Animals are much like humans in that they can feel fear, pain, and stress. This is especially true when they know they are about to be slaughtered. For this reason, special care must be taken when slaughtering sacrificial animals. This is even more important if the animal you have chosen is a cow. Its large size and shape bring greater blessings, but they also require more complicated handling and extra caution. Not only slaughtering, but even knocking down the animal must be done in a special way. So, what is the correct way to knock down a sacrificial cow in accordance with Islamic law?
The Correct Way to Knock Down a Sacrificial Cow
When slaughtering large sacrificial animals such as cows, a special method is required. Knocking down a cow cannot be done by one person alone; it requires the cooperation of many people.
Therefore, there is a proper method for bringing down a sacrificial cow in accordance with Islamic law. This method is necessary to ensure that the cow’s body touches the ground safely and securely. This ensures that the slaughtering process is carried out safely, calmly, and in accordance with proper etiquette, while also avoiding stress and injury to the sacrificial animal.
Here are 6 ways to slaughter a sacrificial cow correctly and in accordance with Islamic law:
1. Traditional Method
- Tie a rope around the cow’s legs or head
- Use the rope to pull the cow to its left side with its head facing the qibla
- Hold the cow’s legs and head to prevent it from struggling during slaughter.
This traditional method is widely practiced by Indonesian communities, especially at mosques or communal sacrifice sites. The advantage of this method is that it does not require heavy equipment, while the disadvantage is that it requires a lot of manpower and poses risks if the people involved are inexperienced.
2. Slip Method
- Tie the front and back legs on the left side of the cow.
- Guide the cow to fall slowly to the left side.
- Do this using a special technique so as not to hurt the cow.
The advantage of this method is that the cow is more controllable and we do not hurt them. Meanwhile, the disadvantage is that the people doing it need special training and good team coordination.
3. Rollover Box Method
- Place the cow in a box-shaped device that can be tilted automatically
- When the position is correct and fit, tilt the box so that the cow is in a lying position
- Slaughter the cow that has fallen/reclined
The rollover box method is widely used by modern slaughterhouses (RPH). The advantage of this method is that it is safe, hygienic, and efficient. The disadvantage is that it requires special equipment, which is not always available at ordinary slaughterhouses.
Read also: The Law on Distributing qurbani meat to non-Muslims, according to Islamic scholars
4. Burley Method
The correct way to knock down a sacrificial cow using the Burley method can be done on cows that are accustomed to living among humans.
- Use a rope to lasso the cow; do not use plastic rope, as it is slippery and can injure the animal.
- Cross the rope under the cow’s chest and back.
- Slowly lower the cow to its left side with its head facing south toward the qibla.
- If the sacrificial cow is lying down but not facing the qibla, never drag or turn it over.
- Slaughter the cow while it is lying down in accordance with religious guidelines.
Keep in mind that the burley method can cause injury to the sacrificial animal if the rope is pulled too hard or in the wrong direction. In addition, this method is also less effective for large and aggressive cows.
5. Rope Squeeze Method
- This method is done by tying a rope from the front to the back of the cow’s body.
- Once done, pull the rope backward together.
- Once the cow has fallen, do not release the rope, but continue pulling from behind.
The rope squeeze method can be used, but it must be performed with high skill, the right tools, and ensuring that the pressure on the rope knot is not excessive. If this method is performed carelessly, it can cause suffering to the animal, endanger the handler, and complicate the slaughtering process.
6. Method by UGM Animal Husbandry Lecturer
A livestock farming lecturer from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has discovered a method to safely and easily knock down sacrificial cows without requiring many people. Here are the steps:
- Prepare a rope.
- Tie the rope around the cow’s neck.
- Pull the rope through the cow’s legs, wrap it twice around the front and back, then pull it through the back of the cow.
In this method, the cow is brought down slowly to ensure it does not suffocate from the rope around its body. Afterward, to ensure safe slaughter, the legs must be tied immediately for the safety of the slaughterer.
That is the proper way to bring down a sacrificial cow. May all of you receive blessings and protection from Allah SWT when performing the sacrifice on Eid al-Adha. Thus, the slaughtering of sacrificial animals may proceed smoothly.
Read also: Pay attention to the minimum age of qurbani animals to ensure your qurbani is valid
How to Slaughter Sacrificial Animals According to Islamic Law
Some of the proper methods for slaughtering sacrificial cows, as mentioned above, can be considered in accordance with Islamic law if they meet the principles of proper slaughtering etiquette taught by Islam. The following are the legal criteria:
1. The Animal Is Not Tortured or Treated Cruelly
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed, Allah has made it obligatory to do good in all things. When you kill (an animal), kill it in the best way. When you slaughter, slaughter it in the best way. Sharpen your knives and ease the suffering of the animal you are slaughtering.”
(Hadith narrated by Muslim, No. 1955)
The hadith above explains that any method that does not cause pain, cruelty, or stress to the animal during slaughter is in accordance with Islamic law.
2. Facing the Qiblah
The Sunnah method of slaughtering sacrificial animals is to lay them on their left side and face the qiblah, as done by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Companions. Any method of knocking the animal down—whether manual, using tools, or a stalling box—is acceptable as long as it causes the animal to lie on its left side and face the qiblah.
Ibn Qudamah in the book Al-Mughni explains, “It is recommended to face the animal towards the qibla, just as the person slaughtering faces the qibla, because the Prophet did so and the Muslims followed him.”
3. Slaughtering with a Sharp Knife
The process of slaughtering animals must not be done in a way that delays death. Knocking down the animal for slaughter must be followed by a quick slaughter. How? Prepare a sharp cutting tool to immediately sever the windpipe, esophagus, and two main blood vessels. Therefore, the method of knocking down the sacrificial animal must be accompanied by a quick, effective, and painless slaughter process.
4. Do not hang or slaughter the animal before it is calm
Animals must not be slaughtered while still struggling violently due to a rough stunning process. Therefore, a method that can make the animal collapse calmly without stress is necessary (recommended methods include the stalling box method or the slip method).
The proper method for stunning sacrificial cattle may vary, but it must not violate the principles of compassion, cleanliness, proper qibla direction, and slaughtering effectiveness. These are the factors that make such methods compliant with Islamic law and valid according to Islam. (RQA)
