In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Specially Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, Who causes death to everything.
"They ask you [O Muhammad (saws] concerning the Ruh (Soul). Say: 'It is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given very little."(Qur'an Al-Israa 17:85)
Someone asked me about the matter of the soul after it departs the body. They learned about it, but weren't clear on some of the details. First of all, Allah has not shared a lot of information regarding the nature of soul, but there is some information that provide basic understanding.
At the time of death, our soul is removed from our body through the nervous system, and it is captured by the Angels. Angels take the soul with them towards the heavens. Once the Soul reaches the seventh heaven, Allah orders the Angels to store the deeds from the soul into one of the two storage (Illeen, or Sijjin). After that, the soul is returned to the world.
So, where does the soul remains until the day of judgment? This confuses many people, and some even fall into shirk due to these confusions. So, let us try to find out what is the truth. One of the best source for this topic after Quran and Sunnah is a book called "The Soul's Journey"(Kitab-ur-Ruh) written by ibn AlQayyim. I have an electronic copy, if anyone needs it. What I will be presenting is mostly from that book.
There are two things that we have to understand, before understanding the life after death. First, restrictions of times are different in the next world, then from this world. For example, when the soul comes back from heavens, it can enter this world at the same exact time that it left this world, because passing of time is the rate of decay of the structure of this world, and it is static when looking from first heaven towards this world, so soul will watch the family members carry the body to the graveyard, and so forth, although the soul has just returned from a long journey to seventh heaven and back.
Second, soul exist in a different reality, and can not be seen from our world. Similar to Jinn and Angels, who occupy this world with us, but not in the same reality. An example of this is the sound waves that dog can hear, but we cannot hear, because Allah has restricted our hearing to a certain bandwidth, but dogs are more sensitive. Similarly, our eyesight, and body can't perceive the Angels, Jinn, and soul because they are vibrating at a different wavelength of matter, but dogs and horses are able to perceive that wavelength.
If one understands these two details, then everything else fits into place. When the soul returns to this world, it once again experiences the time passage, but can not interact with us. We will feel like air to it, and it will feel like air to us. Once the body is buried, the soul stays with the body and answers the Angels' questions. What if the body was burned to dust. How would the soul enters that dust, as sometimes the dust is thrown into water? Of course, the grave is not the physical grave, but it is the world of souls. Soul will not enter the body again until the day of judgement, and the body will decay, but the punishment of the grave will not stop. So, all this information tell us that, soul stays below the first heaven, and within this world, but in a different reality.
Before the day of judgement, our bodies will be come together, and soul will enter it. At that point, the soul will forget all about the days that it spent in the grave(the world of souls), and the memory will start from the time of death. On the day of resurrection, we will feel that we just died. Of course we will enter Jannah (InshAllah) with the body and soul together, and it will not be the world of souls.
How much time do we spend researching our itinerary, and nearest restaurants, and maps, so when we travel, we are informed and not confused. Now, how much time do we spend reading information about life after death? Is it because we don't believe that it will happen, as much as we believe that the upcoming vacation. Let this be a reminder to all of us to prepare for our journey through the world of souls.
The Angels are on their way.
Oh God! Oh God! Now I leave?
The line grew short, and came my turn.
Oh God! Oh God! Now I believe!
And Allah knows best
JazakAllah Khairin
Marketing Agent for Journey of Soul
AbuArman Jumani
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Oh! The nation of limpy folks.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Specially Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, worthy of all worship.
"Indeed those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time)..." (Quran 41:30)
Sufyan bin `Abdullah Ath-Thaqafi said, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I will not have to ask anyone about it after you.' He said (Say: I believe in Allah, then stand firm.)'' (ibn Kathir)
Islamic Center of Windermere: We have a land that we can use with county's approval, and the next step is to visit Muslim's home and do a survey, before calling a public meeting. If you like to volunteer to go out with us, please contact me at ajumani@hotmail.com. Only say yes if you will stand firm. Also, the other group is not communicating with us, so we are not collaborating with them any longer.
Yesterday, I met one of my dear brothers in Islam, and he asked me why haven't I written any blogs lately. Well, I do not write for entertainment, and I can't write as I wish. When something hits my heart, and it inspires me to write, I write. So, what inspired me yesterday was the fact that there were 30 sisters and 3 brothers in the gathering. Where are the men folks? Now, I missed the last few classes, due to my conflict with school, but I regret that, and hope to continue attending the groups that I consider to be on the right path.
In fact, whenever I send out a request for participation, only a few people respond. Some ignore it as they don't agree with what I say. Some ignore it because they don't want to part of anything controversial. "Oh brother, I can't support you because my family wants me out". "Oh, the gathering of new muslims. Why would I waste my time there? We will just invite them to our place every 2 months." "Oh, you are building a masjid, and I will not be a leader. No thank you." It is not just my call for support, where people are missing in action, but they are missing in every place where it is not their culture, or their group of people present.
Some of you may ask what am I talking about. What I am talking about is the command of Allah where he wants us to stand firm. So, what does this means? It means that if you believe that there is an effort or a group that is on the right path, and they need your support, you should move heaven and earth to participate in it. It is not enough to come one Sunday after 3 months and call it a success. No brothers (and I am talking to brothers only). You don't get to chose when to come in and when not to. Let me give you an example.
Every organization is built like a wall, where every brick supporting the brick above it. If a brick says "You know what I will not be able to participate, because I have to buy a new rug for my home, or I am not feeling active today, or my kids want to go to park, or my relative has invited for dinner." What????? Are you kidding me. Do you think the wall will stay in its place? No, the brick walls do not stand firm when there are big gaps in them, or bricks are "LIMP".
If not a single person from Jamah Masjid attends the monthly pot luck on Saturday, what is the purpose of keeping the masjid. Only reason I see for a masjid in USA is to convey Islam, and support the growth. Why anyone bother becoming a Muslim, if they are to be ignored. We should demolish the masjid and pray at home. What is the purpose of these Muslims in USA? Are they here to earn income, then that is what they will get.
Today, if we start an initiative, and ask for participation, like it was done on the 27th Ramadhan in 2010. I was there. I saw people raising hands "$10,000" "$25,000". "AllahuAkbar!". Later on, we found out that most of them were limp bricks, and when asked to hand over the money, they denied it. Masajid are full on Fridays. I sit and watch as people walk in like they are doing a favor to attend, and get upset if there is no space to sit or Imam takes an extra minute to explain an important announcement. Where were you during the week? If you came during the week, people would have notice the need to expand and everyone would have chipped in.
Oh! The nation of limpy folks.
Men folks have become limp bricks in the wall, and they come when they feel convenient for them. They pretend that all they have to do is have long beards, and pray salah in the masjid. When it comes to the time when the load of the wall is pushed upon their shoulder, they don't hold their grounds. Islam is a hobby for them, and they play with it as they find it convenient. We don't need this nation of limpy folks, and if they remain Muslim or leave Islam, we don't care.
Alright, I do miss events and classes, and I will inshAllah work on being more consistent, but we should be consistent overall, as a member of a group. We should do it for the pleasure of Allah, and not for the pleasure of the Imam. We should take initiatives on our own, and not wait for others to be the leaders.
And, May Allah help the ones who believe, and then stand firm.
JazakAllah Khairin
A mostly consistent, but sometimes wrong, Muslim
AbuArman Jumani
All praise is due to Allah, worthy of all worship.
"Indeed those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time)..." (Quran 41:30)
Sufyan bin `Abdullah Ath-Thaqafi said, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I will not have to ask anyone about it after you.' He said (Say: I believe in Allah, then stand firm.)'' (ibn Kathir)
Islamic Center of Windermere: We have a land that we can use with county's approval, and the next step is to visit Muslim's home and do a survey, before calling a public meeting. If you like to volunteer to go out with us, please contact me at ajumani@hotmail.com. Only say yes if you will stand firm. Also, the other group is not communicating with us, so we are not collaborating with them any longer.
Yesterday, I met one of my dear brothers in Islam, and he asked me why haven't I written any blogs lately. Well, I do not write for entertainment, and I can't write as I wish. When something hits my heart, and it inspires me to write, I write. So, what inspired me yesterday was the fact that there were 30 sisters and 3 brothers in the gathering. Where are the men folks? Now, I missed the last few classes, due to my conflict with school, but I regret that, and hope to continue attending the groups that I consider to be on the right path.
In fact, whenever I send out a request for participation, only a few people respond. Some ignore it as they don't agree with what I say. Some ignore it because they don't want to part of anything controversial. "Oh brother, I can't support you because my family wants me out". "Oh, the gathering of new muslims. Why would I waste my time there? We will just invite them to our place every 2 months." "Oh, you are building a masjid, and I will not be a leader. No thank you." It is not just my call for support, where people are missing in action, but they are missing in every place where it is not their culture, or their group of people present.
Some of you may ask what am I talking about. What I am talking about is the command of Allah where he wants us to stand firm. So, what does this means? It means that if you believe that there is an effort or a group that is on the right path, and they need your support, you should move heaven and earth to participate in it. It is not enough to come one Sunday after 3 months and call it a success. No brothers (and I am talking to brothers only). You don't get to chose when to come in and when not to. Let me give you an example.
Every organization is built like a wall, where every brick supporting the brick above it. If a brick says "You know what I will not be able to participate, because I have to buy a new rug for my home, or I am not feeling active today, or my kids want to go to park, or my relative has invited for dinner." What????? Are you kidding me. Do you think the wall will stay in its place? No, the brick walls do not stand firm when there are big gaps in them, or bricks are "LIMP".
If not a single person from Jamah Masjid attends the monthly pot luck on Saturday, what is the purpose of keeping the masjid. Only reason I see for a masjid in USA is to convey Islam, and support the growth. Why anyone bother becoming a Muslim, if they are to be ignored. We should demolish the masjid and pray at home. What is the purpose of these Muslims in USA? Are they here to earn income, then that is what they will get.
Today, if we start an initiative, and ask for participation, like it was done on the 27th Ramadhan in 2010. I was there. I saw people raising hands "$10,000" "$25,000". "AllahuAkbar!". Later on, we found out that most of them were limp bricks, and when asked to hand over the money, they denied it. Masajid are full on Fridays. I sit and watch as people walk in like they are doing a favor to attend, and get upset if there is no space to sit or Imam takes an extra minute to explain an important announcement. Where were you during the week? If you came during the week, people would have notice the need to expand and everyone would have chipped in.
Oh! The nation of limpy folks.
Men folks have become limp bricks in the wall, and they come when they feel convenient for them. They pretend that all they have to do is have long beards, and pray salah in the masjid. When it comes to the time when the load of the wall is pushed upon their shoulder, they don't hold their grounds. Islam is a hobby for them, and they play with it as they find it convenient. We don't need this nation of limpy folks, and if they remain Muslim or leave Islam, we don't care.
Alright, I do miss events and classes, and I will inshAllah work on being more consistent, but we should be consistent overall, as a member of a group. We should do it for the pleasure of Allah, and not for the pleasure of the Imam. We should take initiatives on our own, and not wait for others to be the leaders.
And, May Allah help the ones who believe, and then stand firm.
JazakAllah Khairin
A mostly consistent, but sometimes wrong, Muslim
AbuArman Jumani
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Oh! the foolish People!
In the Name of Allah,
All praise is due to Allah, the Knower of All
Islamic Center of Windermere: I received some support, but we need to build on it. Following are the next steps. We are going with the land found. Please contact me right away, if you like to be part of the core committee. I will be exploring ICNA, ISCF, and other local organization for participation.
1) Create a Non-Profit
2) Start the contract
3) Visit Muslims homes
4) Public Meeting
"O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy." (Quran 2:208)
So many times I meet people who tell me that they believe in Allah, but don't try to practice Islam completely. Well, that is very unfortunate, because what they saying is that they follow some commands of Allah, but not others. Of course, they are rejecting the above verse of the Quran, but that's the topic of another day. I would like to show another side of this reality. I hope you all follow me till the end, as it may change your life.
Let us go through the examples of these situation. There is a family, which has decided that they will eat halal meat, but will keep listening to musical instrument, and other prohibited act. Now, they suffer, because they can not just enter any restaurant, and order meat, because they consider it haram. So, they find themselves away from non-muslim friends and co-workers, so their life in this world is not comfortable as it could be, if they were eating haram. However, their other actions are against Allah's command, so there is a chance that they would enter hellfire in the next life. Non-muslims on the other hand will enjoy this life and suffer in the next life. Believers will suffer in this life and enjoy the next life.
This poor group of people, who are hanging in the middle, because they were born in a Muslim family, but never learned Islam, and don't want to follow Islam completely where their lifestyle is limited. They may suffer in both lives, and for what. Now, you would ask me, why am I bringing this up, because no one can follow Islam perfectly. Answer is yes, but Allah is Not asking us to practice Islam perfectly, but asking us to "Enter" Islam completely.
When a person enter Islam completely, he or she surrenders all their desires, and they never intentionally commit an act that goes against commands of Allah and his messenger.They may still make mistakes, but they will not reject hijab, just because they are not ready yet. They will not shave their face because it may affect their work or wife's approval. No. Once a person enters into Islam, then everything they do, they check against Islam, if they are not violating any Islamic ruling.
Of course, I am not talking about the difference of opinion, where one does not believe it to be sin, but talking about when one believe it to be sin, and does it anyways. Since I have done it, my reasoning usually is that "Well I am following 99%, this one sin will not take me to hellfire". However, that is the plan of Iblis (satan). He wants us to slip on one sin, so he get access to us.
Some pray Jummah regularly, but drink Alcohol, commit adultery, gamble etc. Now, they know that all of this is haram, but they do it intentionally. Aren't they foollish? Aren't they losing benefit from each group, believers and non-believers? Aren't they trying to play on both teams?
I say to those foolish people. Chose a team! Either enter and sit down, or leave, so you can at least enjoy this life and prepare for hellfire. This back and forth does not make sense. Listening to Indian music, and then listening to Quran. You will not enjoy either. Drinking Alcohol, and then drinking ZamZam. You will not benefit from either. Sleeping with wife, and then sleeping with non-wife. Only harm can come. Speak ill of others, and then read Quran. No benefit at the end (this is my slippery slope).
If we know something is prohibited, why do it? Why wait for next year to stop it? Stop now. Make the intention today.
Complete Change takes a moment. Convincing our inner self for the change takes a long time. Take a hold of the inner self. Have a conversation. Go through a cost benefit analysis. Whatever it takes, stop this madness. Please don't commit sin intentionally, after you have surrendered your will to Allah (became a Muslim). If your oath to Allah can not be trusted, then nothing from you can be trusted.
Please Adnan! stop sinning for God's sake and your sake.
JazakAllah Khairin
A foolish person
AbuArman Jumani
All praise is due to Allah, the Knower of All
Islamic Center of Windermere: I received some support, but we need to build on it. Following are the next steps. We are going with the land found. Please contact me right away, if you like to be part of the core committee. I will be exploring ICNA, ISCF, and other local organization for participation.
1) Create a Non-Profit
2) Start the contract
3) Visit Muslims homes
4) Public Meeting
"O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy." (Quran 2:208)
So many times I meet people who tell me that they believe in Allah, but don't try to practice Islam completely. Well, that is very unfortunate, because what they saying is that they follow some commands of Allah, but not others. Of course, they are rejecting the above verse of the Quran, but that's the topic of another day. I would like to show another side of this reality. I hope you all follow me till the end, as it may change your life.
Let us go through the examples of these situation. There is a family, which has decided that they will eat halal meat, but will keep listening to musical instrument, and other prohibited act. Now, they suffer, because they can not just enter any restaurant, and order meat, because they consider it haram. So, they find themselves away from non-muslim friends and co-workers, so their life in this world is not comfortable as it could be, if they were eating haram. However, their other actions are against Allah's command, so there is a chance that they would enter hellfire in the next life. Non-muslims on the other hand will enjoy this life and suffer in the next life. Believers will suffer in this life and enjoy the next life.
This poor group of people, who are hanging in the middle, because they were born in a Muslim family, but never learned Islam, and don't want to follow Islam completely where their lifestyle is limited. They may suffer in both lives, and for what. Now, you would ask me, why am I bringing this up, because no one can follow Islam perfectly. Answer is yes, but Allah is Not asking us to practice Islam perfectly, but asking us to "Enter" Islam completely.
When a person enter Islam completely, he or she surrenders all their desires, and they never intentionally commit an act that goes against commands of Allah and his messenger.They may still make mistakes, but they will not reject hijab, just because they are not ready yet. They will not shave their face because it may affect their work or wife's approval. No. Once a person enters into Islam, then everything they do, they check against Islam, if they are not violating any Islamic ruling.
Of course, I am not talking about the difference of opinion, where one does not believe it to be sin, but talking about when one believe it to be sin, and does it anyways. Since I have done it, my reasoning usually is that "Well I am following 99%, this one sin will not take me to hellfire". However, that is the plan of Iblis (satan). He wants us to slip on one sin, so he get access to us.
Some pray Jummah regularly, but drink Alcohol, commit adultery, gamble etc. Now, they know that all of this is haram, but they do it intentionally. Aren't they foollish? Aren't they losing benefit from each group, believers and non-believers? Aren't they trying to play on both teams?
I say to those foolish people. Chose a team! Either enter and sit down, or leave, so you can at least enjoy this life and prepare for hellfire. This back and forth does not make sense. Listening to Indian music, and then listening to Quran. You will not enjoy either. Drinking Alcohol, and then drinking ZamZam. You will not benefit from either. Sleeping with wife, and then sleeping with non-wife. Only harm can come. Speak ill of others, and then read Quran. No benefit at the end (this is my slippery slope).
If we know something is prohibited, why do it? Why wait for next year to stop it? Stop now. Make the intention today.
Complete Change takes a moment. Convincing our inner self for the change takes a long time. Take a hold of the inner self. Have a conversation. Go through a cost benefit analysis. Whatever it takes, stop this madness. Please don't commit sin intentionally, after you have surrendered your will to Allah (became a Muslim). If your oath to Allah can not be trusted, then nothing from you can be trusted.
Please Adnan! stop sinning for God's sake and your sake.
JazakAllah Khairin
A foolish person
AbuArman Jumani
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Is Mechanical Slaughtering haram?
In the Name of Allah,
All praise is due to Allah, the Most Wise
Anything good in this writing is from Allah, and any mistakes are from me.
Islamic Center of Windermere: I went to see the rental property yesterday, and it is huge. It will cost around $30,000 per month, which is very expensive. I also saw a land close to my home for $500,000 that is big and perfect for masjid. I think that is the best option, but I need to know if there are people willing to participate. Please let me know.
A brother asked me if mechanical slaughtering is haram. I asked him why he wanted to know. He said someone just told him in the masjid that majority of scholars agree in UK that it is haram. I would like to answer this in details, because many believers who live in western countries, are confused.
First of all, there is a difference of opinion, and we should not go around telling each other to follow a specific opinion, unless we are ready to argue with evidences. It is like a sister who wears a niqab tells a sister who doesn't wear niqab that she should wear the face veil (niqab). Or, it is like a brother going around telling others that they should raise their hands before and after ruku. Please leave people alone, and don't impose your opinion on others, if you don't know the details of the opinion.
So, this person who is going around the community telling others not to eat machine cut has not provided any specific opinion with evidences, rather a link to "Anonymous Survey" that was done in UK, where many questions were asked, and one of them was if mechanical slaughtering is halal, and 95 % say no. However, there are no names, and there are no legal opinions, so we don't know who were these people, and what is their evidence. Come on brother! Stop this fitnah. So, we are taking votes to decide our religion now? Mr Ahmed Hanbali would have lost, if a vote was taken. Following is the link to that survey.
http://halalfocus.net/2010/02/18/uk-muslim-scholars-reject-mechanical-slaughtering/
Now, there are opinions which say that Bismillah has to be read over each slaughter by a believer for it to be halal. I have broken down this argument in my earlier blog, so instead of repeating it let me try something else.
We will follow the fiqh principle that is accepted globally as universal principle, which is that everything on earth is permissible for us, except what is specifically forbidden. It is based on many evidences from the Quran and Sunnah, like following evidences.
"O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations. Lawful to you (for food) are all the beasts of cattle except that which will be announced to you (herein)...Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals), blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than Allah, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns ـand that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal ـunless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) - and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub (stone altars)." (Quran 5:1 - 3)
The above verse makes it very clear that all animals are by default lawful for us to consume, except which are specifically forbidden. This is the Sunnah of Allah to mention the general principle before mentioning the prohibition, and it can be seen in many places in the Quran. So, according to this verse everything is permissible for us, except what will be told to us by Allah and his Messenger (PBUH). Then, we look at the following verses of the Quran where Allah admonishes us for trying to make something haram that is halal for us.
"So eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned, if you are believers in His Ayat. And why should you not eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned, while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity And surely, many do lead astray by their own desires through lack of knowledge. Certainly your Lord knows best the transgressors." (Quran 6:118-119)
Second verse talks about a group of people who forbid food that is slaughtered with the mention of Allah's name. So, why would a believer do that? Well, it is addressing the people who try to find reason other than mentioned by Allah and his Messenger (PBUH).
Now, what is it mean to mention Allah's name on the animal before killing it. If it would have mean that a person stands over the animal, and mention Allah's name, and then the animal is killed by that person, why did the Prophet (PBUH) allowed the following.
'Adi b. Hatim reported: I asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying: We are a people who hunt with these (trained) dogs, then (what should we do)? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: When you set of your trained dogs having recited the name of Allah, then eat what these (hounds) have caught for you, oven if it (the game) is killed, provided (the hunting dog) has not eaten (any part of the game). If it has eaten (the game), then you don't eat it as I fear that it might have caught for its own self. And do not eat in case other dogs have joined your trained dogs. (Sahih Muslim 4733)
It is clear from this evidence that pronouncing the name of Allah before killing is a way to ask Allah's permission for consuming that living being, which are not to be harmed otherwise. It is a way to make the intention that the act of killing that will take place is according to the permission Allah gave us in the Quran, and it is not part of the killing ritual.
So, if there is a plant where they have chicken lined up to be slaughtered, and we invoke Allah's permission, and start the process by a button that leads to the slaughter, that meat is permissible to eat, as long as there are no other reason that makes it prohibited.
Now, someone may ask, if the person at the plant has to recite Allah's name over each animal? No, they don't if the machine is continuous, as that action of slaughter has not stopped until the machine stopped. Manual slaughter is interrupted after every animal as one has to move to the next animal. One should recite Allah's name again.
Point of this blog is not to convince anyone to change their opinion, but convince people to tolerate other's opinion when there is strong evidence on both side. We should not ask people to blindly follow a scholar or a group of scholar, when we are not able to understand the evidence ourselves.
Due to this fitnah, local businesses have to follow strict rulings, because otherwise they will have this ignorant mob coming after them. May Allah protect us from these drive by fatwa givers, who don't back them up with evidences. I challenge them to reply to this blog with evidences, so we can look at them.
And Allah knows best.
JazakAllah Khairin
A well wisher
AbuArman Jumani
All praise is due to Allah, the Most Wise
Anything good in this writing is from Allah, and any mistakes are from me.
Islamic Center of Windermere: I went to see the rental property yesterday, and it is huge. It will cost around $30,000 per month, which is very expensive. I also saw a land close to my home for $500,000 that is big and perfect for masjid. I think that is the best option, but I need to know if there are people willing to participate. Please let me know.
A brother asked me if mechanical slaughtering is haram. I asked him why he wanted to know. He said someone just told him in the masjid that majority of scholars agree in UK that it is haram. I would like to answer this in details, because many believers who live in western countries, are confused.
First of all, there is a difference of opinion, and we should not go around telling each other to follow a specific opinion, unless we are ready to argue with evidences. It is like a sister who wears a niqab tells a sister who doesn't wear niqab that she should wear the face veil (niqab). Or, it is like a brother going around telling others that they should raise their hands before and after ruku. Please leave people alone, and don't impose your opinion on others, if you don't know the details of the opinion.
So, this person who is going around the community telling others not to eat machine cut has not provided any specific opinion with evidences, rather a link to "Anonymous Survey" that was done in UK, where many questions were asked, and one of them was if mechanical slaughtering is halal, and 95 % say no. However, there are no names, and there are no legal opinions, so we don't know who were these people, and what is their evidence. Come on brother! Stop this fitnah. So, we are taking votes to decide our religion now? Mr Ahmed Hanbali would have lost, if a vote was taken. Following is the link to that survey.
http://halalfocus.net/2010/02/18/uk-muslim-scholars-reject-mechanical-slaughtering/
Now, there are opinions which say that Bismillah has to be read over each slaughter by a believer for it to be halal. I have broken down this argument in my earlier blog, so instead of repeating it let me try something else.
We will follow the fiqh principle that is accepted globally as universal principle, which is that everything on earth is permissible for us, except what is specifically forbidden. It is based on many evidences from the Quran and Sunnah, like following evidences.
"O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations. Lawful to you (for food) are all the beasts of cattle except that which will be announced to you (herein)...Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals), blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than Allah, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns ـand that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal ـunless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) - and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub (stone altars)." (Quran 5:1 - 3)
The above verse makes it very clear that all animals are by default lawful for us to consume, except which are specifically forbidden. This is the Sunnah of Allah to mention the general principle before mentioning the prohibition, and it can be seen in many places in the Quran. So, according to this verse everything is permissible for us, except what will be told to us by Allah and his Messenger (PBUH). Then, we look at the following verses of the Quran where Allah admonishes us for trying to make something haram that is halal for us.
"So eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned, if you are believers in His Ayat. And why should you not eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned, while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity And surely, many do lead astray by their own desires through lack of knowledge. Certainly your Lord knows best the transgressors." (Quran 6:118-119)
Second verse talks about a group of people who forbid food that is slaughtered with the mention of Allah's name. So, why would a believer do that? Well, it is addressing the people who try to find reason other than mentioned by Allah and his Messenger (PBUH).
Now, what is it mean to mention Allah's name on the animal before killing it. If it would have mean that a person stands over the animal, and mention Allah's name, and then the animal is killed by that person, why did the Prophet (PBUH) allowed the following.
'Adi b. Hatim reported: I asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying: We are a people who hunt with these (trained) dogs, then (what should we do)? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: When you set of your trained dogs having recited the name of Allah, then eat what these (hounds) have caught for you, oven if it (the game) is killed, provided (the hunting dog) has not eaten (any part of the game). If it has eaten (the game), then you don't eat it as I fear that it might have caught for its own self. And do not eat in case other dogs have joined your trained dogs. (Sahih Muslim 4733)
It is clear from this evidence that pronouncing the name of Allah before killing is a way to ask Allah's permission for consuming that living being, which are not to be harmed otherwise. It is a way to make the intention that the act of killing that will take place is according to the permission Allah gave us in the Quran, and it is not part of the killing ritual.
So, if there is a plant where they have chicken lined up to be slaughtered, and we invoke Allah's permission, and start the process by a button that leads to the slaughter, that meat is permissible to eat, as long as there are no other reason that makes it prohibited.
Now, someone may ask, if the person at the plant has to recite Allah's name over each animal? No, they don't if the machine is continuous, as that action of slaughter has not stopped until the machine stopped. Manual slaughter is interrupted after every animal as one has to move to the next animal. One should recite Allah's name again.
Point of this blog is not to convince anyone to change their opinion, but convince people to tolerate other's opinion when there is strong evidence on both side. We should not ask people to blindly follow a scholar or a group of scholar, when we are not able to understand the evidence ourselves.
Due to this fitnah, local businesses have to follow strict rulings, because otherwise they will have this ignorant mob coming after them. May Allah protect us from these drive by fatwa givers, who don't back them up with evidences. I challenge them to reply to this blog with evidences, so we can look at them.
And Allah knows best.
JazakAllah Khairin
A well wisher
AbuArman Jumani
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