Book 20: Game and Animals Which May Be Slaughtered

He told that he said, “Messenger of God, I shoot at game and find my arrow in it the next day.” He replied, “When you know your arrow killed it and see no mark of a beast of prey on the animal you may eat it.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir said they were forbidden game caught by a dog belonging to Magians. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Tha'laba al-Khushani told that he said, “Messenger of God, we travel about and when we come to Jews, Christians and Magians we can get nothing but their vessels.” He replied, “If you can get nothing else, wash them with water and then eat and drink out of them.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Qabisa b. Hulb quoted his father as saying that he asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the food of the Christians, (a version saying it was a man who asked him), adding that it was a kind of food from which he kept aloof. He replied, “Let no doubt enter your breast by which you resemble Christianity.”* *The general sense is that such food is allowable. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abud Darda’ said God’s messenger forbade eating the mujaththama, which is the animal kept as a target for arrows. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Al-Irbad b. Sariya told that on the day of Khaibar God's messenger forbade every carnivorous beast which had a fang, every bird which had a claw, the flesh of domestic asses, the mujaththama, the khalisa, and sexual intercourse with pregnant wbmen till they have given birth to a child. Muhammad b. Yahya* said that Abu ‘Asim was asked about the mujaththama and said it meant a bird or something else being set up and shot at. He was asked about the khalisa and said it was an animal taken from a wolf or a beast of prey by a man who has caught up on it, but which dies in his hand before he can slaughter it. *Tirmidhi’s immediate authority. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas and Abu Huraira said God's messenger forbade the devil’s sacrification. Ibn Isa* added that this refers to the slaughtered animal whose skin is cut off and is then left to die without its jugular veins being severed. *Cf. Abu Dawud, Adahi, 17. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “The slaughter of the embryo is included when its mother is slaughtered.” Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted it on the authority of Abu Sa‘id.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told th at they said, “Messenger of God, we cut the throat of a she-camel and slaughter a cow and a sheep and find an embryo in its womb. Shall we throw it away or eat it?” He replied, “Eat it if you wish, for its slaughter is included when its mother is slaughtered.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone kills a sparrow or anything greater wrongfully God will question him about killing it.” On being asked what was the right way he replied, “To cut its throat and eat it, but not to cut off its head and throw it away.” Ahmad, Nasa’i and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Waqid al-Laithi told that when the Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina the people used to cut off camels' humps and cut the fat tails of sheep, so he said, “Whatever is cut off an animal when it is alive is dead* and must not be eaten.” *i.e. it is treated as something which had died a natural death, and therefore may not be lawfully eaten. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ata’ b. Yasar was told by a man of the B. Haritha that when he was pasturing a pregnant she-camel in one of the ravines of Uhud he saw that it was about to die, and as he could find nothing with which to cut its throat he took a stake and stabbed it in the upper part of its breast till he made its blood flow. He then informed the Prophet (ﷺ) and he ordered him to eat it. Abu Dawud and Malik transmitted it. In his version he said he slaughtered it with a pointed piece of wood.

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “There is no creature in the sea which God has not slaughtered for the sons of Adam.”* *A way of saying that fish are lawful food although they are not slaughtered. Daraqutni transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, "If anyone acquires a dog, except a sheepdog or one trained for hunting, two qirats will be deducted from his good deeds daily." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "If anyone gets a dog, except a sheepdog or a hunting dog or a farm dog, a qirat of his reward will be deducted daily." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said: God’s messenger ordered us to kill dogs, and we were even killing a dog which a woman brought with her from the desert. Afterwards God’s messenger forbade us to kill dogs, saying, "Confine yourselves to the type which is pure black and has two spots, for it is a devil." Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered dogs to be killed, except hunting dogs or sheepdogs or dogs used for looking after animals. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abdallah b. Mughaffal reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Were dogs not a species of creature I should command that they all be killed; but kill every pure black one." Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it. Tirmidhi and Nasa'i added, "No family attaches itself to a dog without a qirat of their good deeds being deducted daily, except in the case of a hunting dog, a farm dog, or a sheepdog.”

Ibn ‘Abbas told that God's messenger forbade inciting animals to fight with one another. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "Eating any fanged beast of prey is prohibited." Muslim transmitted it.