Anesthetizing Animals before Slaughtering
Dear Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, As-Salamu `alaykum. Many Europeans view that the method of slaughtering animals according to Shari`ah causes severe pain to animals. Many political parties object to using this method, and many animal rights groups call for giving up this method as well. There is a view that animals should be injected with a narcotic before slaughtering so that they will not feel the pain during the slaughtering process. What is the Islamic view on injecting animals before slaughtering with a small dose of a narcotic whose effect will not remain after slaughtering and which not affect people who eat the meat? Jazakum Allah khayran.
