Sahih al-Bukhari: Hunting, Slaughtering

I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the game killed by a Mi'rad (i.e. a sharp-edged piece of wood or a piece of wood provided with a sharp piece of iron used for hunting). He said, "If the game is killed with its sharp edge, eat of it, but if it is killed with its shaft, with a hit by its broad side then the game is (unlawful to eat) for it has been beaten to death." I asked him about the game killed by a trained hound. He said, "If the hound catches the game for you, eat of it, for killing the game by the hound, is like its slaughtering. But if you see with your hound or hounds another dog, and you are afraid that it might have shared in hunting the game with your hound and killed it, then you should not eat of it, because you have mentioned Allah's name on (sending) your hound only, but you have not mentioned it on some other hound.

I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about the Mi'rad. He said, "If you hit the game with its sharp edge, eat it, but if the Mi'rad hits the game with its shaft with a hit by its broad side do not eat it, for it has been beaten to death with a piece of wood. (i.e. unlawful)." I asked, "If I let loose my trained hound after a game?" He said, "If you let loose your trained hound after game, and mention the name of Allah, then you can eat." I said, "If the hound eats of the game?" He said "Then you should not eat of it, for the hound has hunted the game for itself and not for you." I said, "Some times I send my hound and then I find some other hound with it?" He said "Don't eat the game, as you have mentioned the Name of Allah on your dog only and not on the other."

I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We let loose our trained hounds after a game?" He said, "Eat what they hunt for you." I said, "Even if they killed (the game)?" He replied, 'Even if they killed (the game)." I said, 'We also hit (the game) with the Mi'rad?" He said, "Eat of the animal which the Mi'rad kills by piercing its body, but do not eat of the animal which is killed by the broad side of the Mi'rad.''

I said, "O Allah's Prophet! We are living in a land ruled by the people of the Scripture; Can we take our meals in their utensils? In that land there is plenty of game and I hunt the game with my bow and with my hound that is not trained and with my trained hound. Then what is lawful for me to eat?" He said, "As for what you have mentioned about the people of the Scripture, if you can get utensils other than theirs, do not eat out of theirs, but if you cannot get other than theirs, wash their utensils and eat out of it. If you hunt an animal with your bow after mentioning Allah's Name, eat of it. and if you hunt something with your trained hound after mentioning Allah's Name, eat of it, and if you hunt something with your untrained hound (and get it before it dies) and slaughter it, eat of it."

that he saw a man throwing stones with two fingers (at something) and said to him, "Do not throw stones, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has forbidden throwing stones, or he used to dislike it." `Abdullah added: Throwing stones will neither hunt the game, nor kill (or hurt) an enemy, but it may break a tooth or gouge out an eye." Afterwards `Abdullah once again saw the man throwing stones. He said to him, "I tell you that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has forbidden or disliked the throwing the stones (in such a way), yet you are throwing stones! I shall not talk to you for such-and-such a period."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever keeps a (pet) dog which is neither a watch dog nor a hunting dog, will get a daily deduction of two Qirat from his good deeds."

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "If someone keeps a dog neither for hunting, nor for guarding livestock, the reward (for his good deeds) will be reduced by two Qirats per day."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If someone keeps a dog neither for guarding livestock, nor for hunting, his good deeds will decrease (in reward) by two Qirats a day.'

I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). "We hunt with the help of these hounds." He said, "If you let loose your trained hounds after a game, and mention the name of Allah, then you can eat what the hounds catch for you, even if they killed the game. But you should not eat of it if the hound has eaten of it, for then it is likely that the hound has caught the game for itself. And if other hounds join your hound in hunting the game, then do not eat of it."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If you let loose your hound after a game and mention Allah's Name on sending it, and the hound catches the game and kills it, then you can eat of it. But if the hound eats of it, then you should not eat thereof, for the hound has caught it for itself. And if along with your hound, joined other hounds, and Allah's Name was not mentioned at the time of their sending, and they catch an animal and kill it, you should not eat of it, for you will not know which of them has killed it. And if you have thrown an arrow at the game and then find it (dead) two or three days later and, it bears no mark other than the wound inflicted by your arrow, then you can eat of it. But if the game is found (dead) in water, then do not eat of it."

And it has also been narrated by `Adi bin Hatim that he asked the Prophet (ﷺ) "If a hunter throws an arrow at the game and after tracing it for two or three days he finds it dead but still bearing his arrow, (can he eat of it)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "He can eat if he wishes."

I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I let loose my hound after a game and mention Allah's Name on sending it." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If you let loose your hound after a game and you mention Allah's Name on sending it and the hound catches and kills the game and eats of it, then you should not eat of it, for it has killed it for itself." I said, "Sometimes when I send my hound after a game, I find another hound along with it and I do not know which of them has caught the game." He said, "You must not eat of it because you have not mentioned, the Name of Allah except on sending your own hound, and you did not mention it on the other hound." Then I asked him about the game hunted with a Mi'rad (i.e. a sharp edged piece of wood or a piece of wood provided with a sharp piece of iron used for hunting). He said, "If the game is killed with its sharp edge, you can eat of it, but if it is killed by its broad side (shaft), you cannot eat of it, for then it is like an animal beaten to death with a piece of wood."

I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "We hunt with these hounds." He said, "If you send your trained hounds after a game and mention Allah's Name on sending, you can eat of what they catch for you. But if the hound eats of the game, then you must not eat of it, for I am afraid that the hound caught it for itself, and if another hound joins your hounds (during the hunt), you should not eat of the game."

I came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We are living in the land of the people of the Scripture and we take our meals in their utensils, and in the land there is game and I hunt with my bow and trained or untrained hounds; please tell me what is lawful for us of that." He said, "As for your saying that you are living in the land of the people of the Scripture and that you eat in their utensils, if you can get utensils other than theirs, do not eat in their utensils, but if you do not find (other than theirs), then wash their utensils and eat in them. As for your saying that you are in the land of game, if you hung something with your bow, and have mentioned Allah's Name while hunting, then you can eat (the game). And if you hunt something with your trained hound, and have mentioned Allah's Name on sending it for hunting then you can eat (the game). But if you hunt something with your untrained hound and you were able to slaughter it before its death, you can eat of it."

We provoked a rabbit at Marr Az-Zahran till it started jumping. My companions chased it till they got tired. But I alone ran after it and caught it and brought it to Abu Talha. He sent both its legs to the Prophet who accepted them.

that once he was with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (on the way to Mecca). When he had covered some of the way to Mecca, he and some companions of his, who were in the state of lhram. remained behind the Prophet while Abu Qatada himself was not in the state of Ihram. Abu Qatada, seeing an onager rode his horse and asked his companions to hand him a whip, but they refused. He then asked them to hand him his spear, but they refused. Then he took it himself and attacked the onager and killed it. Some of the Companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ate of it, but some others refused to eat. When they met Allah's Apostle they asked him about that. He said, "It was meal given to you by Allah."

(the same Hadith above, but he added); The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "Is there any of its meat left with you?"

I was with the Prophet (on a journey) between Mecca and Medina, and all of them, (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions) were in the state of Ihram, while I was not in that state. I was riding my horse and I used to be fond of ascending mountains. So while I was doing so I noticed that the people were looking at something. I went to see what it was, and behold it was an onager. I asked my companions, "What is that?" They said, "We do not know." I said, "It is an onager.' They said, "It is what you have seen." I had left my whip, so I said to them, "Hand to me my whip." They said, "We will not help you in that (in hunting the onager)." I got down, took my whip and chased the animal (on my horse) and did not stop till I killed it. I went to them and said, "Come on, carry it!" But they said, "We will not even touch it." At last I alone carried it and brought it to them. Some of them ate of it and some refused to eat of it. I said (to them), "I will ask the Prophet (ﷺ) about it (on your behalf)." When I met the Prophet, I told him the whole story. He said to me, "Has anything of it been left with you?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Eat, for it is a meal Allah has offered to you."

We went out in a campaign and the army was called The Army of the Khabt, and Abu 'Ubaida was our commander. We were struck with severe hunger. Then the sea threw a huge dead fish called Al- `Anbar, the like of which had never been seen. We ate of it for half a month, and then Abu 'Ubaida took one of its bones (and made an arch of it) so that a rider could easily pass under it.

The Prophet (ﷺ) sent us as an army unit of three hundred warriors under the command of Abu 'Ubaida to ambush a caravan of the Quraish. But we were struck with such severe hunger that we ate the Khabt (desert bushes), so our army was called the Army of the Khabt. Then the sea threw a huge fish called Al-`Anbar and we ate of it for half a month and rubbed our bodies with its fat till our bodies became healthy. Then Abu Ubaida took one of its ribs and fixed it over the ground and a rider passed underneath it. There was a man amongst us who slaughtered three camels when hunger became severe, and he slaughtered three more, but after that Abu 'Ubaida forbade him to do so.

We participated with the Prophet (ﷺ) in six or seven Ghazawat, and we used to eat locusts with him.

I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We are living in the land of the people of the Scripture, and we take our meals in their utensils, and there is game in that land and I hunt with my bow and with my trained hound and with my untrained hound." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "As for your saying that you are in the land of people of the Scripture, you should not eat in their utensils unless you find no alternative, in which case you must wash the utensils and then eat in them As for your saying that you are in the land of game, if you hunt something with your bow, mention Allah's Name (while hunting the game) and eat; and if you hunt something with your trained hound, mention Allah's Name on sending and eat; and if you hunt something with your untrained hound and get it alive, slaughter it and you can eat of it."

In the evening of the day of the conquest of Khaibar, the army made fires (for cooking). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "For what have you made these fires?" They said, "For cooking the meat of domestic donkeys." He said, "Throw away what is in the cooking pots and break the pots." A man from the people got up and said, "Shall we throw the contents of the cooking pots and then wash the pots (instead of breaking them)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes, you can do either.'

We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) in Dhul-Hulaifa and there the people were struck with severe hunger. Then we got camels and sheep as war booty (and slaughtered them). The Prophet (ﷺ) was behind all the people. The people hurried and fixed the cooking pots (for cooking) but the Prophet (ﷺ) came there and ordered that the cooking pots be turned upside down. Then he distributed the animals, regarding ten sheep as equal to one camel. One of the camels ran away and there were a few horses with the people. They chased the camel but they got tired, whereupon a man shot it with an arrow whereby Allah stopped it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Among these animals some are as wild as wild beasts, so if one of them runs away from you, treat it in this way." I said. "We hope, or we are afraid that tomorrow we will meet the enemy and we have no knives, shall we slaughter (our animals) with canes?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If the killing tool causes blood to gush out and if Allah's Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughterer animal). But do not slaughter with a tooth or a nail. I am telling you why: A tooth is a bone, and the nail is the knife of Ethiopians."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said that he met Zaid bin `Amr Nufail at a place near Baldah and this had happened before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) received the Divine Inspiration. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) presented a dish of meat (that had been offered to him by the pagans) to Zaid bin `Amr, but Zaid refused to eat of it and then said (to the pagans), "I do not eat of what you slaughter on your stonealtars (Ansabs) nor do I eat except that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned on slaughtering."

Once during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) we offered some animals as sacrifices. Some people slaughtered their sacrifices before the (Id) prayer, so when the Prophet (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he saw that they had slaughtered their sacrifices before the prayer. He said, "Whoever has slaughtered (his sacrifice) before the prayer, should slaughter (another sacrifice) in lieu of it; and whoever has not yet slaughtered it till we have prayed; should slaughter (it) by mentioning Allah's Name."

that a slave girl of theirs used to shepherd some sheep at Si'a (a mountain near Medina). On seeing one of her sheep dying, she broke a stone and slaughtered it. Ka`b said to his family, "Do not eat (of it) till I go to the Prophet (ﷺ) and ask him, or, till I send someone to ask him." So he went to the Prophet (ﷺ) or sent someone to him The Prophet (ﷺ) permitted (them) to eat it.

that Ka`b had a slave girl who used to graze his sheep on a small mountain, called "Sl'a", situated near the market. Once a sheep was dying, so she broke a stone and slaughtered it with it. When they mentioned that to the Prophet, he, permitted them to eat it.

that he said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We have no knife." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "if the killing tool causes blood to gush out, and if Allah's Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughtered animal). But do not slaughter with a nail or a tooth, for the nail is the knife of Ethiopians and a tooth is a bone." Suddenly a camel ran away and it was stopped (with an arrow). The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "Of these camels there are some which are as wild as wild beasts; so if one of them runs away from you and you cannot catch it, treat it in this manner (i.e. shoot it with an arrow).

A lady slaughtered a sheep with a stone and then the Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about it and he permitted it to be eaten.

A slave girl belonging to Ka`b used to graze some sheep at Sl'a (mountain). Once one of her sheep was dying. She reached it (before it died) and slaughtered it with a stone. The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, and he said, "Eat it."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Eat what is slaughtered (with any instrument) that makes blood flow out, except what is slaughtered with a tooth or a nail.'

A group of people said to the Prophet, "Some people bring us meat and we do not know whether they have mentioned Allah's Name or not on slaughtering the animal." He said, "Mention Allah's Name on it and eat." Those people had embraced Islam recently.

While we were besieging the castle of Khaibar, Somebody threw a skin full of fat and I went ahead to take it, but on looking behind, I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) and I felt shy in his presence (and did not take it).

I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We are going to face the enemy tomorrow and we do not have knives." He said, "Hurry up (in killing the animal). If the killing tool causes blood to flow out, and if Allah's Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughtered animal). But do not slaughter with a tooth or a nail. I will tell you why: As for the tooth, it is a bone; and as for the nail, it is the knife of Ethiopians." Then we got some camels and sheep as war booty, and one of those camels ran away, whereupon a man shot it with an arrow and stopped it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Of these camels there are some which are as wild as wild beasts, so if one of them (runs away and) makes you tired, treat it in this manner."

We slaughtered a horse (by Nahr) during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) and ate it.

We slaughtered a horse (by Dhabh) during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while we were at Medina, and we ate it.

We slaughtered a horse (by Nahr) during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and ate it.

Anas and I went to Al-Hakam bin Aiyub. Anas saw some boys shooting at a tied hen. Anas said, "The Prophet has forbidden the shooting of tied or confined animals."

that he entered upon Yahya bin Sa`id while one of Yahya's sons was aiming at a hen after tying it. Ibn `Umar walked to it and untied it. Then he brought it and the boy and said. "Prevent your boys from tying the birds for the sake of killing them, as I have heard the Prophet (ﷺ) forbidding the killing of an animal or other living thing after tying them."

While I was with Ibn `Umar, we passed by a group of young men who had tied a hen and started shooting at it. When they saw Ibn `Umar, they dispersed, leaving it. On that Ibn `Umar said, "Who has done this? The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed the one who did so."

Narrated Ibn `Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed the one who did Muthla to an animal (i e., cut its limbs or some other part of its body while it is still alive).

The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade An-Nuhba and Al-Muthla.

I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) eating chicken.

We were in the company of Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari and there were friendly relations between us and this tribe of Jarm. Abu Musa was presented with a dish containing chicken. Among the people there was sitting a red-faced man who did not come near the food. Abu Musa said (to him), "Come on (and eat), for I have seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) eating of it (i.e. chicken)." He said, "I have seen it eating something (dirty) and since then I have disliked it, and have taken an oath that I shall not eat it ' Abu Musa said, "Come on, I will tell you (or narrate to you). Once I went to Allah s Apostle with a group of Al-Ash`ariyin, and met him while he was angry, distributing some camels of rak`at. We asked for mounts but he took an oath that he would not give us any mounts, and added, 'I have nothing to mount you on' In the meantime some camels of booty were brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he asked twice, 'Where are Al-Ash`ariyin?" So he gave us five white camels with big humps. We stayed for a short while (after we had covered a little distance), and then I said to my companions, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has forgotten his oath. By Allah, if we do not remind Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) of his oath, we will never be successful." So we returned to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We asked you for mounts, but you took an oath that you would not give us any mounts; we think that you have forgotten your oath.' He said, 'It is Allah Who has given you mounts. By Allah, and Allah willing, if I take an oath and later find something else better than that. then I do what is better and expiate my oath.' "

We slaughtered a horse during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and ate it.

On the Day of the battle of Khaibar, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) made donkey's meat unlawful and allowed the eating of horse flesh.

The Prophet (ﷺ) made the meat of donkeys unlawful on the day of the battle of Khaibar.

The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited the eating of donkey's meat.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited Al-Mut'a marriage and the eating of donkey's meat in the year of the Khaibar battle.

The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited the eating of donkey's meat on the day of the battle of Khaibar, and allowed the eating of horse flesh.

The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited the eating of donkey's meat.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited the eating of donkey's meat.

Narrated Az-Zuhri:

The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited the eating of beasts having fangs.

Someone came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "The donkeys have been (slaughtered and) eaten. Another man came and said, "The donkeys have been destroyed." On that the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered a caller to announce to the people: Allah and His Apostle forbid you to eat the meat of donkeys, for it is impure.' Thus the pots were turned upside down while the (donkeys') meat was boiling in them.

I said to Jabir bin Zaid, "The people claim that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of donkey's meat." He said, "Al-Hakam bin `Amr Al-Ghifari used to say so when he was with us, but Ibn `Abbas, the great religious learned man, refused to give a final verdict and recited:-- 'Say: I find not in that which has been inspired to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be carrion, blood poured forth or the flesh of swine...' (6.145)

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of the meat of beasts having fangs.

Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) passed by a dead sheep and said (to the people), "Why don't you use its hide?" They said, "But it is dead," He said, "Only eating it, is prohibited."

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a dead goat and said, "There is no harm if its owners benefit from its skin."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "None is wounded in Allah's Cause but will come on the Day of Resurrection with his wound bleeding. The thing that will come out of his wound will be the color of blood, but its smell will be the smell of musk."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The example of a good pious companion and an evil one is that of a person carrying musk and another blowing a pair of bellows. The one who is carrying musk will either give you some perfume as a present, or you will buy some from him, or you will get a good smell from him, but the one who is blowing a pair of bellows will either burn your clothes or you will get a bad smell from him."

Once we provoked a rabbit at Marr-az-Zahran. The people chased it till they got tired. Then I caught It and brought it to Abu Talha, who slaughtered it and then sent both its pelvic pieces (or legs) to the Prophet, and the Prophet (ﷺ) accepted the present.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I do not eat mastigure, but I do not prohibit its eating."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I entered the house of Maimuna. A roasted mastigure was served. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stretched his hand out (to eat of it) but some woman said, "Inform Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) of what he is about to eat." So they said, "It is mastigure, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" He withdrew his hand, whereupon I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Is it unlawful?" He said, "No, but this is not found in the land of my people, so I dislike it." So I pulled the mastigure towards me and ate it while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was looking at me.

A mouse fell into the butter-fat and died. The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about that. He said, "Throw away the mouse and the butter-fat that surrounded it, and eat the rest of the butter-fat (As-Samn).

regarding an animal, e.g., a mouse or some other animal that had fallen into solid or liquid oil or butter-fat: I had been informed that a mouse had died in butter-fat whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered that the butter-fat near it be thrown away and the rest of the butter-fat can be eaten.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about a mouse that had fallen into butter-fat (and died). He said, "Throw away the mouse and the portion of butter-fat around it, and eat the rest."

that Ibn `Umar disliked the branding of animals on the face. Ibn `Umar said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade beating (animals) on the face."

I brought a brother of mine to the Prophet (ﷺ) to do Tahnik for him while the Prophet (ﷺ) was in a sheep fold of his, and I saw him branding a sheep. (The sub-narrator said: I think Anas said, branding it on the ear.)

I said to the Prophet, "We will be facing the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives (for slaughtering)' He said, "If you slaughter the animal with anything that causes its blood to flow out, and if Allah's Name is mentioned on slaughtering it, eat of it, unless the killing instrument is a tooth or nail. I will tell you why: As for the tooth, it is a bone; and as for the nail, it is the knife of Ethiopians." The quick ones among the people got the war booty while the Prophet (ﷺ) was behind the people. So they placed the cooking pots on the fire, but the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the cooking pots to be turned upside down. Then he distributed (the war booty) among them, considering one camel as equal to ten sheep. Then a camel belonging to the first party of people ran away and they had no horses with them, so a man shot it with an arrow whereby Allah stopped it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Of these animals there are some which are as wild as wild beasts. So, if anyone of them runs away like this, do like this (shoot it with an arrow).

While we were with the Prophet. on a journey, one of the camels ran away. A man shot it with an arrow and stopped it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Of these camels some are as wild as wild beasts, so if one of them runs away and you cannot catch it, then do like this (shoot it with an arrow)." I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Sometimes when we are in battles or on a journey we want to slaughter (animals) but we have no knives." He said, "Listen! If you slaughter the animal with anything that causes its blood to flow out, and if Allah's Name is mentioned on slaughtering it, eat of it, provided that the slaughtering instrument is not a tooth or a nail, as the tooth is a bone and the nail is the knife of Ethiopians."