72/10. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5488 — Hunting and Utensils Guidance
What have been said about hunting
Halal Hunting and Utensils Hadith: Bow, Hounds, and Clean Dishes
Sahih Bukhari : 5488
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5488
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ حَيْوَةَ،. وَحَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي رَجَاءٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلَمَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ حَيْوَةَ بْنِ شُرَيْحٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَبِيعَةَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ الدِّمَشْقِيَّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو إِدْرِيسَ، عَائِذُ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيَّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا بِأَرْضِ قَوْمٍ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، نَأْكُلُ فِي آنِيَتِهِمْ، وَأَرْضِ صَيْدٍ أَصِيدُ بِقَوْسِي، وَأَصِيدُ بِكَلْبِي الْمُعَلَّمِ، وَالَّذِي لَيْسَ مُعَلَّمًا، فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَا الَّذِي يَحِلُّ لَنَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ أَنَّكَ بِأَرْضِ قَوْمٍ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، تَأْكُلُ فِي آنِيَتِهِمْ، فَإِنْ وَجَدْتُمْ غَيْرَ آنِيَتِهِمْ، فَلاَ تَأْكُلُوا فِيهَا، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا فَاغْسِلُوهَا ثُمَّ كُلُوا فِيهَا، وَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ أَنَّكَ بِأَرْضِ صَيْدٍ، فَمَا صِدْتَ بِقَوْسِكَ، فَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ كُلْ، وَمَا صِدْتَ بِكَلْبِكَ الْمُعَلَّمِ، فَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ كُلْ، وَمَا صِدْتَ بِكَلْبِكَ الَّذِي لَيْسَ مُعَلَّمًا فَأَدْرَكْتَ ذَكَاتَهُ، فَكُلْ ".
Abu Tha'labah Al-Khushani Narrated from:
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."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5488In-book reference : Book 72, Hadith 14USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 67, Hadith 396
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5488
This halal hunting and utensils hadith answers two everyday questions from Abu Tha'laba Al-Khushani. He asks about eating from the utensils of the People of the Scripture and about hunting with a bow, trained hound, and untrained hound. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says that if other utensils are available, they should use them instead. If no other utensils are found, they should wash those utensils and then eat from them. For hunting, the rule is tied to Allah’s Name and the way the game is taken. If hunted with a bow while Allah’s Name is mentioned, it may be eaten. If hunted with a trained hound while Allah’s Name is mentioned, it may be eaten. If an untrained hound catches it, it is eaten only if the hunter reaches it in time to slaughter it.
What we learn from this hadith
- Use other utensils if available; if not, wash the utensils before eating.
- Mention Allah’s Name when hunting with a bow.
- Mention Allah’s Name when sending a trained hound.
- With an untrained hound, eating depends on reaching the animal for slaughter before death.
