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Is Bison Halal? Zabiha Rules and Buying Bison in the US

Short answer Depends

Bison is a halal animal. It is a grass-eating member of the cattle family [6], and scholars treat wild cattle as permissible [5]. But the meat is only halal when the animal was slaughtered properly, with God's name said over it [3]. Most US bison is not sold as halal, so look for a trusted certifier.

Last verified: If you're unsure, ask a scholar you trust.

What the schools of thought say

SchoolViewSource
Hanafi Buffalo and cow, including mountain cow, are listed as halal; land animals that graze and do not prey are halal. Meat from Jews and Christians is valid only if God's name is said and the throat is cut, and the answer advises caution when that can't be verified. [4][9]
All Sunni schools (wild cattle) Wild cattle are permissible. Al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah reports Muslim agreement on this, and Ibn Qudamah (Hanbali) says all types of wild cattle are lawful, based on the rule that land animals are lawful unless proven otherwise. [5]
Ja'fari The animal is lawful, but the slaughterer must be a Muslim, the animal must face the qibla, God's name must be said, and all four main throat vessels must be cut. Slaughter by Jews or Christians does not make it lawful, as an obligatory precaution. [7]
Permissive view on non-Muslim slaughter Meat slaughtered by Jews and Christians is permissible when properly slaughtered, and unknown cases are treated as permissible by default. [8]

Is the bison itself halal?

The American bison is often called the buffalo. It belongs to the cattle family, Bovidae, and is mostly a grazer that eats grasses and sedges [6].

The Qur'an makes grazing livestock lawful, apart from what it names as forbidden [1]. Bison is not on the forbidden list of carrion, blood, pork and animals dedicated to other than God [2]. It is not a predator either.

Scholars agree on this point. A Hanafi list of halal animals names buffalo and cow, and says land animals that live on grass and leaves are halal [4]. Islam Question & Answer cites al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah and Ibn Qudamah, who report agreement that wild cattle of all types are permissible [5]. So the animal is not the problem. How it was killed is.

The zabiha requirement

For the meat to be halal, the animal must be slaughtered properly. The Qur'an tells believers not to eat meat over which God's name was not said [3]. An animal that dies from a blow, a fall or strangling is forbidden too [2].

The schools add details:

  • Hanafi: the slaughterer may be a Muslim, Jew or Christian, God's name must be said, and at least three of the four throat vessels must be cut [9].
  • Ja'fari: the slaughterer must be Muslim, the animal must face the qibla, and all four vessels must be cut [7].
  • A broader view treats meat from Jews and Christians as permissible, even when the method is unknown [8].

Many US Muslims look for zabiha, meaning hand-slaughtered by a Muslim. HMS, a US certifier, certifies only hand-slaughtered meat and tracks it from slaughterhouse to store [11].

How bison is processed in the US

Bison is handled differently from beef. Federal law treats it as an "exotic" species, so USDA inspection of bison is voluntary rather than required. Meat that passes voluntary inspection carries a triangle-shaped mark [10].

Some bison are harvested in the field. South Dakota State University Extension describes killing bison with a rifle shot to the head, and notes that USDA also permits a captive bolt [10]. A bison killed by a shot was not slaughtered by cutting the throat, so it does not meet zabiha rules. If a captive bolt is used before the cut, ask your certifier how it views stunning.

The USDA also does not define what "halal" means. It only requires labels to be truthful [13]. The word "halal" on a bison package tells you little unless a certifier is named.

Where to find halal bison

Halal bison is less common than halal beef, but it exists. One US online halal butcher, for example, sells grass-fed bison filet that it says is slaughtered by hand and certified by HFSAA [12].

When you buy:

  1. Look for a certifier's name, such as HMS or HFSAA, on the package or website.
  2. Ask how it was slaughtered. Was it hand-slaughtered by a Muslim? Was it stunned?
  3. Check the processing plant. Ask if halal bison is kept apart from non-halal meat.

If a bison burger, steak or jerky names no certifier, treat it like regular beef: halal by animal, but unconfirmed by slaughter.

If you're unsure, ask a scholar you trust.

Frequently asked questions

Is buffalo meat halal?

Yes, the animal is halal. In the US, "buffalo" usually means the American bison [6]. A Hanafi list of halal animals includes buffalo [4]. The meat is halal only if the animal was slaughtered properly with God's name said over it [3].

Is supermarket bison halal?

Not unless it names a halal certifier. The USDA does not define halal, so the word alone proves little [13]. Some scholars accept meat from Jews and Christians [8], while others advise avoiding meat when proper slaughter can't be verified [9].

Is hunted or field-shot bison halal?

Bison killed with a rifle shot, a method described for field harvest [10], was not slaughtered at the throat. That does not meet zabiha rules. Animals that die from a blow are forbidden [2]. Hunting rules for wild game are a separate question for a scholar.

Is bison jerky halal?

Only if the bison was slaughtered Islamically and the other ingredients, such as flavorings, are halal. Look for a certifier's mark, and see our beef jerky page for what else to check.

Sources

  1. Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:1 · Quran.com · accessed
  2. Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:3 · Quran.com · accessed
  3. Surah Al-An'am 6:121 · Quran.com · accessed
  4. What Animals Are Halal and Haram to Eat in the Hanafi School? · SeekersGuidance · accessed
  5. Ruling on eating the meat of mountain goats and wild cattle · Islam Question & Answer · accessed
  6. American bison · Wikipedia · accessed
  7. Islamic Laws: Conditions of Slaughtering an Animal (Ruling 2611) · Office of Ayatollah al-Sistani · accessed
  8. Permissibility of eating meat slaughtered by Christians and Jews · Islam Question & Answer · accessed
  9. Eating the Meat of the People of the Book · SeekersGuidance · accessed
  10. Are Bison Amenable or Non-Amenable? How Does the Definition of Bison Affect Harvest Systems and Quality? · South Dakota State University Extension · accessed
  11. Know Your Zabiha Halal · Halal Monitoring Services (HMS) · accessed
  12. Bison Filet Mignon (product page) · One Stop Halal · accessed
  13. Should the USDA stand behind the 'zabiha halal' label? · Food Safety News · accessed