42/19. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4300 — When Hunted Game May Be Eaten
The One Who Shoots An Arrow But (The Game) Gets Away From Him
Halal Hunting Rules for Game Found with an Arrow
Sunan an-Nasai : 4300
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4300
أَخْبَرَنَا زِيَادُ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو بِشْرٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا أَهْلُ الصَّيْدِ وَإِنَّ أَحَدَنَا يَرْمِي الصَّيْدَ فَيَغِيبُ عَنْهُ اللَّيْلَةَ وَاللَّيْلَتَيْنِ فَيَبْتَغِي الأَثَرَ فَيَجِدُهُ مَيِّتًا وَسَهْمُهُ فِيهِ . قَالَ " إِذَا وَجَدْتَ السَّهْمَ فِيهِ وَلَمْ تَجِدْ فِيهِ أَثَرَ سَبُعٍ وَعَلِمْتَ أَنَّ سَهْمَكَ قَتَلَهُ فَكُلْ " .
`Adi bin Hatim Narrated from:
I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we are a people who hunt, and one of us may shoot his arrow but (the game) gets way from him for a night or two. What if he follows its tracks, and finds it dead with his arrow in it? He said: "If you find the arrow in it, and you do not find any sign of predators, and you know that your arrow killed it, then eat it." (Sahih)
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4300In-book reference : Book 42, Hadith 38English translation : Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith 4305
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4300
This Hadith explains a clear halal hunting rule for game that disappears after being shot and is found dead one or two nights later. The hunter should not eat it merely because his arrow is present. He must also find no sign that a predator attacked the animal and must know that his own arrow caused its death. The main lesson is careful verification before eating hunted game. The passage connects lawful game meat with clear evidence about how the animal died. It also shows that delay alone does not make the game forbidden. What matters in the text is the cause of death and the absence of signs from another animal. A Muslim hunter should therefore check the body, the arrow, and any marks before deciding to eat.
What we learn from this hadith
- Check that your arrow is still in the hunted animal.
- Look for signs that a predator may have attacked the game.
- Eat only when you know that your arrow caused the death.
- A delay of a night or two does not by itself prevent eating the game.
