There’s not much separating one plucked and slaughtered chicken from another, other than its weight, its potential to give you salmonella, and its halalness, or whether or not it was slaughtered according to Islamic principles of mercy and cleanliness.

There’s a new kind of chicken on the market, however: raw meat that has been serenaded by readings of the Quran, to make it “healthier” and even able to “cure various diseases”. Oh, and it costs RM14 a kilogramme, as opposed to regular old chicken going for RM7 kilo. So there’s also that.

A Harian Metro report says that the new “therapy chicken”, as it is called, is making waves on Malaysian social media, with agents touting the chicken’s superior health and, we suppose, spiritual benefits.

HM quotes one butcher dealing in the meat as saying, “After the chicken has been slaughtered and cleaned, the meat is kept in a cold room where they are put through a therapy process involving soothing Quranic recitations and ruqyah.”

Ruqyah is an Arabic term referring to Islamic alternative medicine and wellness, which include reciting the Quran to bring about healing.

“The objective is to solve Muslims’ dilemma of being in doubt about or are compromised by the food they eat. We want to provide a more Islamic method,” the vendor added.

However, chairperson of the National Fatwa Committee, Prof Emeritus Dr Abdul Shukor Husin said, the concept of “therapy chicken” treated by Quranic recitations to be made healthier and more beneficial is a fraudulent one, after much scholarly discussion was held on the matter.

“The actions of traders using religion as a blatant tool to increase business and profits goes against Islamic principles,” he said.

“This situation could lead to fraud and unscrupulous parties taking advantage of consumer confusion.”

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