Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām - Abd Allah al-Bassam - (7/76)

Tawḍīḥ al-AḥkāmAbd Allah al-Bassam

while Imam al-Shāfiʿī deems it merely recommended.

Al-Ghazālī remarks: “The reports on this point reach the level of mass transmission, and there is unanimous agreement on its legitimacy.”

10 – Along with saying “In the name of Allah,” it is prescribed to add at the moment of slaughter, “Allah is greatest,” in view of His words: “Thus We have subjected them to you so that you may magnify Allah for guiding you” (22:37). Ibn al-Mundhir said: “It is firmly established that the Prophet ﷺ used to say it.” Among the relevant reports is the present ḥadith in which he said, “In the name of Allah; Allah is greatest.” The scholars unanimously hold that pronouncing the takbīr at slaughter is recommended, not obligatory.

11 – It is recommended for the one offering the uḍḥiyah to perform the slaughter himself, provided he is skilled at it, because slaughtering is an act of worship and a means of drawing near to Allah. Al-Iqnāʿ states: “If he slaughters it with his own hand, that is unquestionably superior,” for in this he imitates the Prophet ﷺ, who with his own hand sacrificed sixty-three camels from his hady and likewise slaughtered his uḍḥiyah. The scholars are agreed that for the offerer—whether of an uḍḥiyah or a hady—to slaughter his own animal is recommended, not mandatory.

12 – If he does not carry out the slaughter himself, it is preferable that he be present when it is done. The Prophet ﷺ said to Fāṭimah: “Attend your sacrificial animal; you will be forgiven with the first drop of its blood” (reported by al-Ḥākim 4/247). In another report from Ibn ʿAbbās the Prophet ﷺ said: “Attend them when you slaughter, for you will be forgiven at the first drop of their blood.”

13 – It is recommended to slaughter with a sharp instrument. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Sharpen it on a stone,” and a keen blade brings relief to the animal by hastening the departure of its soul—this is excellence in slaughter and mercy toward it. He ﷺ also said: “When you slaughter, do it well: let each of you sharpen his blade and spare the animal suffering” (Muslim 1955).

[الأنعام: ١٢١]، ومستحب عند الإِمام الشَّافعي. قال الغزالي: الأخبار متواترة فيها، واتفقوا على مشروعيتها. ١٠ - ويُشرع مع "باسم الله" أنْ يقول عند الذبح: "الله أكبر"؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ﴾ [الحج: ٣٧]. قال ابن المنذر: ثبت عنه ﷺ أنَّه كان يقول ذلك. ومن تلك الأحاديث حديث الباب من قوله: "باسم الله، والله أكبر". وأجمع العلماء على أنَّ التكبير عند الذبح مستحب، وليس بواجب. ١١ - يستحب للمضحِّي أنْ يتولَّى ذبح أضحيته بنفسه إنْ كان يحسن الذبح؛ لأنَّ الذبح عبادة وقُربة إلى الله تعالى. قال في الإقناع: وإنْ ذبحها بيده كان أفضل بلا نزاع، وفي ذلك اقتداءٌ بالنَّبي ﷺ، الَّذي نحر بيده ثلاثًا وستين بدنة من هديه، وذبح أضحيته بنفسه. وقد أجمع العلماء على أنَّ ذبح المضحي أو المهدي، أضحيته أو هديه أنَّه: مستحب، وليس بواجب. ١٢ - وإنْ لم يتول ذبحه بيده، فالأفضل أنْ يَحْضُر عند ذبحه؛ لما روي أنَّ النَّبي ﷺ قال لفاطمة: "احضري أضحيتك، يُغفر لك بأوَّل قطرة من دمها" [رواه الحاكم (٤/ ٢٤٧)]. ولما جاء في حديث ابن عباس أنَّ النَّبي ﷺ قال: "احضروها إذا ذبحتم؛ فإنَّه يغفر لكم عند أوَّل قطرةٍ من دمها". ١٣ - استحباب الذبح بآلةٍ حادَّةٍ؛ لقوله ﷺ: "اشحذيها بحجر"، وَلأنَّ في ذلك إراحةٌ للذبيحة بسرعة زهوق روحها، وهو إحسان الذبح، والإجهاز عليها؛ فقد قال النَّبي ﷺ: "إذَا ذَبحتم فأحسِنوا الذِّبحة، ولْيُحِدَّ أحدُكم شفرته، وليُرح ذبيحته" [رواه مسلم (١٩٥٥)].