41/4. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4234 — Using the Hide of a Dead Sheep
The Skin Of Dead Animals (Those Not Slaughtered Or Killed Properly)
Hadith on Benefiting from the Hide of a Dead Sheep
Sunan an-Nasai : 4234
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4234
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ عَلَى شَاةٍ مَيِّتَةٍ مُلْقَاةٍ فَقَالَ " لِمَنْ هَذِهِ " . فَقَالُوا لِمَيْمُونَةَ . فَقَالَ " مَا عَلَيْهَا لَوِ انْتَفَعَتْ بِإِهَابِهَا " . قَالُوا إِنَّهَا مَيْتَةٌ . فَقَالَ " إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَكْلَهَا " .
Maimuna Narrated from:
The Prophet passed by a dead sheep that had been thrown aside. He said: "Who does this belong to?" They said: "Maimunah." He said: "Why did she not make use of its skin?" They said: "It is dead meat (i.e., it was not slaughtered properly)." He said: "Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has only forbidden us to eat it."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4234In-book reference : Book 41, Hadith 13English translation : Vol. 5, Book 41, Hadith 4239
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4234
This hadith tells of the Prophet passing by a dead sheep that had been thrown aside. After learning that it belonged to Maimunah, he asked why she had not benefited from its skin. The people replied that the sheep was dead meat because it had not been slaughtered properly. The Prophet explained that Allah had only forbidden them to eat it. The report makes a clear distinction between eating the dead animal and making use of its hide. It teaches that the whole animal should not automatically be treated as useless merely because its meat cannot be eaten. The exact benefit mentioned in the narration is the skin. Broader uses or detailed preparation methods are not described in this version.
What we learn from this hadith
- The meat of the dead sheep was not lawful to eat.
- The Prophet said that benefit could still be taken from its skin.
- An unusable food item may still contain another useful material.
- The narration distinguishes eating the animal from using its hide.
