then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed:
‘They ask you what has been made lawful for them. Say, “Lawful for you are all good things and the game caught by the hunting animals you have trained.”’ [al-Mā’idah: 4]”—and the rest of the verse.
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Hunting animals are creatures that acquire prey and are used for hunting, such as dogs, cheetahs, hawks, falcons, and the like. Some scholars held that only game caught by dogs may be eaten. Others held that game caught by solid-coloured dogs may not be eaten. Our evidence is the general wording of Allah’s statement:
“and the game caught by the hunting animals you have trained” [al-Mā’idah: 4].
This means “acting as trainers,” that is, as owners of dogs you have trained. Originally, this expression referred to teaching dogs to hunt. Its usage then broadened until anyone who taught any hunting animal to hunt was called a trainer. Training these animals therefore means teaching them to hunt.
As for His words, “teaching them from what Allah has taught you” [al-Mā’idah: 4], what Allah has taught us is the instinctive ability, found among young and old alike, to call hunting animals and accustom them to the chase. A trained dog goes forward when urged on, stops when checked, and responds when called. The same applies to cheetahs and similar animals. Training hawks, falcons, and similar birds means that they go forward when urged on and respond when called. As for stopping when commanded to desist, this is not part of their nature and is beyond their ability. This was stated by Ibn Habīb.
His statement does not contradict what appears in al-Mudawwana, since the statement there was intended to apply if birds of prey could understand a command to desist. Ibn Habīb, meanwhile, spoke on the basis of what experience reveals about their behaviour.
As for mongooses, Ibn Habīb said that they cannot understand training, and that their catch may not be eaten unless it can be lawfully slaughtered before its vital organs have suffered fatal injury. Ibn Nāfiʿ related from Mālik that he said, “If they eat any of their catch, it may not be eaten.” Ibn al-Qāsim said, “I do not understand this. Dogs eat from their catch, yet their catch may be eaten. Rather, the question is whether they can understand training. Otherwise, their catch may not be eaten unless it can be lawfully slaughtered before its vital organs have suffered fatal injury.”
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The apparent meaning of His words, Most High, “So eat of what they catch for you” [al-Mā’idah: 4], applies whether or not the game is reached in time for lawful slaughter, and whether or not the hunting animals have eaten any of it. This is the position of Mālik and all his followers. It was said by