Narrated Anas: I brought a brother of mine to the Prophet to do Tahnik for him while the Prophet was in a sheep fold of his, and I saw him branding a sheep. (The sub-narrator said: I think Anas said, branding it on the ear.)
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
It is understood from this that branding the ears of a goat is permissible.
The act of a respected elder softening a date in his mouth and then placing it into the mouth of a child is called tahnik.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 5542
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
It is forbidden to brand a person’s face, and branding the faces of animals is also a disliked act. However, it is permissible to brand animals at places other than the face, even though the people of Kufa have denied this. They say that doing so causes pain to the animals and is akin to mutilation (muthlah), but the aforementioned hadith refutes this position.
(2)
Mirbad refers to a camel enclosure. It is possible that the goats were brought into the camel enclosure. In one narration, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), after returning from the conquest of Makkah and the Battle of Hunayn, was branding camels. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Libas wa al-Zinah, Hadith: 5554 (2119)). It is possible that when Anas (radi Allahu anhu) arrived, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was branding goats, and after that, he saw him branding camels. In any case, it is permissible to brand animals at places other than the face, as is evident from branding on the ears. (Fath al-Bari: 9/830)
(3)
This hadith also shows that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was very humble and modest. He would perform tasks himself with his blessed hands. (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 5542
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: From this hadith, another method of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam during the solar eclipse becomes apparent. It seems that the eclipse of the sun was not very severe. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began the prayer, and during it, he continued to raise his hands and glorify, praise, declare the oneness, and magnify Allah, that is: (Subhanallah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar), repeatedly supplicating with these phrases. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam led a two-unit (rak‘ah) prayer in the usual manner of a regular prayer, and performed one bowing (ruku‘) in each unit. Therefore, he recited one surah in each unit, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed the second unit after the sun had become bright. Or, it could also mean that when the sun became bright, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had already recited two surahs and completed two units. It does not mean that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began the prayer after the sun became bright, as might be inferred from the apparent wording of the hadith, because in that case, there would be a contradiction between the beginning and the end of the hadith. In the beginning, it is stated that when I arrived, the Prophet was standing and praying, and from this hadith, it is understood that this eclipse was different from the previously mentioned eclipses, and this is also evidence for the multiplicity of eclipses.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 2119
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
It is permissible to mark animals for identification purposes.
For this purpose, iron would be heated and their bodies would be branded.
However, it is not permissible to brand the face or to strike it; branding on the ear is permissible.
From this, it is understood that the ears are not considered part of the face.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 2563
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
It is permissible to mark animals with such a sign by which they can be distinguished from the animals of others.
➋
For this purpose, animals should not be branded on their faces; a mark can be placed on some other part.
➌
By "kisa’" is meant a cloak made of hair.
From this, it is understood that wearing woolen clothing is permissible. (Nawab Waheed uz-Zaman Khan rahimahullah)
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 3565