The issue you raised should be of primary concern for all Muslims who care about the ethics of animal slaughter in Islam.

Unfortunately, most Muslims have reduced it to a ritual having no regard for the values or principles. They think as long we are slaughtering the animals with Bismillah everything else is fine.

The way we raise chickens commercially today violates some of the fundamental teachings of Islam. Allah tells us in the Qur’an that all of God’s creatures, little or big, living in the land or sea are communities like us.

In other words, God has created them to live a dignified life living in communities and sharing the planet earth with us. They have rights to enjoy God’s blessings even as we have rights.  The fact that we are allowed to kill them for food in no way means that we can abuse them by depriving them of their freedom and right to life:  breathing fresh air, the sunshine, and regular cycle of life.

Furthermore, the Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah are emphatic on condemning all types of torture and abuse of animals.

Therefore, Muslims who speak of ‘halal’ end up exaggerating the ritual slaughter to the detriment of the Islamic ethics governing the treatment of animals.

I, therefore, can very well relate to the concerns expressed by your friend.

So, those who refuse to eat such chickens are standing on firm grounds.

Having said this, however, I would not go as far as considering eating these chickens as wholly haram; for such a judgment we ought to refer the issue to the World Council of Muslim Jurists.

In the meantime, we may do well to stay away from such chickens as best as we can.

Let us remember the words of Imam Malik when he asked: Are we allowed to eat the meat slaughtered by the Christians in the name of Jesus or their church. He said, “I would not like to eat it; but I do not say: it is haram!”

I pray to Allah to guide us to discern the soul and spirit of Islam rather than stagnating on the letter.

Almighty Allah knows best.