24. Slaughtering Animals

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that hisfather said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, was asked, 'Messenger of Allah! Some people from the desertbring us meat, and we do not know whether the name of Allah has beenmentioned over it or not.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, 'Mention the name of Allah over it andeat.' " Malik said, "That was in the beginning of Islam." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Abdullahibn Ayyash ibn Abi Rabia al-Makhzumi ordered one of his slaves toslaughter an animal. When he wanted to slaughter it, he said to him,"Mention Allah's name." The slave said to him, "I have mentioned thename!" He said to him, "Mention the name of Allah, bother you!" Hesaid to him, "I have mentioned the name of Allah " Abdullah ibn Ayyashsaid, "By Allah, I shall never eat it!" Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibnYasar that a man from the Ansar of the tribe of Banu Haritha washerding a pregnant she-camel at Uhud. It was about to die, so heslaughtered it with a sharp stake. The Messenger of Allah was askedabout that, and he said, "There is no harm in it, eat it." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from a man of the Ansarfrom Muadh ibn Sad or Sad ibn Muadh that a slave-girl of Kab ibn Malikwas herding some sheep at Sal (a mountain near Madina). One of thesheep was about to die, so she went over to it and slaughtered it witha stone. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, was asked about that, and he said, "There is no harm in it, soeat it." Yahya related to me from Malik from Thawr ibn Zayd ad-Dili thatAbdullah ibn Abbas was asked about animals slaughtered by the Christian Arabs. He said, "There is no harm in them," but he recitedthis ayat, "Whoever takes them as friends is from them." (Sura 5 ayat54). Yahya related to me from Malik that Abdullah ibn Abbas used tosay, "You can eat anything that has had its jugular vein cut." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibnal-Musayyab said, "There is no harm in whatever you slaughter with acutting edge, as long as you are forced to do it by necessity." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that AbuMurra, the mawla of Aqil ibn Abi Talib asked Abu Hurayra about a sheepwhich was slaughtered and then part of it moved. He ordered him to eatit. Then he asked Zayd ibn Thabit about it, and he said, "Does acorpse move?" and he forbade eating its meat. Malik was askedabout a sheep which fell down and injured itself badly and then itsmaster reached it and slaughtered it. Blood flowed from it but it didnot move. Malik said, "If he kills it and blood flows from it and itseyes blink, he should eat it." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarsaid, "When a she-camel is slaughtered, what is in its womb isincluded in the slaughter if it is perfectly formed and its hair hasbegun to grow. If it comes out of its mother's womb, it is slaughteredso that blood flows from its heart." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Qusaytal-Laythi that Said ibn al- Musayyab said, "The slaughter of what isin the womb is included in the slaughter of the mother if it isperfectly formed and its hair has begun to grow."