Reference for Halal Meat

                          Reference for Halal and Haram Meat

We have a very wrong understanding about the meaning of halal slaughter. I was asked by a non-Muslim professor once what makes a meat halal and I didn't know an explanation and was embarrassed, but gave a vague answer saying that we say the prayer before we cut, that makes it halal. I came back and went through hadiths and articles written by Muslim scholars and finally came to an understanding. I am going to explain it in a scientific way so that In-Sha-Allah in the future you will be prepared if anyone asks you the same.

WHAT MAKES A MEAT HALAL (Allowed) OR HARAM (Punished if done and marked as a good deed if avoided)?

Answer: it is the non-drained blood that contaminates the meat, which makes it Haram.

What non-Muslim butchers do is completely chop of the head as a result of which the connection between the brain and the heart is lost hence the heart stops pumping/beating almost instantaneously, (however mammalian heart is Myogenic but it requires stimulations from Medulla Oblongata for rhythmic pumping and beating) therefore, there is no driving force to push the blood out of the body. As a result of this the blood stagnates in the veins and arteries and contaminates the meat.

Scientifically blood is one of the best culture mediums to grow bacteria.

(As we know that blood is the main carrier of pathogens, lymphocytes and other cellular and non-cellular debris; such as toxins.)

Consuming meat contaminated with blood makes humans more vulnerable to infections and joint pains. (Joint pains because of high uric acid levels in blood)

SO WHAT IS THE HALAL WAY??

Answer: we do not chop off the head completely, but instead we cut the main vein (jugular vein) in the neck first. This vein contains venous blood in high pressure and it directly connects to the atrium of the heart without any interference. This method of slaughtering preserves the connection between the brain and the heart which allows neural transmissions to be delivered. (Because the vertebrates have dorsal neural cord)

 This keeps the heart pumping/beating until all the blood is drained off completely from every vein and artery in the body making the meat pure and thus halal.

M. Mirza Riyaz Beig

B. Pharma, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi