Religious Slaughter

Religious slaughter is the practice of slaughtering Animals(Generally livestock) which is condemned in Guru Granth Sahib, Sacred text in Sikhism. The religious slaughter or Animal sacrifice is the ffering of an animal to appease or maintain favor with a divine power. This is included under Karma Kand with no Spiritual Benefits

Roots

Hinduism

In Hinduism, Bali is the ritual killing of an animal. Jhatka is the proscribed method for Hindu Ritual sacrifice, however other methods such as strangulation and the use of a wooden spile (sphya) driven into the heart is used. The reason for this is that priest saw the animal making a noise as a bad omen. Jhatka requires the instant killing of the animal in a single decapitating blow with an axe or sword. Those Hindus who do eat meat prescribe jhatka.

Islam

In Islam, Dhabīḥah (or Zabiha) is, in Islamic law, the prescribed method of ritual slaughter of all animals excluding camels, locusts, fish and most sea-life. This method of slaughtering animals consists of a swift, deep incision with a sharp knife on the throat, cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries of both sides but leaving the spinal cord intact. It must be done with respect and compassion; avoiding as much as possible any animal pain or discomfort.

Among Sikhs

Ritual Jhatka sacrifice of goats is also practiced by some sections of Sikhs such as Hazuri Sikhs and Nihangs on certain events of religious significance which is condemned among Sikh Society and Guru Granth Sahib.

Guru Granth Sahib on Religious Slaughter of Animals

Bhagat Kabir

ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ ॥
Prabhaatee:

ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਕਹਹੁ ਮਤ ਝੂਠੇ ਝੂਠਾ ਜੋ ਨ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥
Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.

ਜਉ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਏਕੁ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਕਹਤ ਹਉ ਤਉ ਕਿਉ ਮੁਰਗੀ ਮਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
You say that the One Lord is in all, so why do you kill chickens? ||1||

ਮੁਲਾਂ ਕਹਹੁ ਨਿਆਉ ਖੁਦਾਈ ॥
O Mullah, tell me: is this God's Justice?

ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The doubts of your mind have not been dispelled. ||1||Pause||

ਪਕਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਆਨਿਆ ਦੇਹ ਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਮਾਟੀ ਕਉ ਬਿਸਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਆ ॥
You seize a living creature, and then bring it home and kill its body; you have killed only the clay.

ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪ ਅਨਾਹਤ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਹੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਆ ॥੨॥
The light of the soul passes into another form. So tell me, what have you killed? ||2||