Question:

Answer:

Unfortunately, HFA is an organisation that is out of sync with the Muslim Community in England. Along with its dubious and obscure scholarly backing, it chooses to take a stance against the highly qualified scholars of the community, and wishes to promote a view about Islamic Slaughter that is rejected by the vast majority of them. They may make light of this, but since they are supposed to be representing the interests of the Muslims of this Land to ignore this point seems disingenuous.

Whereas the scholars are adamant that an individual slaughter-man must be directly holding the knife when slaughtering, according to this organisation it is enough to have a fixed blade, across which the chickens pass and have their throats slit. They also permit stunning of chickens. The problem with this is, having heard testimonies from slaughter-men themselves backing this, many chickens die before Dhabh even takes place, and secondly it has often been seen that the voltage is deliberately kept high, almost ensuring premature death.  Another major flaw of the organisation is that it does not have grassroots support to ensure that even after certification (though we consider their certification itself to be deficient), dubious practices which are known to take place, do not take place.

The only thing of merit the organisation clings on to for its credibility is that it was the first such organisation of its kind in the country. However, any reasonable minded person will appreciate that this is no basis for reliability.

HMC on the other hand has worked at the grassroots, holding talks and seminars raising awareness amongst Muslims of the issues involved. They have the backing of scholars throughout the country and are keen to have their input, something I can personally vouch for. Their standards are strongly backed by evidences and also show a deep appreciation of the reality in the Meat market. We can clearly notice with HMC that theirs is not just another certification body that pulls in all and sundry, regardless of their disregard of the Shariah. This is shown in many aspects of their work, including for example the creation of voluntary LAGS (Local Area Groups). These enable the organisation to keep in close contact with what is happening on the ground in the slaughter houses and the many meat and poultry outlets.

It is for these reasons we, as do many scholars, endorse wholly the work of HMC, and wish that our brothers at HFA, seriously re-examine the real need for their existence, for the sake of the Muslim community in UK.  The point I humbly request them to reflect on, apart from the points mentioned above, is that there are many harms for Muslims in having disunited voices and it is an unquestionable benefit in the various certifying bodies becoming one. However, whereas HMC could never leave their principles of Slaughter, as it would mean, without exaggeration, them accepting to eat Haram, HFA could. The reason for this is that for them (HFA) to adopt the higher standards of HMC, could only be viewed by the Shariah as a praiseworthy step, as it is the more precautious of the two positions. By HFA’s adopting the HMC standards, what however will not happen, is, no one, not even HFA themselves, will be able to say we have committed something unlawful and consumed Haram.

Mufti Mohammed Sajjad

Wallahu Aalam bis-sawab

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The answer to this question is the opinion of the scholar and does not reflect the opinion of other scholars of As-Suffa Institute and As-Suffa Institute as an organisation.