Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—also said:

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“Mentioning Allah’s name over an animal at slaughter” is prescribed. However, some hold that it is recommended, as is al-Shāfi‘ī’s position. Others hold that it is obligatory, but that the requirement is waived in cases of forgetfulness. This is the position of Abū Hanīfah, Mālik, and Ahmad according to the well-known report from him. Still others hold that it is obligatory without exception: an animal slaughtered without it may not be eaten, whether it was omitted deliberately or forgetfully. This is the other position reported from Ahmad, adopted by Abū al-Khattāb and others, and it was held by several of the early generations.

This last position is the strongest, for the Quran and Sunnah make permissibility conditional upon mentioning Allah’s name in several places, as in His words:

“So eat what they catch for you, and mention Allah’s name over it.”

And His words:

“So eat of that over which Allah’s name has been mentioned.”

“Why should you not eat of that over which Allah’s name has been mentioned?”

“And do not eat of that over which Allah’s name has not been mentioned.”

The two Sahīh collections record that he said:

“If the blood is made to flow and Allah’s name is mentioned over the animal, then eat of it.”

An authentic hadith collection also records that he said to ‘Adī:

“If you release your trained dog, mentioning Allah’s name, and it kills the game, then eat. But if other dogs join your dog, do not eat, for you mentioned Allah’s name over your dog alone, not over the others.”