43/26. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4410 — When a Camel Becomes Untamed
An Animal That Runs Away And No One Can Catch It
Halal Slaughter and the Rule for an Untamed Camel
Sunan an-Nasai : 4410
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4410
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ عَبَايَةَ بْنِ رِفَاعَةَ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا لاَقُو الْعَدُوِّ غَدًا وَلَيْسَتْ مَعَنَا مُدًى . قَالَ " مَا أَنْهَرَ الدَّمَ وَذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَكُلْ لَيْسَ السِّنَّ وَالظُّفْرَ وَسَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ أَمَّا السِّنُّ فَعَظْمٌ وَأَمَّا الظُّفْرُ فَمُدَى الْحَبَشَةِ " . وَأَصَبْنَا نَهْبَةَ إِبِلٍ أَوْ غَنَمٍ فَنَدَّ مِنْهَا بَعِيرٌ فَرَمَاهُ رَجُلٌ بِسَهْمٍ فَحَبَسَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ لِهَذِهِ الإِبِلِ أَوَابِدَ كَأَوَابِدِ الْوَحْشِ فَإِذَا غَلَبَكُمْ مِنْهَا شَىْءٌ فَافْعَلُوا بِهِ هَكَذَا " .
Rafi' bin Khadij 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 and I will tell you about that. As for teeth, they are bones, and as for nails, they are the knives of the Ethiopians,; We acquired some spoils of war including sheep or camels, and a camel ran away, so a man shot an arrow at it an stopped it.The Messenger of Allah 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 4410In-book reference : Book 43, Hadith 50English translation : Vol. 5, Book 43, Hadith 4415
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4410
This narration gives a detailed answer about slaughter when knives are unavailable. The Prophet said that meat may be eaten when the blood is shed and Allah's name is mentioned, but not when a tooth or nail is used. He explained that a tooth is bone and that nails were used as knives by the Ethiopians. The hadith then describes a camel that ran away from captured sheep or camels. A man shot it with an arrow and stopped it. The Prophet said that some camels become untamed like wild animals, and that the same action may be taken when one escapes control. The key limit is clear in the story: this guidance concerns an animal that has overpowered the people and cannot be managed in the normal way.
What we learn from this hadith
- Allah's name and the shedding of blood are stated slaughter conditions.
- Teeth and nails are specifically excluded as tools.
- A runaway camel may require a different response when normal control is lost.
- The arrow was used to stop the camel that had become untamed.
