The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 2231- The head of the animal should not be severed from its body before it has completely died as a recommended precaution. Therefore, if there is some equipment for slaughtering animals which sever the head of the animal, though the animal does not become haram but it would be better that they work in a way that the head is not cut off completely. In any case, all the conditions prescribed for slaughtering should be observed in machines. It is also a recommended precaution that the spinal cord of the animal which is in the middle of the vertebral column, should not be cut before the animal dies, nor should the animal be skinned before it dies.

Issue No. 2232- According to some narrations, there are certain makrūh acts while slaughtering animals:1- To thrust the knife from behind the throat and move it forward so that the throat is cut from behind.2- To slaughter an animal at a place where another animal can see it.3- To slaughter an animal at night, or before noon on Friday. However, there is no harm in doing so in case it is needed.4- To slaughter an animal which someone has raised himself.

Issue No. 2234- If a halal wild animal is hunted with a weapon, it becomes halal, if the following five conditions are fulfilled:1- The hunting should be with a sharp weapon like a sword, knife, dagger or gun and the like, irrespective of whether its bullet used for hunting is sharp or not. However, it should be able to cut through the body of the animal and blood should flow from it. And if an animal is hunted with a trap or hit by a piece of wood or a stone, etc., it becomes haram, but if the hunter reaches the animal while it is still alive, and then he slaughters it according to the sharia laws, it would be halal.2- As an obligatory precaution, the hunter should be a Muslim or a Muslim child who can distinguish between good and bad.3- The hunter should aim the weapon for hunting. In case, therefore, a person takes an aim at some place but kills an animal accidentally, it will be haram to eat the meat of that animal.4- While using the weapon, the hunter should utter the name of Allah. There is, however, no harm if he fails to do so on account of forgetfulness. 5- The animal should be dead when the hunter reaches it, or if it is alive, there should be no sufficient time left to slaughter it. However, if he has enough time to slaughter it and he does not slaughter it until it dies, it will be haram.

Issue No. 2236- If an animal is shot and then, for example, it falls into the water, if one knows that the animal has died on account of having been shot, and falling into water, it will not be halal. In fact, if one doubts whether or not the animal has died only because of being shot, it is not halal.

Issue No. 2237- If a person hunts an animal by means of a usurped dog or a usurped weapon, the hunted animal is halal and becomes his property. However, besides the fact that he has committed a sin, he should pay the rent for the weapon or dog to its owner.

Issue No. 2238- If a person cuts an animal into two parts with a sword or something else with which hunting is permissible, fulfilling the conditions mentioned above, and its head and neck remain in one part, both parts are halal if the hunter reaches the animal when it is dead or the animal is alive at that time but there is not enough time to slaughter it. However, if there is time for slaughtering it, that part which does not contain the head is haram, and the part which contains the head and neck it will be halal if it is slaughtered according to the rules prescribed by sharia.

Issue No. 2239- If an animal is cut into two parts with a stick, stone or another instrument with which hunting is not allowed, the part which does not contain the head and the neck will be haram. As regards the part which contains the head and the neck, in case the animal is still alive and it is slaughtered in accordance with sharia, that part is halal.

Issue No. 2240- If an animal is hunted or slaughtered and its live foetus is taken out of its body, it will be halal if it is slaughtered in accordance with sharia, otherwise it will be haram. However, if by hunting or slaughtering an animal, its foetus dies in the mother’s womb, it is halal provided that it is fully developed and hair or fleece have grown on its body.

Issue No. 2241- If a hunting dog hunts a wild halal-meat animal, it will be halal if the following five conditions are fulfilled:1- The dog should be trained in such a way that when commanded to catch the prey, it goes and when restrained from going, it stops. In fact, insofar as it has been trained for hunting, it will be sufficient, though it may itself go towards the prey as soon as its eyes catch sight of the prey. However, if it has the habit of eating the prey before its owner arrives, its prey should be avoided as an obligatory precaution but there would be no harm if it sometimes eats the prey or only drinks its blood. 2- The person who sends out the dog for hunting should be a Muslim or a Muslim child who distinguishes between good and bad [1] as an obligatory precaution. One who expresses enmity towards the Household of the holy Prophet Muhammad (ṣ) is not a Muslim, and his game should be avoided as an obligatory precaution.3- The hunter should utter the name of Allah at the time of sending the dog or when the dog is leaving. However, there is no harm if he forgets to do so. And it will not be necessary to utter the name of Allah just before sending the dog, rather, if he utters it before the dog reaches the prey, it will be halal.4- The prey should die as a result of the wound inflicted by the dog’s teeth. Therefore, if the dog suffocates the prey to death or the prey dies because of running too much or out of fear, it is not halal.5- The hunter who sends the dog should reach the spot when the animal is dead or if it is alive, there should not be enough time to slaughter it. However, if he reaches there when there is time to slaughter it, for example, it moves its eyes or strikes its feet to the ground, he should slaughter the prey in accordance with the rules prescribed by sharia, or else, it is haram.

Issue No. 2243- If a person sends several dogs for hunting an animal and if all of them satisfy the conditions mentioned above, the prey is halal but if any one of them does not fulfil those conditions, the prey is haram.

Issue No. 2247- Fish with scales are only halal, irrespective of whether the scales are few or many, small or large. Even the fish whose scales are feeble and shed off in the net are halal. However, microscopic scales that that people do not consider to be scales do not suffice.

Issue No. 2248- If a fish is caught alive from water and dies out of water, it is ṭāhir and halal, and if it dies in the trap in water, it is halal too.