بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Zabeeha Method & The Occasions We Serve
How we slaughter, the occasions we serve, and how the four schools of Islamic law compare — with the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
📖 For every reader: the Qur’an is the Muslim scripture · a “Saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ” is his recorded teaching (ﷺ = “peace be upon him”) · the four schools (Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, Ḥanbalī) are respected traditions of law. Where they differ, we show the range — and impose nothing.
The words, in plain English
Dhakāh — the lawful method of slaughter
Tasmiyah — saying “Bismillah” (In the name of Allah) at the cut
Takbīr — saying “Allāhu Akbar” (God is the Greatest)
Iḥsān — mercy, and doing a thing well
Qiblah — the direction of Makkah, which Muslims face
Hilāl — the new crescent moon that begins each Islamic month
Wājib — obligatory · Sunnah — the Prophet’s ﷺ recommended way · Mustaḥabb — recommended
Aqīqah · Nadhr · Sadaqah · Qurbani (Udhiya) — the four occasions we serve
1 The Zabeeha Method
The seven conditions of a lawful slaughter (dhakāh) — and how Zabeeha goes beyond the common minimum on every one. (Where the schools differ on the fine details, see the chart below.)
Beyond Halal. Zabeeha.
“Halal” is often just the label on the minimum. Here is what Zabeeha adds — on all seven, every animal, every time.
| The 7 conditions | The common minimum | The Zabeeha standard |
|---|
| 1 · A lawful slaughterer | Machine / line-speed | Every animal by hand, by a Muslim |
| 2 · The TasmiyahAllah’s name at the cut | Once for a whole batch | “Bismillah” + Takbīr over each animal |
| 3 · A sharp instrument | Any blade, at speed | Honed out of the animal’s sight — never tooth or nail |
| 4 · The four throat vesselswindpipe, gullet & the two jugular veins | The bare minimum | All four severed — beyond every school’s threshold |
| 5 · Fully alive | Often stunned first | Never stunned — fully alive at the cut |
| 6 · Facing the qiblah | Skipped | Turned toward Makkah, as the Prophet ﷺ did |
| 7 · Iḥsān — mercy | Line-speed handling | Least distress; never within sight of one another |
✓ Muslim-Owned✓ Zabeeha-Only Facility✓ CDFA-Licensed (CLS-111)✓ Est. 2018
Sources: Qur’an al-Māʾidah 5:3–5, al-Anʿām 6:118–121; the instrument — Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5498 / Muslim 1968; mercy — Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1955.
The Four Schools, Side by Side
Every point where the schools differ, in one place — and what Zabeeha does for each (the bottom row).
| School | Tasmiyah | The cut | Qurbani | Eid days | Moon sighting |
|---|
| Ḥanafī | Required | ≥ 3 of 4 vessels | Wājib | 3 (10–12) | Global |
| Mālikī | Required | Windpipe + 2 jugulars | Sunnah | 3 (10–12) | Global |
| Shāfiʿī | Sunnah * | Windpipe + gullet | Sunnah | 4 (10–13) | Local |
| Ḥanbalī | Required | Windpipe + gullet | Sunnah | 3–4 † | Global |
| Zabeeha | Bismillah + Takbīr, always | Cuts all four | Honors both | Serves all 4 days | Shows both — you choose |
✓ Accepted by all four schools
On every point where the schools differ, Zabeeha takes the most cautious position — always says Bismillah + Takbīr, cuts all four vessels, and never stuns. So the meat is valid for a follower of any madhhab.
✓ Ḥanafī✓ Mālikī✓ Shāfiʿī✓ Ḥanbalī
Required = deliberately omitting it makes the meat unlawful; forgetting is excused. * Shāfiʿī: the meat stays lawful even if the Tasmiyah is left out (unless out of disregard). † Ḥanbalī: reports for both three and four days.
Sources: the four vessels & tasmiyah — al-Mughnī, Badāʾiʿ al-Ṣanāʾiʿ, al-Majmūʿ; Qurbani days — Bidāyat al-Mujtahid.
2 The Occasions We Serve
Four sacred slaughters, side by side — each with its Qur’an and a Saying of the Prophet ﷺ. Honoring every valid view, not imposing one.
| Occasion | What it is | Ruling | When | Shares | The meat | Donations |
|---|
| Aqeeqah عَقِيقَة | Thanks for a newborn | Confirmed sunnah | 7th day after birth | 2 sheep (boy) · 1 (girl) | Eat, gift & give charity | — |
| Nadhr نَذْر | Fulfilling a vow to Allah | Obligatory once vowed | When the vow is due | Per the vow | Per the vow’s intention | Ahlus-Sunnah Center |
| Sadaqah / Donation صَدَقَة | Voluntary charity slaughter | Voluntary | Any time | Any; whole or shared | Keep a share or donate all | Ahlus-Sunnah · 501(c)(3) |
| Qurbani / Udhiya أُضْحِيَة | The Eid al-Adha sacrifice | Wājib / sunnah * | The days of Eid * | 1 sheep/goat · cow = 7 | ≈⅓ eat · ⅓ gift · ⅓ poor | — |
Aqeeqah عَقِيقَة
Qur’an
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ الْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Array
Ibrāhīm 14:7 (theme of gratitude)
Saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
مَعَ الْغُلَامِ عَقِيقَةٌ، فَأَهْرِيقُوا عَنْهُ دَمًا وَأَمِيطُوا عَنْهُ الْأَذَى
Array
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5472
Nadhr نَذْر
Qur’an
يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ
Array
al-Insān 76:7
Saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
مَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يُطِيعَ اللَّهَ فَلْيُطِعْهُ
Array
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6696
Sadaqah صَدَقَة
Qur’an
وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ
Array
al-Baqarah 2:271
Saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
أَفَأَتَصَدَّقُ عَنْهَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ
Array
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1388 / Muslim 1004
Qurbani / Udhiya أُضْحِيَة · قربانی
Qur’an
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
Array
al-Kawthar 108:2
Saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
الْبَقَرَةُ عَنْ سَبْعَةٍ، وَالْبَدَنَةُ عَنْ سَبْعَةٍ
Array
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1318
* Qurbani ruling (wājib vs sunnah) and its 3-vs-4 days differ by school — see the four-schools chart above.
Sources: Aqīqah — Bukhārī 5472; Nadhr — al-Insān 76:7, Bukhārī 6696; Sadaqah — al-Baqarah 2:271, Bukhārī 1388; Qurbani — al-Kawthar 108:2, Muslim 1318.
Zabeeha Farms · San Bernardino
One Standard. Every Animal.
Ask where any animal came from — we can always tell you.
✓Trusted local sources — always the same onesEach animal family comes from its own consistent grower: California ranches for our beef, lamb and goat — one trusted local farm for ALL our poultry, roosters included. Same source, same quality, every visit.
✓Arrives live · slaughtered hereEvery animal — every bird — comes in alive and is processed in our own facility. Nothing ever arrives as boxed meat.
✓Hand zabeeha, one animal at a timeBy the knife, never stunned — the way it’s supposed to be done.
✓No hormones · no antibiotics — in anything, everRed meat and poultry alike. No exceptions.
How they’re raised
Beef · Lamb · Goat100% grass-fed, raised on open pasture.
Grass-fedOpen pasture
Chicken · Duck — roosters includedFree-range and 100% vegetable-fed, all from one trusted local farm.
Free-range100% vegetable-fed
The sources: Trusted local growers & California ranches — each animal family from its own consistent source · One trusted local farm for all poultry.