Is it permissible to slaughter a pregnant cow (or any other animal that is permissible to slaughter)? What is the ruling regarding the fetus inside it?
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may Allah protect him):
- Yes, it is permissible.
- The slaughter of the fetus is tied to the slaughter of its mother. If the mother dies without being slaughtered and the fetus dies inside her, it is forbidden to eat it. Similarly, if it is born alive but dies without being slaughtered, it is also forbidden. However, if it is born alive and then slaughtered, it is permissible to eat it. If the mother is slaughtered and the fetus dies inside her, it is permissible to eat it. If it is born alive and slaughtered, it is permissible to eat it; if not slaughtered, it is forbidden.
If the mother is slaughtered and the fetus is born alive but there is not enough time to slaughter it before it dies, it is generally considered forbidden. If the mother dies without being slaughtered and the fetus is born alive but dies without being slaughtered, there is no doubt about its prohibition.
It is necessary to promptly open the animal's belly and remove the fetus in the usual manner. If there is a delay beyond what is customary that leads to the death of the fetus, it is forbidden to eat it.
For the fetus to be permissible through the slaughter of its mother, it must be fully formed, meaning it must have hair or fur, even if the soul has not yet entered it. If it is not fully formed, it cannot be made permissible by the slaughter of its mother. The permissibility of the fetus if it is born dead from the slaughtered mother is conditional on several factors: its full formation, not having died before the slaughter of its mother, and not having died due to a delay in its removal in the usual manner.
Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 3, Slaughtering and Sacrifice, Articles 861 to 864
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may Allah protect him):
- Yes, it is permissible.
- If a fetus is born or removed from its mother while she is alive or dies without being slaughtered, it is not permissible to eat it unless it is alive and has been slaughtered. Similarly, if it is born or removed alive from a slaughtered mother, it is not permissible unless it has been slaughtered; if it has not been slaughtered, it is forbidden, even if the lack of slaughtering is due to insufficient time. If it is born or removed dead from a slaughtered mother, it is permissible to eat it, provided it is fully formed and has hair or fur; otherwise, it is considered carrion. There is no difference in permissibility with the aforementioned condition between whether the soul has entered it or not.
If the fetus is alive at the time of slaughtering or sacrificing its mother and dies afterward before the belly is opened and it is removed, it is permissible to eat it, provided that there was promptness in opening the belly and it was not delayed beyond the customary time. However, if there is a delay beyond what is customary and it dies before the belly is opened, it is obligatory to avoid it.
Source: Tahrir al-Wasila, Slaughtering, Articles 21 + 22
May you be successful in all good.