This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Farooq Rafi Sahib's book Qurbani, Aqiqah, and Ashra Zil-Hijjah.
Slaughtering Qurbani in a Proper Manner:
Slaughtering the sacrifice properly so that the animal does not suffer much pain, and sharpening the knife well before slaughtering so that the animal is slaughtered easily, is a recommended and Sunnah act.
① Sayyiduna Shaddad bin Aws رضي الله عنه narrates:
ينتان حفظتهما عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إن الله كتب الإحسان على كل شيء، فإذا قتلتم فأحسنوا القتلة، وإذا ذبحتم فأحسنوا الذبح، وليحد أحدكم شفرته، فليرح ذبيحته
I learned two qualities from the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. He said: "Indeed, Allah has made good treatment obligatory in everything. So when you kill (a victim), kill well, and when you slaughter an animal, slaughter it well. Sharpen your knife well before slaughtering and relieve the animal’s suffering."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Hunting and Slaughtering, Chapter on Commanding Good Slaughter and Killing: 1955. Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Slaughtering, Chapter on Prohibition of Delaying the Animals: 3814. Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Book of Blood Money, Chapter on the Prohibition of Mutilation: 1409. Sunan an-Nasa’i, Book of Slaughtering, Chapter on Commanding Sharpening the Blade: 4410. Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapters on Slaughtering, On When You Slaughter, Slaughter Well: 3170. Musnad Ahmad: 122/4.
Benefits:
① Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, states: The meaning of this hadith is that the slaughter should be made easier by sharpening the knife and cutting swiftly (because a dull knife and slow cutting cause pain and suffering to the animal being slaughtered).
Reference: Sharh al-Nawawi 13/107.
② Ibn Qudamah Hanbali, may Allah have mercy on him, states that according to the hadith of the chapter, it is a recommended act to slaughter the animal with a sharp knife.
Reference: Al-Mughni with Al-Sharh Al-Kabir: 11/47.
③ The Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ command to Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, to sharpen the knife before slaughtering the sacrifice also indicates the recommendation of this practice. Thus, before slaughtering the sacrifice, the Prophet ﷺ ordered Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:
هلمي المدية ثم قال: إشحذيها بحجر، ففعلت، ثم أخذها وأخذ الكبش فأضجعه، ثم ذبحه
“Bring the knife! Then the Prophet ﷺ said: Sharpen it on a stone. So Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, complied with the order, and thereafter the Prophet ﷺ took hold of the ram, laid it down, and then slaughtered it.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the Recommendation of Beautifying the Sacrifice: 1967. Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on What is Recommended Regarding Sacrifices: 2792. Sahih Ibn Hibban: 5915. Sunan Bayhaqi: 9/267.
Sharpening the knife in front of the animal:
It is disliked to sharpen the knife in front of the animal intended for slaughter before slaughtering it, because this act causes it distress. Therefore, the knife should be sharpened out of the animal's sight before laying it down.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما narrates:
أن رجلا أضجع شاء يريد أن يذبحها وهو يحد شفرته، فقال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم: أتريد أن تميتها موتات، هلا حددت شفرتك قبل أن تضجعها
A man laid down a goat, intending to slaughter it, while sharpening the knife after laying it down. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Do you want to kill it many deaths? Why did you not sharpen the knife before laying it down?"
Reference: Sahih: Mustadrak Hakim: 231/4. Sunan Bayhaqi: 280/9.
Benefits:
① Imam Nawawi رحمه الله states that the recommended method of slaughter is not to sharpen the knife in front of the animal to be slaughtered.
Reference: Sharh al-Nawawi: 107/13.
② Ibn Qudamah Hanbali رحمه الله says: Sharpening the knife in front of the animal is a disliked act.
Reference: Al-Mughni with Al-Sharh Al-Kabir: 47/11.
Slaughtering the animal away from other animals:
It is permissible to slaughter animals together or in front of each other.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Qurtabah رضي الله عنه states:
وقرب لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بدنات خمس أو ست فطفقن يزدلفن إليه بأيتهن يبدأ
On the day of sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr), five or six camels were brought near the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم so that he could slaughter them. The camels themselves moved closer to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم as if to see which one he would slaughter first, then the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم slaughtered them.
Reference: Sahih Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitab al-Manasik, Bab: 1765. Musnad Ahmad: 35/4. Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 2917. Mustadrak Hakim: 221/4. Sunan Bayhaqi: 25/5.
Benefits:
This hadith is evidence that it is permissible to slaughter sacrificial and non-sacrificial animals in front of each other, and this act is not disliked. Because if this act caused pain and torture to the animals, the Mercy to the Worlds (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) would certainly have refrained from it. Moreover, the narration from which the meaning is derived that slaughtering one animal in front of another is disliked, is weak.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) stated:
أمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بحد الشفار وأن توارى من البهائم وقال: إذا ذبح أحدكم فليجهز
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered sharpening the knife before slaughtering and to slaughter the animal away from other animals, and he (peace be upon him) said: "When you slaughter, do so swiftly with the knife."
Reference: Weak: Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Slaughtering, Chapter: When you slaughter, do it well: 3172. Musnad Ahmad: 108/2. Tabarani Kabir: 12966. Sunan Bayhaqi: 430/10. This hadith contains tadlees (concealment) by Abdullah bin Lahi'ah and Imam Zahri.
