34/11. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1955a — Excellence in Slaughter and Mercy
The command to be proficient in slaughtering and killing, and to sharpen the blade
Hadith About Ihsan in Slaughter: Goodness Even at the Hardest Moment
Sahih Muslim : 1955a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1955a
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَشْعَثِ، عَنْ شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ، قَالَ ثِنْتَانِ حَفِظْتُهُمَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ فَإِذَا قَتَلْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الْقِتْلَةَ وَإِذَا ذَبَحْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الذَّبْحَ وَلْيُحِدَّ أَحَدُكُمْ شَفْرَتَهُ فَلْيُرِحْ ذَبِيحَتَهُ " .
Shaddad b. Aus Narrated from:
Two are the things which I remember Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said: Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way. So every one of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1955aIn-book reference : Book 34, Hadith 84USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 21, Hadith 4810
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1955a
This famous hadith teaches ihsan, or doing things in a good way, even in moments involving killing or slaughter. Shaddad ibn Aws remembered two things from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that Allah has enjoined goodness to everything. So when killing is done, it should be done in a good way, and when slaughtering is done, it should be done in a good way. He then gave a practical instruction: sharpen the knife and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably. The hadith does not speak in vague terms. It connects goodness to action. For searches like “hadith about ihsan in slaughter” and “sharpen the knife hadith,” this is the main text.
What we learn from this hadith
- Allah has enjoined goodness to everything, as stated in the hadith.
- Even slaughter must be done in a good way.
- A person should sharpen the knife before slaughter.
- The slaughtered animal should be allowed to die comfortably.
