered in this way is free of germs and microbes, and is safer for consumption. Scientists today confirm that when an animal's head is completely and suddenly severed from its body, this process allows only a limited amount of blood to drain out, leaving some blood inside.
But what is the harm of this blood? Scientists have found through their tests that blood is the ideal environment for bacterial growth. When this blood is present in the body of a slaughtered animal, it leads to the accumulation and multiplication of germs that cannot be eliminated even after cooking. This is because the heat used in cooking may not penetrate all the particles of the cooked meat, and some may remain raw, which is where the danger lies. Therefore, Islam has addressed any possibility of exposure to these germs.
Some atheists may not have a method of slaughtering animals that causes them suffering and pain, and therefore the head must be completely severed from the body. But the scientific fact is that the pain of a slaughtered animal does not go away for several reasons, because all the body systems are busy with the blood. The nerves that carry the blood benefit the brain by supplying it with blood due to the lack of blood when the animal is slaughtered. The body's muscles begin to spasm and reflex, through which blood is pumped through the blood vessels to the heart. Then the heart directs this blood to the brain, but it will have already exited the body of the slaughtered animal.
Islam is concerned for us and our health, so are we concerned for this great religion? God Almighty says about His Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace: “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.” [From Surat At-Tawbah]
22-25, MNew
