Zabiha & Standards
Education, resources, and standards—built for clarity, trust, and confident buying.
What is Zabiha?
Zabiha (dhabiḥah) commonly refers to halal slaughter performed according to Islamic guidelines—often emphasizing hand slaughter and invocation at the time of slaughter. Standards can differ by method and scholarly interpretation.
We define zabiha by how the animal is slaughtered: by hand, by a Muslim, with Allah's name, and with full bleed-out. No machines, no shortcuts.
Clear standards remove uncertainty. Customers know exactly how their meat was prepared and can buy with confidence.
What We Mean by Hand-Slaughtered Zabiha
At Farmer's Halal, hand-slaughtered zabiha means a clear, specific method of slaughter - not a flexible definition and not an industrial workaround.
Every animal we sell is:
- Hand-slaughtered zabiha, never machine-cut
- Slaughtered by a Muslim, present and responsible for the act
- Slaughtered with the name of Allah recited at the time of slaughter
- Alive and healthy at the moment of slaughter
- Allowed to fully bleed out, as required
This is the traditional hand-slaughtered zabiha method that many Muslim families look for and trust.
Why Hand-Slaughtered Zabiha Matters
In the United States, many products labeled "halal" are produced using mechanical blades, automated lines, or gas and electrical stunning. While some certifications allow these methods, they are not hand-slaughtered zabiha.
Hand-slaughtered zabiha means:
- A person - not a machine - performs the slaughter
- Each animal is handled individually
- The slaughter is intentional, controlled, and direct
For customers who care about how their meat is produced, hand-slaughtered zabiha removes uncertainty.
What We Do Not Use
To stay true to hand-slaughtered zabiha standards, we do not use:
- Mechanical poultry slaughter
- Automated or batch slaughter systems
- Gas stunning or electrical stunning
- Assembly-line methods that separate the person from the animal
These methods are designed for speed and scale. Our priority is integrity and clarity.
Hand-Slaughtered Zabiha vs. Halal Labels
"Halal" can mean different things depending on the certifier. In many cases, it refers to ingredient compliance or supervision, not necessarily how the animal was slaughtered.
Hand-slaughtered zabiha refers specifically to the slaughter method.
For customers who want to know:
- Who performed the slaughter
- Whether a machine was involved
- Whether stunning was used
Hand-slaughtered zabiha provides a straightforward answer.
Our Standard
We work only with farms and processors who follow the same hand-slaughtered zabiha standard we believe in. This means:
- Trained Muslim slaughterers
- Smaller-scale processing
- Careful handling from slaughter through packaging
- No shortcuts
This approach limits volume and increases cost, but it's the standard we choose to stand behind.
Why Our Customers Choose Hand-Slaughtered Zabiha
Many of our customers choose hand-slaughtered zabiha because:
- It matches how they understand Islamic dietary law
- It avoids modern industrial slaughter methods
- It provides peace of mind about what they are feeding their families
For us, hand-slaughtered zabiha is not a label - it's a responsibility.
Scholarly & Educational Videos
A selection of talks on Zabiha and halal standards.
Our Halal & Quality Standards
We keep our standards clear, consistent, and easy to verify so customers know exactly what to expect.
We work only with processors who follow hand-slaughtered zabiha, Muslim slaughterers, and full bleed-out requirements.
Product stays within strict temperature controls from processing to delivery to protect quality and safety.
We answer questions directly and provide clear documentation and sourcing details when requested.