Thus, every lawful animal requires ritual slaughter in order to be lawful, except sea creatures and locusts. If we were to find something other than locusts, among what Allah has permitted, that contains no blood, then it takes the same ruling as locusts.

Nowadays, there are creatures that fly about on farms and resemble locusts. If some of them are caught and gathered, then eaten after being roasted over a fire or boiled in water, they are lawful.

Four conditions are required for ritual slaughter: the eligibility of the one performing the slaughter—namely, that he be sane and either a Muslim or one of the People of the Book—even if he is an adolescent, a woman, uncircumcised, or blind, …

His statement, “Four conditions are required for ritual slaughter”: the apparent meaning of the author’s words is that the conditions are restricted to four. However, after discussing them, we shall see—if Allah, Most High, wills—that there are more than four conditions, amounting to ten.

His statement, “the eligibility of the one performing the slaughter”: this means that two qualities must be present in him: sound reason and religion. As for sound reason, the author said, “that he be sane.” Reason is well known: it is that by which a person comprehends things. The opposite of a sane person is one who has no reason, whether he is insane, delirious, intoxicated, or below the age of discernment. What matters is that he has neither reason nor discernment; such a person’s slaughter is invalid.

Thus, if a child below the age of discernment catches a sparrow and slaughters it, that sparrow is not lawful, because he is not sane. Likewise, if an insane person attacks a sheep and slaughters it at its neck, it is not lawful, because he has no reason.

Why is sound reason stipulated?

The answer is: they said that there must be an intention to perform the ritual slaughter, because Allah