Blog Archives
The Slaughter Instrument (Hadith No. 2706)
Bismillah.
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 309 :
Narrated by Abaya bin Rifaa
My grandfather, Rafi (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “We were in the company of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) at DhulHulaifa, and the people suffered from hunger. We got some camels and sheep (as booty) and the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) was still behind the people. They hurried and put the cooking pots on the fire. (When he came) he ordered that the cooking pots should be upset and then he distributed the booty (amongst the people) regarding ten sheep as equal to one camel then a camel fled and the people chased it till they got tired, as they had a few horses (for chasing it). So a man threw an arrow at it and caused it to stop (with Allah’s Permission). On that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, ‘Some of these animals behave like wild beasts, so, if any animal flee from you, deal with it in the same way.” My grandfather asked (the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)), “We hope (or are afraid) that we may meet the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives. Can we slaughter our animals with canes?” Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) replied, “If the instrument used for killing causes the animal to bleed profusely and if Allah’s Name is mentioned on killing it, then eat its meat (i.e. it is lawful) but won’t use a tooth or a nail and I am telling you the reason: A tooth is a bone (and slaughtering with a bone is forbidden ), and a nail is the slaughtering instrument of the Ethiopians.”
In a past post, the proper Islamic etiquette of slaughtering an animal was discussed in detail, from saying Bismillah in the beginning to sharpening the blade and being kind to the animal. This hadith discusses the “instrument” used to slaughter the animal. It’s apparent and obvious that bones and nails are prohibited. And whatever is used other than that must cause the animal to bleed profusely.
Having said that, there’s a lot of confusion about saying Bismillah when using modern methods (i.e. machines) to slaughter chickens, whether to say it every time a chicken is slaughtered or to say it once before turning on the machine. A question is recorded in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah:
Is it permissible to say “Bismillah” when operating the machine which does one repeated movement. Please note that what is meant is saying “Bismillah” only once, when starting the machine for slaughter.
Answer: it is acceptable for the person who is operating the machine to say “Bismillah” once when starting it for a number of (chickens) with the intention of slaughtering them, so long as the one who is operating it is a Muslim or a Jew or a Christian.
‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, ‘Abd ar-Razaaq ‘Afeefi, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz. End quote.
More about stunning animals, saying Bismillah once or repeatedly and other related discussion here.
“Let My Parents Be Sacrificed for You!” (Hadith No. 2549)
Bismillah.
Ahadith 2547 – 2548 (below) are repeats. See linked text for related posts.
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 152 :
Narrated by Sahl (radiallaahu `anhu)
When the helmet of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) was smashed on his head and blood covered his face and one of his front teeth got broken, ‘Ali (radiallaahu `anhu) brought the water in his shield and Fatima the Prophet’s daughter) washed him. But when she saw that the bleeding increased more by the water, she took a mat, burnt it, and placed the ashes on the wound of the Prophet and so the blood stopped oozing out.
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 153 :
Narrated by ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu)
The properties of Bani An-Nadir which Allah had transferred to His Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) as Fai Booty were not gained by the Muslims with their horses and camels. The properties therefore, belonged especially to Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) who used to give his family their yearly expenditure and spend what remained thereof on arms and horses to be used in Allah’s Cause.
Today’s Hadith:
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 154 :
Narrated by Ali (radiallaahu `anhu)
I never saw the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) saying, “Let my parents sacrifice their lives for you,” to any man after Sa’d (radiallaahu `anhu). I heard him saying (to him), “Throw (the arrows)! Let my parents sacrifice their lives for you.”
We come across many narrations in which the companions say these words to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam): فِدَاكَ أَبِي وَأُمِّي (Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you!), but rarely do we see the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) doing the same for his companions, for it is indeed an honor not everyone deserves. If you read about the life of Sa’d bin Abi Waqas (radiallaahu `anhu), his noble qualities, his love for Allah and His deen and the sacrifices he made, you’ll see why he was one of the very few that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said these words to.
One might ask, are we allowed to say these words to other people, even besides the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)? The answer is yes, because the Sahabah and their followers (Tabi’oon) used to say it to each other among them. So saying it to the those who deserve it, like people you love for Allah’s sake, those with knowledge and those having higher ranks is permissible.
Better than the Whole Wide World (Hadith No. 2537)
Bismillah.
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 142 :
Narrated by Sahl bin Sad As-Sa’di (radiallaahu `anhu)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “To guard Muslims from infidels in Allah’s Cause for one day is better than the world and whatever is on its surface, and a place in Paradise as small as that occupied by the whip of one of you is better than the world and whatever is on its surface; and a morning’s or an evening’s journey which a slave (person) travels in Allah’s Cause is better than the world and whatever is on its surface.”
I have one question to ask: what’s stopping you? What’s stopping you from going out in Allah’s Cause, to travel for his sake, to make a sacrifice for him? It doesn’t have to be qitaal (fighting) only, it can be learning the Deen, calling people to it, welfare etc. What’s stopping you from getting what’s better than the whole wide world?
The Brave Girl (Hadith No. 1996)
Bismillah.
Hadith no. 1995 (below) is a repeat. Read it here.
Volume 3, Book 38, Number 499 :
Narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhumaa)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) employed someone as a governor at Khaibar. When the man came to Medina, he brought with him dates called Janib. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) asked him, “Are all the dates of Khaibar of this kind?” The man replied, “(No), we exchange two Sa’s of bad dates for one Sa of this kind of dates (i.e. Janib), or exchange three Sa’s for two.” On that, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Don’t do so, as it is a kind of usury (Riba) but sell the dates of inferior quality for money, and then buy Janib with the money”. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said the same thing about dates sold by weight.
Today’s Hadith:
Volume 3, Book 38, Number 500 :
Narrated by Ibn Ka’b bin Malik from his father (radiallaahu `anhu)
We had some sheep which used to graze at Sal’ (a mountain in Madinah). One of our slave-girls saw a sheep dying and she broke a stone and slaughtered the sheep with it. My father said to the people, “Don’t eat it till I ask the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) about it (or till I send somebody to ask the Prophet).” So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam), and the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) permitted him to eat it. ‘Ubaidullah (a sub-narrator) said, “I admire that girl, for though she was a slave-girl, she dared to slaughter the sheep. “
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al‑Maitah (the dead animals — cattle — beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allaah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allaah, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns — and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal — unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death).”
[al-Maa’idah 5:3]
Ibn Katheer said:
The phrase “unless you are able to slaughter it” refers to that which you are able to reach and slaughter in the proper manner when there is still evidently life in it. That refers to the phrase, “that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns — and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal”.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/11, 12
This shows that as long as one is able to slaughter the animal before it dies, it is permissible to eat from it. More on the etiquette of slaughtering animals here.
As for the brave girl who slaughtered the dying sheep, I admire her too! In fact, I admire all the women, including my mom, who are able to slaughter their sacrificial animals on Eid or otherwise. It takes guts to do it! Some women can’t even watch an animal being slaughtered let alone doing it themselves. SubhanAllah! May Allah give us (the scared lot) more courage. :)
Commenting on this hadeeth, Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“This shows that it is permitted to eat meat slaughtered by a woman, whether she is free or a slave, old or young, Muslim or of the People of the Book (i.e., Jewish or Christian), in a state of purity or otherwise, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told them to eat the meat she had slaughtered and did not ask for further details.”
This hadeeth also answers the question about whether any of the Sahaabiyaat (female Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) slaughtered animals.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
“It is permitted to eat from an animal which a man or a woman slaughters Islamically before it dies, or from meat slaughtered by a woman, even if she is menstruating, because her menstruation is not in her hand. It is permissible to eat meat from an animal which a woman slaughters Islamically before it dies, by the consensus of the Muslims.” (Al-Fataawa, 35/234).
Hajj – Minaa [contd.] (Ahadith 1499 – 1501)
Bismillah.
Volume 2, Book 26, Number 799:
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu):
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) permitted (them).
Volume 2, Book 26, Number 800:
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu):
That the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) allowed (as above).
Volume 2, Book 26, Number 801:
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu):
Al-Abbas (radiallaahu `anhu) asked the permission from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) to stay at Mecca during the nights of Mina in order to provide water to the people, so the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) allowed him.
Previously discussed here.
Staying overnight in Mina during the Days of Tashreeq is obligatory according to the majority of fuqahaa’; the one who fails to do that with no excuse is obliged to offer a sacrifice. According to the majority of scholars one should stay there for most of the night.
(al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 17, p. 58).
Not staying overnight in Mina during the Days of Tashreeq may be one of the following cases:
The first case: when a person does not stay overnight in Mina because he has an excuse.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked about the ruling on a person who does not stay overnight in Mina during the Days of Tashreeq. He said:
He is not obliged to offer any sacrifice because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can’ [al-Taghaabun 64:16] – whether he did not stay overnight at Mina because of sickness or because there was no room, of for some similar legitimate excuse such as those who bring water to the pilgrims and those who tend sheep, and whatever else comes under the same rulings.
The second case: when a person does not stay overnight (in Mina) during the days of Tahsreeq with no excuse.
The Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever does not stay overnight in Mina during the Days of Tashreeq with no excuse has failed to do something which was prescribed by the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in both word and deed, and by the fact that he made a concession for some of those who have excuses such as shepherds and those who bring water to the pilgrims. Concessions can only be made when there is something which has to be done. Hence staying overnight in Mina during the Days of Tashreeq is considered to be one of the obligatory duties of Hajj, according to the more correct of the two scholarly views, and whoever does not do that and has no legitimate excuse has to offer a sacrifice, because it was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “Whoever fails to do one of the rituals [of Hajj] or forgets it, let him offer a sacrifice.” It is sufficient to offer one sacrifice for not staying overnight in Mina during the days of Tashreeq.”
(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz – may Allaah have mercy on him – vol. 5, p. 182)
He should offer the sacrifice and share out its meat among the poor in the Haram, and he should not eat any of it. And Allaah knows best.
iLookiListen 