Sharpening the Knife Before Sacrifice and Giving Rest to the Animal
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
❀ The Knife Should Be Sharpened Well for Sacrifice
① Narration of Shaddad bin Aws (RA):
رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
“إذا ذبـحـتـم فـأحسـنـو الـذبـح وليحد أحدكم شفرته وليرح ذبيحته“
“When you slaughter, slaughter in a good manner. Let one of you sharpen his knife and give ease to the animal he slaughters.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 2441, Abu Dawood: 2814, Kitab al-Dahaya: Bab fi al-nahy an tusbara al-baha’im wa al-rifq bil-dhabihah]
From this Hadith, it is understood that before slaughtering an animal, the knife should be well sharpened so that the animal can be slaughtered easily without unnecessary suffering. Because in another narration, the following words are also mentioned:
“إن الله كتب الإحسان على كل شيئ فإذا قتلتم فأحسنوا“
“Indeed, Allah has prescribed excellence in all things. So when you kill, then kill in the best manner.”
② Another narration from Anas (RA):
“نهي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن تـصـبـر البهائم“
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade killing animals while they are tied up.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 2442, Abu Dawood: 2815, Kitab al-Dahaya: Bab fi al-nahy an tusbara al-baha’im wa al-rifq bil-dhabihah]
③ Narration of Aisha (RA):
She said:
“عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أمر بكبش أقرن ، يطأ فى سواد ، ويبرك فى سواد ، وينظر فى سواد ، فاتي به ليضحي به ، قال لعائشة: هلمى المدية ، ثم قال: اشحذيها بحجر ففعلت ، ثم أخذها ، وأخذ الكبش فأضجعه ، ثم ذبحه ثم قال: باسم الله ، اللهم ! تقبل من محمد ، و آل محمد ، ومن أمة محمد ، ثم ضحي به“
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered for a horned ram, black in its legs, stomach, and around its eyes, to be brought for sacrifice. It was brought, and he ﷺ said to Aisha (RA): ‘Bring me the knife.’ Then he ﷺ said: ‘Sharpen it with a stone.’ She did so, after which he ﷺ took it, placed the ram down, and slaughtered it saying: ‘In the Name of Allah. O Allah, accept it from Muhammad, from the family of Muhammad, and from the Ummah of Muhammad.’ Then he sacrificed it.”
[Muslim: 5091, Kitab al-Adahi: Bab istihbab istihsan al-dahiyah wa dhabhiha mubasharatan bila tawkil wa al-tasmiyah wa al-takbir]
