Chapter on Hunting
Introduction

Ṣayd (hunting/game) is the verbal noun of ṣāda – yaṣīdu – ṣaydan, “to hunt.” The verbal noun has been extended to denote the object hunted and is therefore treated as a noun, as in Allah’s words, “Do not kill game while you are in a state of pilgrimage,” and “The game of the sea and its food have been made lawful for you” (al-Māʾidah 95–96).

In the terminology of the sacred law, hunting is “the capture of a naturally wild, lawful-to-eat animal that is neither owned by anyone nor otherwise within one’s control.”

Hunting is permissible by proof of the Quran, the sunnah, scholarly consensus, and sound analogy. Allah the Exalted says, “The game of the sea and its food have been made lawful for you” (al-Māʾidah 95–96). Numerous hadiths confirm this, among them the narration recorded by al-Bukhari (2322) and Muslim (1575) from Abu Hurayrah, in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever keeps a dog—except a dog for hunting, farming, or herding—will lose one qirāṭ of his reward every day.”

The scholars unanimously agree that hunting is lawful and that eating what is taken thereby is permissible; sound analogy supports the same verdict.

Sharḥ al-Iqniʿ states: “Game is the finest of foods, for it is lawful and free of doubt.” It also says: “Farming is the most virtuous means of earning a living, for it relies most on trust in Allah, is farthest from dubious gain, involves manual labor, and brings widespread benefit to people and animals alike.” Others hold that trade is the best source of income; the noblest branches are the trade of textiles and perfumes, while the most disliked are the trade of slaves and currency exchange because of the suspicion of impermissibility.