Allah Ta`ala has created human being from some part of the planet earth and destined for him to stay on it for a short span of time. During his stay on earth, he has been served with almost all facilities. Allah Ta`ala says: ‘’And Allah Himself created for your use all that the earth contains.’’(2:29) The utility of everything is set to serve the human kind, but human is prescribed to consume only what is halaal and Tayyib. Allah Ta`ala said: ‘’So, eat the halaal(permissible) and pure things(Tayyib) from what Allah has provided you, and be grateful for the bounty of Allah.’’(16:114)
Halaal, in the consumption context, is what the shariah defines as permissible for consumption. Tayyib means everything that is considered good and appetitive for human food. Over here, since our eras have distanced lot from the beloved prophet SAW, then we need to take reference from the best of eras to define what is Tayyib and what is not Tayyib. The beloved prophet SAW said:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَيْرُ أُمَّتِي قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ
‘‘The best people from my ummah are the ones in my generation. Then comes the generation after them. And then comes the third generation.’’(Bukhari)
Other narrations emphasise that in matters of deen, we should give preference to opinions in these three generations. That is why the ummah take reference of the fuqahas, muhaditheens and mufassirins of these 3 generations.
Generally halaal are what are not haraam or mushtabah(doubtful). Hence fuqahas during the best of eras set up a brief reference list of haraam animals whereby we find pig, donkey, snakes, monkey, carnivores that have claws, animals not slaughtered according to Qur-aan and sunnah, animals or fish died naturally, birds with claws, all insects(including sea insects) and all sea animals excluding fish.
One may note that Allah Ta`ala declines as halaal on the minutes detail or alteration from the principle while slaughtering a consumable animal: ‘’Prohibited for you are: carrion(animal died naturally), blood, the flesh of swine, and those upon which(a name) other than that of Allah has been invoked(at the time of slaughter), animal killed by strangulation, or killed by a blow or by a fall or by goring(stab with a horn) , and that which is eaten by a beast unless you have properly slaughtered it; and that which has been slaughtered in front of idols, and that which has been slaughtered before the idols, and that you determine shares through the arrows. (All of) this is sin.’’(Coran: Sourah 5: Verse 3)
A minute change in mentioning name, an illicit intention of the slaughter or even the place where it is slaughtered(e.g. in front of idols) causes the animal to be haraam and non consumable. Only proper slaughter by a muslim hand, done on Allah`s name would make the animal consumable.
Muslims should follow the prescribed ordain from the Qur-aan and sunnah and not the general or majority trend. Allah Ta`ala warned us that in the world most of easy source of income are haraam, but still we should abstain from it.(5:100) During the era nearing qiyamah, interest would be rampant and people would drink wine, naming it ‘’non-alcoholic’’, etc. But the beloved prophet SAW advised the ummah to stay away from these. As such, we should stay away from all those are doubtful on our menu. Also definitely avoid those meat that are mechanically slaughtered.
According to information made available to us, we found that Al Tazaj Al Faqieh chain of take away in Makkah and Madinah use hand slaughtered meat. Also Reedan in Makkah in front of the Masjid Fakiah in Al Aziziyah. Wallahou A`lam.
This information is temporary and one should link on islam-qna.org whereby we will try update halaal updates to inform Hajees and Mu`tamirs. Else be cautious and try to rather choose fish and veg menus. Unless sure that it is watini and hand slaughtered, then you may consume. Because unfortunately mechanical slaughtering has become very rampant in all horizons.