The Slaughtering Technique

Every care should be taken to slaughter the animal without subjecting it to unnecessary pain and torture. The following pertinent points are to be kept in mind:

The animal should be taken gently to the place of slaughter and should not be dragged along to the place of slaughter.

The animal should be slaughtered at a place where other animals cannot witness the slaughter.

It should be laid on the ground with ease and slaughtered without delay.

The Qurbani animal should be made to face the Qiblah with the slaughterer also facing the Qiblah.

There is no hard and fast rule that it must be placed on the right or left side. The important thing is that it should be made to face the Qiblah, which can be attained by placing the animal either on itsleft side or right side. However, the slaughtering process would be easier if the animal is made to face the Qiblah whilst lying on its left side. Thus, this would be the ideal and preferable way. (Fataawa Mahmoodiyya Vol. 17 Pg.244)

The knife must be sharp so that it slits the throat swiftly, without causing undue pain to the animal.

The knife should not be sharpened in the presence of the animals.

The animal should not be slaughtered whilst it is hungry and thirsty.

The place of slaughtering is the throat area of the animal just above the upper part of the chest. This is the area where the four veins, viz. the trachea (the breathing pipe), the oesophagus (water and food pipe) and the two jugular (blood) pipes are easily accessible. At least three of these four veins must necessarily be severed in order to make the animal Halaal for consumption. However it is better to severe all four veins.

The animal should not be slaughtered with such a force that its head is severed, or the knife reaches the spinal cord.

After slaughtering, the head should not be cut off nor should the animal be skinned until the body is cold (lifeless).

After placing the animal on the ground before slaughtering one should recite the following dua:

إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اللَّهُمَّ مِنْكَ وَلَكَ

I have firmly turned myself towards that Being who has created the heavens and the earth, while I am upon the Straight Deen of Hazrat Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam), and I am not among the Mushrikeen. Verily, my salaah, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah Ta‘ala, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner, with this I have been commanded and I am among the Muslimeen. O Allah! This sacrifice is due to You granting us the ability to do so and it is for You.

While slaughtering the animal one should recite:

In the name of Allah. Allah is the Greatest.

بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ اَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

After slaughtering the animal one should recite:

اللَّهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْهُ مِنِّي كَمَا تَقَبَّلْت مِنْ حَبِيْبِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ خَلِيلِك إبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِمَا الصَّلَوةُ وَالسَّلآم

O Allah accept from me this sacrifice like you have accepted from your beloved Muhammad and your friend Ibrahim (‘alaihis salaam).