43/39. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4436 — Mention Allah’s Name and Eat
The Slaughter Performed By the One Who I s Unknown
Mention Allah’s Name and Eat When the Slaughter Is Uncertain
Sunan an-Nasai : 4436
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4436
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ نَاسًا، مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ كَانُوا يَأْتُونَا بِلَحْمٍ وَلاَ نَدْرِي أَذَكَرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ أَمْ لاَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْهِ وَكُلُوا " .
A'isha Narrated from:
Some Bedouin people used to bring us meat, and we did not know whether they had mentioned the Name of Allah (when slaughtering it) or not. The Messenger of Allah said: "Messenger of Allah said: "Mention the Name of Allah and eat." (Sahih)
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4436In-book reference : Book 43, Hadith 76English translation : Vol. 5, Book 43, Hadith 4441
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4436
This hadith about saying Bismillah over meat answers a specific concern. Aishah reports that Bedouin people brought them meat, but they did not know whether the Name of Allah had been mentioned when it was slaughtered. The Messenger of Allah told them to mention the Name of Allah over it and eat. The uncertainty in the narration is limited to whether the slaughterers had said Allah’s name. The response given is also direct: mention Allah’s name and eat. The text does not tell the listeners to investigate further, nor does it introduce other doubts about the meat. Readers searching for the hadith on unknown slaughtered meat should keep the exact question and answer together rather than turning it into a rule about every kind of doubtful food.
What we learn from this hadith
- The people were unsure whether Allah’s name had been mentioned at slaughter.
- They brought the specific concern to the Messenger of Allah.
- He told them to mention Allah’s name and eat the meat.
- The response addressed the stated uncertainty without adding another condition.
