Slaughtering

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) slaughtered, with his hand on the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, two male sheep with white horns mixed with black, and said: Bismillāh (in the name of Allah) and Allāhu Akbar; and he placed his foot on their necks.

1. ’Ud'hiyah (animal sacrifice) is prescribed in the Shariah, something Muslims unanimously agree upon.
2. It is preferable that ’Ud'hiyah be of the same type with which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered ’Ud'hiyah, given its good appearance and more tasty fat and meat.
3. An-Nawawi said: It is recommended that a person slaughter his ’Ud'hiyah by himself and not delegate someone else to slaughter it unless there is an excuse for that, in which case it is recommended that he witness its slaughter. However, it is indisputably permissible for him to delegate a Muslim to do so.
4. Ibn Hajar said: It indicates that it is recommended to say Takbīr along with mention of Allah's name while slaughtering, and it is recommended to place one’s foot on the right side of the neck of the sacrificial animal. They agreed that it should be laid down on its left side, so that he places his foot on the right side to make it easier for the slaughterer to take the knife with his right hand and hold its head with his left hand.
5. It is recommended to sacrifice a horned animal, though it is permissible to sacrifice an unhorned one.

صحيح البخاري (7/ 102) (5565). صحيح مسلم (3/ 1556) (1966). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لعبد الله البسام (ص724). الإعلام بفوائد عمدة الأحكام، لابن الملقن (10/ 179).

Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that they were with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at Dhul-Hulayfah when the people were struck by hunger. They had captured camels and sheep as spoils of war from the polytheists. Acting hastily before the booty was divided, they slaughtered some of the animals and set up the pots without seeking permission from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who was walking at the rear of the group, learned about this and ordered that the pots be overturned, spilling out the stock therein. Then he divided the spoils among them, deeming ten sheep equal to one camel. During this, a camel escaped, and they were unable to catch it. With only a few horses available, one of the men shot it with an arrow, and Allah caused it to stop for them. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, these domestic animals have instincts like those of wild beasts. Whatever of them overcomes you and you are unable to catch them, deal with it in this manner. Rāfi‘ said: We hope to encounter the enemy tomorrow and fear that using our weapons for slaughtering might dull their edges, while we are in urgent need of slaughtering, yet we have no knives. Can we slaughter using hollow reeds? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whatever causes the blood to flow abundantly, and Allah's name is mentioned over it, then eat it—except for teeth and claws. I will tell you about this: as for teeth, they are bones, and as for claws, they are used by the polytheists of Abyssinia.

1. Manifesting a glimpse of the Prophet’s humility through his walking at the rear of the army, his care for his Companions, his checking on their well-being, and his acceptance of their advice, may Allah be pleased with them.
2. The leader's disciplining his subjects and soldiers, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) disciplined them for their haste and actions before seeking his permission. Their consequence was deprivation of what they had wanted.
3. The Companions' quick response to the commands of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
4. The prohibition of taking from the spoils of war until they are distributed.
5. Justice, especially in the context of Jihad against the enemies and the disbelievers, for it is one of the causes of victory and triumph over the enemies.
6. An-Nawawi said: If a domestic animal such as a camel, cow, horse, or sheep becomes wild, or if it strays away, it is treated like a game, and it becomes lawful by shooting.
7. The slaughter of an animal is required to make it lawful to eat. Conditions to be fulfilled in the animal: 1. It must be permissible to eat. 2. It must be within one's ability to capture; an animal that cannot be captured is treated like a game. 3. It must be a land animal; however, for sea animals, slaughter is not required.
8. Conditions for the validity of slaughter: 1. The slaughterer must be qualified, meaning he should be rational, discerning, Muslim, or from the People of the Book. 2. The name of Allah must be mentioned at the beginning of the slaughter. 3. The slaughtering tool must be suitable, i.e., it must be sharp and made of any material except for teeth and nails. 4. The slaughter should be carried out by cutting the windpipe, the pharynx, and the jugular veins of the animal.

صحيح البخاري (3/ 138) (2488). صحيح مسلم (3/ 1558) (1968). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لعبد الله البسام (ص721).

Asmā’ bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that during the Prophet's lifetime, they slaughtered a horse and ate it. This proves the lawfulness of eating horse meat. Therefore, no one should mistakenly believe that horse meat is unlawful to eat just because horses are mentioned along with donkeys and mules in the verse where Allah, the Exalted, says: {And the horses, mules, and donkeys are for you to ride, and as adornment. And He creates what you do not know.} [An-Nahl: 8]

1- صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. 2- صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ. 3- خلاصة الكلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، فيصل بن عبد العزيز المبارك، الطبعة: الثانية 1412هـ، 1992م. 4- الإفهام في شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن باز، تحقيق: سعيد القحطاني، مؤسسة عبد العزيز بن باز الخيرية، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1435هـ. 5- الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، إسماعيل بن محمد الأنصاري، دار الفكر، دمشق، الطبعة: الأولى 1381هـ. 6- تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، دار الميمان، الطبعة: الأولى 1426هـ، 2005م. 7- تأسيس الأحكام، أحمد بن يحيى النجمي، دار المنهاج، الطبعة: 1427هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to Makkah during the Farewell Hajj and he Hady (sacrifice). ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen and also had a Hady. Since the Hady is a charity for the poor and needy, the giver has no right to freely use it or any of its part for exchange, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade ‘Ali from giving the butcher any of it in exchange for his work. Instead, he would provide him his wage from something other than their meat, skins, or saddle cloths.

تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426هـ. تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام لابن عثيمين، ط1، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات، 1426هـ. عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، ط2، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق ، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، 1408هـ. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423هـ.

The Sunnah regarding the slaughter of cows, sheep, and others is to cut their throats while they are lying on their left sides, facing the Qiblah. As for a camel, then the Sunnah in slaughtering it is to cut the jugular vein in its neck while it is standing with its left leg tied. That is because this position is comfortable for the camel by letting its soul depart the body quickly. For this reason, when ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by a man who wanted to slaughter his camel while kneeling down, he said: Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up, as this is the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who acted upon the instructions of the Qur'an on slaughter as Allah, the Almighty, says: {when they are down on their sides (after slaughter)} [Sūrat al-Hajj: 36]. i.e. fall down, and falling down occurs only when it is in a standing position.

تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، تحقيق: محمد صبحي حلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات، مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، الطبعة: العاشرة، 1426هـ. تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام، محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات، الطبعة: الأولى، 1426هـ. عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام -صلى الله عليه وسلم-، لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، الطبعة: الثانية، 1408هـ. صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Allah Almighty prescribed ihsān (kindness/excellence) upon us in everything. Ihsān: It is constantly being heedful of Allah in worshipping Him, doing good, and abstaining from harming other created beings. An aspect of this is ihsān in killing and slaughtering. Ihsān in killing, for legal retribution, is to choose the easiest method which causes the least suffering to the one being killed and the quickest in taking his life. Ihsān in slaughtering animals is to show kindness toward the animal by sharpening the blade and not sharpening it while the animal is looking on, and not slaughtering an animal while another animal is looking.

1. The Hadīth shows Allah's mercy and kindness toward His creation.
2. Ihsān in killing and slaughtering is to do it in the manner prescribed by the Shariah.
3. The Shariah is perfect and comprises all forms of goodness, one of which is mercy and kindness toward animals.
4. It is prohibited to mutilate a person after killing him.
5. Anything that causes suffering to animals is prohibited.

صحيح مسلم (3/ 1548) (1955). التحفة الربانية في شرح الأربعين حديثا النووية (ص38). شرح الأربعين النووية، لابن عثيمين (ص185). فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين وتتمة الخمسين، للعباد (ص65). فتح الباري، لابن حجر (9/ 644). شرح النووي على مسلم (13/ 107).

In this Hadīth, Ka‘b ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) tells that a woman slaughtered a sheep with a stone. This woman was grazing some sheep near Mount Uhud and a wolf attacked one of her sheep without killing it. She chased the wolf away, took a sharp stone and slaughtered the sheep with it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was then asked about what she had done, and he permitted eating that sheep.

- صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. - بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام، لابن حجر، دار القبس للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض، المملكة العربية السعودية الطبعة: الأولى، 1435 هـ - 2014 م. - تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، تأليف: صالح بن فوزان بن عبد الله الفوزان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1427 هـ 2006 م. - منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان، دار ابن الجوزي، ط1 1428هـ. - فتح ذي الجلال والاكرام بشرح بلوغ المرام، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، المكتبة الإسلامية، الطبعة الأولى 1427 هـ. - توضِيحُ الأحكَامِ مِن بُلوُغ المَرَام، للبسام، مكتَبة الأسدي، مكّة المكرّمة، الطبعة: الخامِسَة، 1423 هـ.

The fetus of a slaughtered animal, if taken out dead, is lawful to eat. The slaughtering of the mother is enough to make it lawful to eat, for the fetus was part of the animal when it was slaughtered. Being so, the parts of the animals do not require independent slaughtering.

- سنن أبي داود، تحقيق: محمد محي الدين, المكتبة العصرية - سنن الترمذي، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، مكتبة ومطبعة مصطفى البابي، الطبعة: الثانية، 1395 هـ - سنن ابن ماجه، المؤلف: تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي, دار إحياء الكتب العربية - مسند أحمد، تحقيق شعيب الأرنؤوط، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى، 1421 هـ - 2001 م - بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام، لابن حجر، دار القبس للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض - المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الأولى، 1435 هـ - 2014 م - منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان، دار ابن الجوزي، ط1 1428هـ - فتح ذي الجلال والاكرام بشرح بلوغ المرام، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، المكتبة الإسلامية - الطبعة الأولى 1427 - توضِيحُ الأحكَامِ مِن بُلوُغ المَرَام، للبسام، مكتَبة الأسدي، مكّة المكرّمة، الطبعة: الخامِسَة، 1423 هـ - إرواء الغليل في تخريج أحاديث منار السبيل، للألباني، المكتب الإسلامي، الطبعة: الثانية 1405 هـ.