Why Muslims take charge of animal slaughter

By Frederick Womakuyu

FOR years, it has been the accepted practice in Uganda that Muslims slaughter animals. People of other religions have questioned this but have not found the answer. So why do Muslims take charge of a job that can be done by anybody?

According to Muslim scholars and clerics, the slaughter of animals in the Islamic way follows certain conditions and this started with Prophet Ibrahim. It is said that God put Ibrahim’s faith to test by asking him to slaughter his only son, Ismail.

“Allah spoke to Ibrahim three times in a dream. On the third occasion, Ibrahim obeyed God’s command. He built an altar and prepared his son for slaughter,” says Yunice Muhammad, a cleric from Singapore University, who was on a visit to the Islamic University in Uganda recently.

“Allah told Ibrahim to place Ismail’s head facing the Kabbah at Mecca and when he was about to slit the boy’s neck, Allah told him to sharpen the knife so that less pain is inflicted on the boy. God also commanded him to slit the throat,” he adds.

When Ibrahim was about to slit Ismail’s throat, “Allah noticed his faith and told him to stop.”

Allah ordered Prophet Gabriel to bring a sheep to be slaughtered instead of Ismail. “The sheep was slaughtered following the above steps and that is how the slaughter of animals by Muslims started,” says Muhammad Rajab, a Muslim scholar.

Guided by the Koran
“The Koran gives guidelines on what to eat. But some non-Muslims may eat animals that are prohibited by Allah. Therefore, we have to know the source of the animal before eating it.”

The Koran says Muslims should not eat animals slaughtered by non-Muslims. “But animals slaughtered by a Muslim may be eaten by a non-Muslim.

The Koran does not allow anybody to slaughter anything without mentioning the name of Allah. “Bismillahi-Allah Akbar, meaning “I am doing it in the name of Allah. And the knife must be sharpened,” says Rajab.

“All the blood must come out of the animal to avoid clotting. Non-Muslims may skip all these procedures. That is why Muslims must slaughter the animal.”

Above all, Rajab adds, the slaughter must not be done by machines.

“Using machines may cause clots,” he says.

Rajab says Muslims must also be sure of the status of the animals.

“We do not slaughter a sick or pregnant animal.”

Mutesa’s decree
According to Sheik Sulite Kabili, the chairman Dawaa Board, Muslims started slaughtering animals in Uganda during the reign of Kabaka Mutesa I. Mutesa issued a decree for Muslims to slaughter animals “since they could not eat meat slaughtered by non-Muslims.”

However, some non-Muslims believe they can slaughter their animals.

“I do not believe in what they say. As a Christian, I pray before slaughtering my animal. Muslims monopolise the slaughter because they are paid for the service,” says Maurice Musinguzi, a butcher at Nakesero Market.

But Charles Mugume, a customer says: “Muslims are clean and have the experience. They should continue slaughtering animals.”