Is meat sold in the Arab countries halal?

Assalam o Alaikum wrbr,

Inshallah I am proceeding for Umra next week.

It is a constant question about eating meat products , specifically Chicken in Saudia – whether to consume it or not – questions about its Halal is raised by many. Whenever we ask to clarify this with any vendor in Saudia – they become upset – saying this is a Islamic country – all products r Govt specified halal. This applies to any hotels, fast food outlets – anywhere u eat !

Now – 1) Should we not ask and just consume – considering this is a Islamic country and hence responsibility of rulers of that country to provide halal meat / chicken etc

2) Should we ask – each time we go to an outlet to eat – – as u know there re many American outlets serving In Makkah and Madinah – including McDonald’s and Hardy’s etc – whenever we have asked them – the reply is always – it is Halal brother

3) What is your advice about consumption of meat / Chicken in Saudia ? Of course we are in no position to investigate meat products when we visit for few days !

Jazakallah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما

We are very pleased to see your effort in refraining from haram food. May Allah Ta’ala accept your endeavors and make it easy for you.

From the outset, our recommendation would be to refrain from all meat/chicken products during your stay in Saudi Arabia, as this would be the most cautious approach. The meat in Saudi Arabia is generally imported from various countries due to which it is difficult to ascertain its halal status. Although many areas serve halal meat, we are unable to offer any verdict with conviction. The chicken, however, has remained a more contentious issue in the past. While there are many places which serve local and hand-slaughtered chicken, the chicken in Saudi Arabia is usually imported from various countries and is more likely to be machine-slaughtered. 

In regards to machine-slaughtered chicken, the majority of the scholars have issued the verdict that it does not fulfill the conditions of zabiha. However, many Arab ‘ulama have opined that machine-slaughtered meat does, in fact, fulfill the criteria of zabiha and is thus, halal. Consequently, machine-slaughtered chicken is classified as halal by the government.

Bearing the above detail in mind, we would advise for you to abstain from machine slaughtered chicken and only eat that which is hand-slaughtered. Furthermore, the manner of enquiring whether the chicken is hand-slaughtered or not would be by asking whether the chicken is supplied locally or if the chicken is imported. Chicken supplied locally is generally hand-slaughtered, while imported chicken would generally be machine-slaughtered.

As a Muslim, it is our responsibility to make sure that we only consume pure and halal food. It is also imperative for us to refrain from doubtful matters and from consuming doubtful foods. 

والله اعلم

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows best.

Omar Baig

Approved by Mufti Husain Ahmad Madani