43/26. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4409 — Halal Slaughter and an Uncontrolled Camel
An Animal That Runs Away And No One Can Catch It
Halal Slaughter Rules for an Animal That Escapes Control
Sunan an-Nasai : 4409
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4409
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَبَايَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، عَنْ رَافِعٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا لاَقُو الْعَدُوِّ غَدًا وَلَيْسَ مَعَنَا مُدًى . قَالَ " مَا أَنْهَرَ الدَّمَ وَذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَكُلْ مَا خَلاَ السِّنَّ وَالظُّفْرَ " . قَالَ فَأَصَابَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهْبًا فَنَدَّ بَعِيرٌ فَرَمَاهُ رَجُلٌ بِسَهْمٍ فَحَبَسَهُ فَقَالَ " إِنَّ لِهَذِهِ النَّعَمِ - أَوْ قَالَ الإِبِلِ - أَوَابِدَ كَأَوَابِدِ الْوَحْشِ فَمَا غَلَبَكُمْ مِنْهَا فَافْعَلُوا بِهِ هَكَذَا " .
Rafi Narrated from:
I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we are going to meet the enemy tomorrow, and we do not have any knives.' He said: 'If the blood is shed and the name of Allah is mentioned, then eat, unlike (it is slaughtered) with teeth or nails." Then the Messenger of Allah got some spoils of war and a camel ran away. A man shot and arrow at it and stopped it. He (the Prophet) said; 'Some of these animals - or 'these camels'- 'are untamed like wild animals, so if one of them goes out of your control, do the same."' (Sahih)
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4409In-book reference : Book 43, Hadith 49English translation : Vol. 5, Book 43, Hadith 4414
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4409
This hadith combines two connected points. First, the Prophet explained the halal slaughter rule when no knives were available: if the blood is shed and Allah's name is mentioned, the meat may be eaten, except when teeth or nails are used. Second, a camel from the spoils ran away and could not be controlled. A man shot it with an arrow and stopped it. The Prophet explained that some domesticated animals can become untamed like wild animals, and when one overpowers the people in this way, they may act as the man did. The hadith therefore addresses both ordinary slaughter tools and an escaped animal that cannot be handled normally. It should not be read as permission to use this method when the animal remains under control.
What we learn from this hadith
- Halal slaughter includes shedding the blood and mentioning Allah's name.
- Teeth and nails are excluded in the stated rule.
- An escaped camel was stopped with an arrow when it could not be controlled.
- The special response concerned an animal behaving like untamed wild game.
