| The following are letters of support which have been received from various Scholars. Some have been translated to English from it's original language for the benefit of the readers.
Letter of Support by Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh
May Allah grant you Aafiyah (goodness) in all your endervours and may Allah accept your Halal monitoring service to the Muslims of Europe, Ameen.
It was a pleasure meeting you at our institute in Camperdown in August. I had the opportunity to go through the brochure of HMC (Halal Monitoring Committee) and observed the following:
- HMC is well versed with Halal and Haram and is dedicated to its commitment to serve the Halal industry.
- HMC has excellent administrative skills to regulate the Halal industry.
- HMC has an appropriate high level of certification.
The Muslims of Europe can be rest assured of consuming Halal after a product is certified as Halal by HMC (Halal Monitoring Committee)
Was salaam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai,
Darul Ifta, Madrasah In aamiyyah, Camperdown, KZN, South Africa
Letter of Support by Khidmah Organisation
Dear HMC,
I write you on behalf of Khidmah Organisation in congratulating you in raising awareness and implementing strict halal code adopted to counter false labelling on meat poultry products. We have been following the successful progress of the Halal Monitoring Committee and certification system implemented by yourselves at a number of abattoirs, processing plants and retail butchers. The positive results of the monitoring system of HMC has boosted the confidence of the Muslim community by removing doubt with trust.
The many doubts that people had about meat and poultry products (due to false labelling) have been removed since the inception of this work by the HMC. As a result, consumption of meat and poultry has increased proportionately to the increase in confidence.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of the Muslim communities for adopting and implementing the HMC certification system. I am hopeful that this success story will be repeated throughout the U.K. Thank you once again,
Yours sincerely
Musa Hajat - Khidmah Organisation
Letter of Support by Khalid Saifullah Ramaani
My feelings, on a visit to England regarding Halal methods of slaughter. This humble servant had the honour of visiting and understanding the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) operations, who monitor the Islamically correct and incorrect method of slaughter in a country like England. In this regard only after attaining complete satisfaction do they issue a certificate of Halal. Also after the certification they monitor the slaughtered animal and the outlet. Having observed this meticulous method I felt extremely happy and impressed.
This humble servant implores to all brothers and sisters in Islam to support and strengthen this institution and encourage all the meat suppliers to obtain their approval, as to safeguard the Muslims from haraam and stay steadfast upon Halal is imperative and an obligation of the Deen. May Allah grant this institution with proliferation, prosperity and grace the staff with the best reward, "and Allah He alone is the helper".
Khalid Saifullah Ramaani,
Servant of Al-Ma'had Al-Aali Al-Islami, Hyderabad, Islamic Fiqh Academy, India
6 Sha'baan Al-Muazzam 1426h / 10 September 2005
Letter of Support by (Shaykul Hadith) Fazlur Rahman Azmi
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
I have visited HMC office today with Brother Haroon Rashid and Shaykh Muhammad. I learnt about the system of their work which is carried out under the guidance, support and prayers of the Ulama to provide certification and assurance of authentic Halal slaughtered meat. I am delighted with their work and I wholeheartedly pray for them.
This service is essential without which a pure Islamic life cannot be lived. If the food is not Halal how will the prayers and worship be accepted? The Muslims should support this organisation and always consume and utilise Halal.
May the Almighty save us from Haram and provide us the good of this world and the Hereafter. Ameen.
(Shaykul Hadith) Fazlur Rahman Azmi, Azadville, South Africa
2 Jumada al-Ukhra 1426h / 8 July 2005
A Letter of support from Allamah Shahid Raza Sahib
Asslam o Alaikum,
In the Name of Allah, The Merciful, The Most Kind.
I am pleased to learn that by the Grace of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'la the HMC is trying it's best to monitor the provision of Halal meat in Leicester. I fully support their campaign to ensure that the meat consumed by Muslims is from Halal animals, not stunned, and slaughtered precisely according to the guidelines of Shariah. I appeal to all Brothers and Sisters to cooperate with HMC and buy meat only from shops displaying the HMC certification.
Mohammad Shahid Raza, Head Imam, Leicester Central Masjid, Conduit Street, Leicester
Translation of a supportive letter by Justice Mufti Taqi Uthmani
Assalamu `Alaykum
Your letter and the HMC papers with it have been received. Alhamdulillah, the beginning of this project has brought great happiness. May Allah bless your life, knowledge and work. Ameen
This task was indeed one of great need. It will, Insha Allah, be a source of Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity) for you. There is also a need, if the work moves ahead, for including the meat that goes abroad, e.g. to the Gulf States, to the same monitoring system. May Allah assist you. Ameen
(Mufti) Taki Uthmani, Pakistan
Translation of a letter from Maulana Adam Saheb
In The Name Of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
A request is made to our Muslim Brotherhood to recognize that the acquisition of Halal foods is a mandatory duty upon one and all.
The Qur’anic injunction: “and eat from the earth that which is Halal and Pure,” testifies to this, as well as this it brands the consumption of Haram foods as that of the satanic order. The tradition of our beloved Prophet and Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be showered upon him), further warns “that entity which derives nourishment from even a single morsel of Haram food will not be able to enter paradise.
” The shariah has ruled the status of Halal consumption as the foundation of all acts of worship. In England both domestic and imported falsely Halal labelled meats, and in particular poultry have caused major concern for all Muslims.
Thus it has become blindingly essential for a competent body, which includes Ulema, to be formed to take up this much needed task of ensuring authenticated Halal consumables to be readily available for the Muslim public.
It is through Allah’s infinite clemency and benevolence that He has allowed such work to be initiated in Leicester and that too in conjunction with many Ulema.
Without doubt this enormous task requires and deserves help from one and all. With the help of the Muslims in general this responsibility can achieve the success it promises. I ask all brothers to offer assistance in all aspects to the Halal Monitoring Committee in whichever way it may be needed. Its benefit to you in this world is obvious, and no doubt it will be rewarding to you in the hereafter. May Allah reward you.
(Maulana) Adam Saheb, Leicester
18 Sha’ban 1424h /14 October 2003
A letter from Mufti Ismail Kacholwi
I begin by taking the name of Allah and sending salutations upon His noble messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Thereafter: I (Mufti Ismail Kachholvi) declare not only am I aware of Sheikh Muhammad Bin Khalifah but I have also accompanied him to France to closely review and gain familiarity with the Halal monitoring and tagging system of the “AVS” organisation.
At present Sheikh Muhammad Bin Khalifah has with a few companions started, in Leicester the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC), which aims to emulate the system of France. I pray that Allah helps them in the attainment of their objectives.
I also request that our Muslim brotherhood come to their aid, and assist them in whichever way required.
Another letter from Mufti Ismail Kacholwi
An Important and Necessary Appeal
Today, Tuesday 7th Rabi-ul-Aakhir 1420 A.H. corresponding to 20th July 1999, in Bradford’s Masjid-e-Bilal, the Ulama of Bradford, Batley, and Dewsbury have held an important meeting, wherein the agenda was solely that of falsely labelled Poultry which has become a major issue, as it is generally this, that is utilised by Muslim households. The problem is that although they may be labelled Halal, their ulterior reality may be that of Haram. E.g. electrically stunned chicken may be dead before slaughter.
Many large production slaughterhouses do not respect the pre-requisites of shariah in regards to the slaughter of animals, and instead opt for machines that can slaughter chickens at rates of several thousand per hour, therefore no way catering for the implementation of the divine injunction of taking the name of Allah on each animal.
There also exists the problem of people importing cheap meats from abroad for which there is absolutely no way of ascertaining authentically the meats being Halal or not. All these problems as well as others rise because of the greed of various individuals and their love of profits over Islam.
This problem warranted much research and debate as the consumption/accrual of Haram is not only forbidden in itself, but also has evil/negative effects on the rest of our worship/earnings. We therefore unanimously urge Muslims to exercise the following necessary precautions.
- Whenever purchasing/consuming foods one should endeavour to ask and make sure of its origins and not to feel shy in asking for its origins, and not to feel shy or be belittled while asking. The Former Grand-Mufti of Pakistan, Mufti Muhammad Shafee Uthmaani (Rahimahullah) in his Tafseer (exegesis) of the Holy Qur’an write sunder the verse (Kahaf), "in any area where predominantly the foods available are not Halal, to purchase consumables without prior enquiry is impermissible".
- Muslim abattoirs are urged not to use any method of stunning at all. They should take full advantage of the leniency of the law that allows Muslims and Jews to slaughter without stunning. Even in the instance of all the animals being alive post-stunning, the act of stunning still remains abhorred.
- It has been proven by extremely authentic sources that a substantial quantity of foreign products/meats find their way to our shores. And as these are cheaper and readily available they attract a vast number of Muslims in the meat trade to opt for them. The Imams of Fiqh (jurisprudence) all state that meat is essentially Haram and if it is slaughtered according to Shari (Islamic) requisites will it be Halal. Those in the meat trade must not look at mere profits of personal gain, but for their own sakes as well as for the entire Muslim community they should rather consider whether the food is Halal or not. It is indeed shameful that the laws of physical health and safety are adhered to and understood, while the laws of religious and spiritual health and safety are blatantly ignored.
- The larger Muslim organisations are all requested to provide a complete and lasting solution to this problem by creating/supporting, on a national scale an organisation that works to provide the Muslim population Halal meat that is free from any doubt, whether pertaining to the meats’ source or implementation of any questionable operations upon the meat. This will indeed be a great service to our Muslim brotherhood.
A translation of a letter by Mufti Shabbir Saheb
In the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful
To my brothers in Islam, Assalaamu alaykum
“O messengers eat from the good and pure and perform only good.”
The acceptance of good actions rests undoubtedly on the consumption of Halal and pure sustenance. The emphasis that the Shariah has placed on consuming only the Halal and pure needs no elaboration.
Regarding meat, in particular, the honourable Fuqaha (jurists) have directed specific attention towards this issue by establishing the principle: “All things are fundamentally classified as Halal unless there is specific proof regarding their prohibition. This is for all issues barring meat. Meat is fundamentally Haram unless proof of its being Halal is ascertained.”
In the British environment, a malicious cacophony of apostasy, polytheism, moral degradation and deception, it was an established obligation, on Muslims (both individually and collectively), to practice caution and scrupulousness regarding meat, and with the adopting of complete and exhaustive investigations, to exemplify the divine injunction; “…then let him see which is the purest kind of food…”
In addition to this, the importation of meat and poultry of uncertain sources, that are injected with pork (and/or Haram beef) extracts from countries such as Holland, other ill-actions of certain money-worshipping individuals, of local origin, the introduction of various modern methods and instruments (these include; stunning, machine slaughters, Bismillah inscribed blades, failure of the recital of Bismillah, tape recorded Bismillahs, failure of severing the required vessels, passing of (living) animals through boiling water, etc…)
The above and other problems have further emphasised the necessity upon the Muslim Ummah to tackle this problem, so as to fulfil the above-mentioned divine command. (Failure of which would result in the entire Muslim community of the UK falling into horrendous sin of an unimaginable magnitude). The situation warns us in our heedlessness of becoming examples of the Prophet’s words; “Such a time will befall people when one will not care about his source of acquisition, whether it be Halal or Haram.”
By the grace and magnanimity of Allah, a genuine organisation by the name of the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) has come into being, whose aim is to make available for British Muslims, meat that is in everyway certified to be Halal, in accordance to the dictates of the Shariah, by means of continuous and rigorous inspections. (Their methodology is extensive and thorough).
This action (insha-Allah) can put a stop to meat and poultry being bought (on the cheap) from abroad (and other doubtful places). This action of the HMC has already begun in Leicester. We hope that it will progressively expand to other cities.
The members of this committee, comprise of honourable Ulama, and religiously inclined individuals, and it is under the guidance of other senior Ulama. By the grace of Allah and His magnanimity, the HMC has by addressing this Fardh Kifayah (collective obligation) absolved the Muslims of a tremendous burden. Had such a group not come into existence, all Muslims could have been held liable before Allah.
I request all Muslims to come together on this issue and putting their differences aside, fully support this organisation, and assist in trying to fulfil all its needs, as this is an issue on the Muslim Ummah. “Muslims are those who establish our Salah, face our Qiblah, and eat from our (Halal) Slaughter.”
Therefore out of concern for our Iman, A’mal and offspring, Muslims should purchase their meat and poultry under the guidance of this organisation. Finally I pray that Allah accepts the efforts of this group, blesses them with further success, removes obstacles from their path, grants them sincerity, rewards them on behalf of the Ummah with a goodly reward, and makes them deserving of the reward of being sign-bearers to good.
Mufti Shabbir Ahmad, Darul Uloom, Bury, England
18th Dhul Qa’dah, 1424 A.H. / 10th January, 2004 C.E.
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