Fath al-Rabbani

Sayyiduna ‘Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I said, “O Messenger of Allah! We are people who hunt, so give us guidance regarding this.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When any of you throws his arrow at the game, let him say ‘Bismillah’. If the arrow strikes the game and kills it, then eat it. But if the game is wounded and falls into water and dies there, then do not eat it, for it may have died by drowning in the water. And if the arrow strikes the game and you find it after one or two days, and there is no mark on it except your arrow, then if you wish, you may eat it. And when you send your dog after the game, say ‘Bismillah’ at the time of sending it. If the dog kills the game, then eat it. But if the dog eats from the game, then do not eat it, for the dog has caught it for itself, not for the hunter. If you send your dog for hunting and other dogs join it, and you did not say ‘Bismillah’ when sending them, then do not eat it, for you do not know which of them killed the game.