sell it once it has been designated. Likewise, once it has been slaughtered, it becomes designated by the slaughtering itself. It is appropriate to add this as well to what has preceded: it becomes designated by declaration, by an act indicating designation, and by slaughtering, since once it has been slaughtered, he no longer has the right to dispose of it.

His statement, “Nor may he sell its hide,” refers to after it has been slaughtered, because all of its parts have been designated for Allah. Whatever has been designated for Allah, no compensation may be taken for it. The evidence for this is the hadith of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him: he gave a horse in the cause of Allah—that is, he gave someone a horse upon which to fight jihad—but the man who received it neglected the horse and did not take care of it. Umar then came to seek the Prophet’s permission, peace and blessings be upon him, to buy it, thinking that its owner would sell it cheaply. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: “Do not buy it, even if he gives it to you for a dirham” (1). The reason is that he had given it away for Allah’s sake, and whatever a person gives away for Allah’s sake, he may not take back. For this reason, one who emigrates from a land of polytheism may not return to it to reside there, because he left for Allah’s sake a land that he loved; he should not return to what he loves when he abandoned it for Allah, the Almighty. Moreover, the hide is a part of the animal permeated by life, just like its meat.

His statement, “Nor anything from it,” means that he may not sell any of its parts, such as its liver, leg, head, stomach, or the like. The reason has already been mentioned.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that he may not sell any of these things, even if he were to spend it