Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (15/102)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

in slaughtered animals is the neck, whereas in hunting it is not confined to any particular place.

His statement, “If it kills it by its weight, it is not lawful,” means that the object with which the game is struck does not wound it, but is heavy, and the game dies because of its weight. In that case, the game is not lawful, because a wound is necessary. This is indicated by the hadith of ‘Adi ibn Hatim, may Allah be pleased with him: he asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about hunting with a mi‘rāḍ—that is, something resembling a stick. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “If it pierces it, then eat; but if it strikes it with its side, do not eat.” (1) His words, “if it pierces it,” mean that it penetrates, wounds, and cuts.

Accordingly, if a person has a stick with a pointed head and throws it at game, and it strikes the game with that pointed end, it is lawful. But if it strikes it with its side, it is not lawful, even if it dies. However, if it immobilizes it and he reaches it while it still has life—for example, when he strikes it with its side, it breaks a limb or its strength fails—then he reaches it alive and slaughters it, it is lawful. The evidence is the saying of Allah, Most High:

“Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, animals killed by strangling, by a blow, by a fall, by being gored, and that which has been eaten by a beast of prey—except what you are able to slaughter.” [al-Ma’idah: 3]

Thus, He made an exception for that which is slaughtered. So, if you reach it while it still has life and slaughter it, it is lawful.

But what is the sign of life? It has been said that the sign of life is that, when I slaughter it, it moves. And it has been said that the sign of life is that warm red blood flows from it. Thus, if warm red blood flows from it, even if it does not move, it is alive and therefore lawful,

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Tawhid, chapter: “Asking by Allah Most High’s Names and Seeking Refuge through Them” (7397), and by Muslim in Kitab al-Sayd wa al-Dhaba'ih, chapter: “Hunting with Trained Dogs” (1929), on the authority of Adi ibn Hatim. This is Muslim’s wording.

الدم في الذبائح الرقبة، أما هذا فليس بمعين المكان. قوله: «فإن قتله بثقله لم يُبح» يعني الذي ضُرب الصيد به لا يجرح، لكنه ثقيل، فمن أجل ثقله مات الصيد، فإن الصيد لا يحل؛ لأنه لا بد من الجرح، ويدل لذلك حديث عدي بن حاتم ﵁ أنه سأل النبي ﷺ عن الصيد بالمعراض ـ يعني شيئاً مثل العصا ـ فقال النبي ﷺ: «إن خزق فكل، وإن أصاب بعرضه فلا تأكل» (١)، وقوله: «خزق» يعني نفذ، وجرح، وشق، وعلى هذا فإذا كان مع الإنسان عصا لها رأس محدد فرماها على الصيد، فأصاب الصيد بهذا المحدد حل، وإن أصابه بالعرض لم يحل ولو مات، لكن لو أنه حبسه ثم أدركه وفيه حياة، يعني لما ضربه بعرضه انكسر مثلاً، أو انهارت قواه، حتى أدركه حياً فذبحه فإنه يكون حلالاً، والدليل قوله تعالى: ﴿حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ﴾ [المائدة: ٣] فاستثنى المذكى، فإذا أدركته وفيه حياة وذبحته فإنه يحل. لكن ما علامة الحياة؟ قيل: علامة الحياة أنني إذا ذبحته تحرك، وقيل: علامة الحياة أن يجري منه الدم الأحمر الحار، فإذا سال منه الدم الأحمر الحار وإن لم يتحرك فهو حي فيحل،

(١) أخرجه البخاري في التوحيد/ باب السؤال بأسماء الله تعالى والاستعاذة بها (٧٣٩٧)، ومسلم في الصيد والذبائح/ باب الصيد بالكلاب المعلمة (١٩٢٩) عن عدي بن حاتم ﵁، وهذا لفظ مسلم.