The Devils Deception by Imam Ibn AL-Jawzi

T H E D E V I L ' S
D E C E P T I O N S
that were consistent with sound logic then this sound logic suffices
(so there was no need for the Prophet in the first place).
Our response is: it is clear that many people are unable to manage
worldly affairs without the guidance of leaders and wise men. The
same applies to matters of religion and the Hereafter.
The fifth doubt:
They say: religions decreed things that were unacceptable by sound
minds. So they cannot be true. An example is permitting animals to
be hurt (by slaughter).
The response is: sound intellect prevents animals (including humans)
from harming one another. However, if The Creator decreed
such harm, then there is no longer a place for human intellect,
because The Creator's wisdom is something that has been well established.
So a human must realise the importance of surrendering
to this divine wisdom, and never rejecting its outcomes.
In addition, it has been established that animals are better than
inanimate objects. And speaking animals (humans) are better than
those who are non-spaking because of the intellectual capabilities
they possess. It is essential for speaking animals to continue to exist,
and nothing assists in its continued existence more than eating
meat. The non-speaking animal was created for the sake of the speaking
animal. And if the non-speaking animal were not slaughtered,
then it would have increased in number and died, causing the speaking
animal to become harmed by the corpses.
As for the pain of slaughter, it is minimal. Some have said that
slaughter causes no pain at all. They said that the quick slaughter
causes blood not to reach the brain, which is the center of sensing
pain. This is why the Prophet (;i) said: "When one of you slaugh-
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